Keep a bird’s eye view. It's what workers at the Oregon Ridge Nature Center are asking people to do.
An injured red-tailed hawk that called the place home is missing after a tree destroyed her enclosure.
A large tree crashed down Saturday night at the Oregon Ridge Nature Center. It damaged the building and destroyed the enclosure a red-tailed hawk named Stella called home.
"Every time we come in here, we'd go by the hawk. You have a hawk and owl there, so yeah, it's like part of this place, and it'd be great to have the hawk come back and be part of this place,” said Shawn Watts, who visits the nature center often.
Stella has become a staple at the nature center in Baltimore County. Rescued back in 2021, she was deemed non-releasable.
"She had at some point in her life been shot because she had shrapnel in her chest and shoulder. She was placed here because she couldn't survive on her own or didn't have the best chances of that because she's blind in her right eye," said Jessica Jeannetta, the Regional Coordinator for Nature and Environmental Centers at the Baltimore County Recreation and Parks Department.
The red-tailed hawk is used as an animal ambassador for educational programs. A treat for many who may never get close up to such a bird.
"To give the public local and native wildlife on best conservation practices for wildlife as well as a memorable experience in the park,” said Jeannetta.
She can walk and fly, but there is one thing that sets her apart from the rest of the red-tailed hawks.
"She has little anklets on her feet that what we would use to contain her for educational purposes and handling," said Jeannetta.
Jeannetta said hawks like large open spaces and can usually be found perched in the trees. For now, it's about finding positive identification and getting her back to the nature center.
If you think you see Stella, call the nature center at 410-887-1815.
