When massive storms blow through your community, one of the first things you do after the skies clear is to take a walk around your home and property to assess for damage. When you get lucky, you’ll discover that your home is no worse for the wear. When you get unlucky, you’ll find that the storm left a mess behind.
However, one homeowner in Pennsylvania has unlocked a third option when they were checking the trees that came down around their property and discovered an adorable surprise when they spotted a few little puff balls on the ground. Once they realized that they were looking at baby hawks the homeowners called Raven Ridge Wildlife Center (RRWC), who posted about the nestlings on Facebook.
The story quickly went viral thanks to the photos of the baby birds, and The Dodo covered the news, including the happy ending.
Keep reading to find out what happened and what you should do if you find something similar in your yard.
Storms Blow Down a Hawk Nest in a Pennsylvania Yard
According to The Dodo, massive storms blew through the area, taking several trees down in the process. The homeowner discovered some of the trees had also contained nests, which is when they realized that there were baby birds on the ground.
“Thankfully, they were discovered in time, as they were small enough that their large nest could have hidden them, and they might not have been found,” RRWC wrote in the Facebook post. Their post went on to warn others in the area to be on the lookout for other wild animals that were caught in the storm.
“As cleanup continues and fallen trees are being cut apart and removed, please keep an eye out for anything that resembles a large clump of sticks, light-colored fuzz, or even the sounds of peeping or chirping coming from the debris,” the RRWC continued. “If you find any wildlife in the debris, please take photos of what you discover. If you are unsure whether the animal needs help, sending us photos will assist us in providing guidance.”
What to Do When You Find Wildlife Babies
If you find yourself in a similar situation, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) says that there are a few things that you need to do to keep yourself and the animals safe. First, the FWS suggests looking around to see if the animals are injured. As long as the animal isn’t visibly wounded, there hasn’t been an incident (like the one in the RRWC story), and you don’t see an adult that could possibly be the parent around, the FWS says it’s usually best to leave the animals where you found them.
For those animals who are injured or abandoned, the FWS says you should do exactly what the Pennsylvania homeowner did and find a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Fortunately, it sounds like the nestlings from the story are exactly where they should be, and will likely eventually be released back into the wild when they are big and strong enough.