BEDFORD − Lola Nicholson buys her mice by the truckload, frozen, thousands at a time. Enough to last a few months.
She feeds them to the raptors people bring to her Bedford rehabilitation clinic so they can save the birds’ lives. So far this year, 28 birds found in dangerous situations have been dropped off for care.
Among the lot have been eagles, owls and hawks, including a young, red-shouldered hawk Ellettsville resident Mick Harman rescued in January.
Nicholson named the hawk, gave him Gatorade through a feeding tube and fattened him up with some of those mice.
Days later, Harman set the hawk free.
Not a burglar
Harman keeps an eye on a friend’s house near Ellettsville and arrived one day to find a baseball-sized hole the front-door glass. He feared someone had broken in.
“That was my first thought, but I didn’t see a rock or anything and I looked around some more and figured I would need to call the police and file a police report,” Harman recalled.
“Then I saw the hawk perched up on a beam.”
The intruder wasn’t a burglar but instead an almost-year-old, red-shouldered hawk. The bird was trapped, frantically flying about seeking a way out. “Come on pretty bird,” he coaxed. You’re all right.”
The raptor glared at the man.
It was cold outside, but Harman opened two windows hoping the bird would fly out. Three days passed before Harman could capture the bird, which was scared, weak and dehydrated.
Help in Bedford
He contacted Raptors Rise and Nicholson said to bring the bird to her rehab center. Volunteers hydrated the one-pound hawk with diluted Gatorade, gave him food and then provided a quiet place to recover.
They named him “Mickey” and posted photos and his progress on Facebook.
“Mickey is resting after some yummy mice for dinner. Hopefully, this weather straightens up and we can get Mickey back into the wild soon.”
A few days later, Harman got a call that the young hawk was back to his old self ready to return to the wild. Nicholson said it’s important to limit captivity and return birds to their habitat as soon as possible.
Harman retrieved Mickey, who traveled back to northwestern Monroe County in a cardboard box. Harman sat the box down outside the house where he’d found the bird, opened the flaps and helped the hawk out onto the snow. A gentle nudge and he flew off into a stand of trees.
“Feisty little Mickey is a free bird!” a Facebook update announced. “He has recouped from his adventure. He’s all rested and full from the all-you-can-eat mouse buffet. He was very unhappy in rehab and just wanted to be free. Sir, your wish has been granted.”
Harman returns to the house regularly to check on things. “I’ve been out there and I swear I’ve seen him, across the road and on that property. I hope it’s Mickey.”
Volunteer-run center to the rescue
Mickey is one of many success stories from Raptor’s Rise, a non-profit rehabilitation center for raptors such as eagles, barred and great-horned owls and woodland hawks like Cooper’s, red-tailed and red-shouldered ones.
Nicholson currently is caring for an 18-pound female eagle that on March 6 collided with the side of a dump truck on Ind. 446. The bird suffered eye and wing injuries, but the prognosis is good.
The raptors receive the medical care, nutrition, space and quiet surroundings necessary to recover, with release being the final goal. Of 58 raptors taken into care in 2025, Nicholson said, all but one was successfully rehabilitated and returned to the wild.
Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Hawk trapped in house rescued, rehabbed and returned to wild
Reporting by Laura Lane, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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