The Wildlife Center of Virginia's 50,000th patient surprised everybody -- it was a lost and injured loon found by a birder near Mount Crawford.

"It's called the common loon, but it's not common here," said Randy Huwa, the center's executive vice president. "We suspect he's a migrating bird working his way back north. He's a juvenile bird, so he may have not known the way."

Loons are generally found in Minnesota and Canada, though they spend the winter months far south or along the coasts.

This loon landed, probably thinking he was touching down on water because recent rains had wetted the pavement. The loon crash-landed instead on asphalt and injured his feet.

"When it rains or ices up, they look down on the pavement and it looks like water to them. They often hurt their feet when they land," Huwa said.

Because loons need to pick up speed by paddling on water before they can fly, this loon was "pretty much stranded," Huwa said.

Karl Bowman of Harrisonburg found the loon this week in Rockingham County and brought the injured bird to the center, which was founded as an emergency room and hospital for wildlife in 1982 in Waynesboro.

Huwa said the loon suffered abrasions to both feet. Veterinarians cleaned the wounds and sutured one deep cut.

"He's eating well, and thus far this guy seems to be doing well," Huwa said. "We hope to have him on his way by next week."

The lucky loon has been preceded by a wide variety of injured animals in the 25 years the center has been opened. Officials estimate that more than 200 species of native birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians have been treated at the hospital.

Among the animals admitted this year were a dark-eyed Junco, 13 bald eagles, 8 black bears and an Alleghany wood rat -- the first of its species ever treated by the hospital.

"Our celebration here was brief," Ed Clark, president and co-founder of the hospital, said of the loon's admittance.

"There is just too much to do, too many problems left to solve, and too many challenges left to overcome on behalf of wildlife and the environment."

"It's a milestone," Huwa said. "We've learned a lot about wildlife and we've shared that with the general public and veterinarians."
Contact Carlos Santos at (434) 295-9542 or csantos@timesdispatch.com.