Red-Tailed Hawk - Update 2/26/2017

Finally, some success! The Red-Tailed Hawk I had begun to process via dermestid beetles is near completion! The cartilagenous rings of the eyes are almost completely cleaned of flesh and tendon. The beetles are currently at work removing the flesh from the rest of the skull. This might be my favorite form of skull/bone processing. I believe the colony is now "hot" and processing at near peak efficiency. I will be removing the skulls (there is also a mink skull in there,) in approximately a week, and after the four day post-processing procedures, the skulls will be photo ready. Updates to come!

Cooper's Hawk - Update 2/26/2017

As you know, the original attempt at processing the Cooper's Hawk via dermestid beetle was a bit of a failure. In an attempt to save ANY of the bones, I trietd to water macerate the skeleton and, given the winter season, that too was a near total failure. The bones of a bird are hollow meaning that expanding water within them tends to expand when frozen causing cracks and general deterioration of the bones. I did, however, manage to save most of the skull. The beak sheath was lost, but given the circumstances, it was to be expected. The same applies to the cartilagenous rings of the eyes.

Learn something new every day, I suppose.