It’s August, late in baby season. I’m exhausted, stressed out and experiencing late-season burnout to the point that I recently described myself to fellow rehabbers as a “rehab krispy kritter”. So I was dee-lighted to transfer the juvie Mississippi kite and two juvie barred owls to Steve Hicks of Bubba & Friends and to release the two Carolina wrens and the grackle, who shot off before I could even focus the camcorder on him…Six down, three to go, and then maybe a short interlude before any new intakes. Riiiight…what was I thinking???
Nine new intakes arrived…No rest for the weary just yet…
The week was bookended with mocker intakes: one found in the middle of the road, the other found and kept by an elderly couple for a week before they located the contact info for LWR. Luckily, he was at an age where the crappy Internet diet they found and used didn’t do too much harm.
The week was bookended with mocker intakes: one found in the middle of the road, the other found and kept by an elderly couple for a week before they located the contact info for LWR. Luckily, he was at an age where the crappy Internet diet they found and used didn’t do too much harm.
Folks, I cannot stress enough that at least 99.9% of the diets circulating on the ‘Net are sure-fire ways to kill a bird with improper nutrition. Please, puhLEEZ, when you or any of your friends, relatives or acquaintances find a baby bird, make your first Google search for a LICENSED REHABBER in your area. Spread the word and help save baby birds from killer diets!
Adding to the general insanity, this young Eurasian collared dove was found beneath a tree—and doves of all species build absolutely the most half-cocked, ramshackle nests you can imagine—and the finder decided the bare spots under his wing and on his sides (where feathers were just coming in) were where he was “raw”…so the poor bird was slathered with greasy salve…
Adding to the general insanity, this young Eurasian collared dove was found beneath a tree—and doves of all species build absolutely the most half-cocked, ramshackle nests you can imagine—and the finder decided the bare spots under his wing and on his sides (where feathers were just coming in) were where he was “raw”…so the poor bird was slathered with greasy salve…
Yeah, I still don’t have all that gunk out of his feathers after a week of once-daily baths. It’s got some kind of staying power, whatever it is.
Another helpful tip from your increasingly exasperated and decreasingly friendly rehabber: salves and ointments that can be used on humans and other mammals CANNOT be used on birds. They damage existing feathers and can interfere with feather growth—to say nothing of what could happen when the bird ingests these goopy messes while preening.
Once again—if you find a bird that you think is injured, LOCATE AND CONTACT A LICENSED REHABBER before attempting any sort of treatment on your own!
The person who found these hatchlings on the ground with no nest anywhere in sight did just that: within a few minutes of finding them, she called me. In under an hour, I had the birds. Ideally that should have given them a good chance at survival, but sadly, three of them didn’t make it. They apparently didn’t get enough of the parents’ saliva to fill their sterile hatchling guts with beneficial bacteria, and each of the three died overnight over a three-day span. The fourth, who appears to’ve been the first to hatch, may have gotten more of the gut flora he needed from his parents, as he seems to be thriving. I’m cautiously optimistic about his chances.
Once again—if you find a bird that you think is injured, LOCATE AND CONTACT A LICENSED REHABBER before attempting any sort of treatment on your own!
The person who found these hatchlings on the ground with no nest anywhere in sight did just that: within a few minutes of finding them, she called me. In under an hour, I had the birds. Ideally that should have given them a good chance at survival, but sadly, three of them didn’t make it. They apparently didn’t get enough of the parents’ saliva to fill their sterile hatchling guts with beneficial bacteria, and each of the three died overnight over a three-day span. The fourth, who appears to’ve been the first to hatch, may have gotten more of the gut flora he needed from his parents, as he seems to be thriving. I’m cautiously optimistic about his chances.
And the people who found this red-headed woodpecker also did the right thing: as soon as they found him, they called DNR to locate a rehabber. Again, within two hours, I had the bird. Nothing appears broken and he seems alert and eats well but has no sense of balance or motor control and his right eye, which was somewhat swollen yesterday, was completely swollen shut this morning. The alertness rules out WNV in my opinion; the swollen eye could be from being sideswiped by a car, which would also explain the loss of motor control. He’s on antibiotics as a precaution and anti-inflammatories for the eye. We’ll see how things look tomorrow and decide whether a vet trip is needed.
And a final “they did it right”: the couple who found this barred owl today immediately sought help. When they called me, I referred them to a raptor rehabber closer to them but when they called, they got a message that the rehabber wasn’t taking any new birds until mid-month. So this couple drove two hours one-way from the coast to bring me the injured owl.
His left eye looks trashed when he opens it—which he’s not doing often right now. Nothing appears broken, but he definitely has a concussion and I do foresee a vet trip in his immediate future so we can fully assess the damage to that eye.
His left eye looks trashed when he opens it—which he’s not doing often right now. Nothing appears broken, but he definitely has a concussion and I do foresee a vet trip in his immediate future so we can fully assess the damage to that eye.
Here, my friends, is a shining example of why the poor possum must be bathed at least once daily…
The gunshot kite’s nasty wing infection is finally cleared up and he’s much feistier than he was this time last week. Jim Hobby at Smalley’s Animal Hospital and I have agreed that perhaps with the swelling down the bone displacement will have also resolved somewhat. The plan is to snap another X-ray tomorrow and determine where to go from there.
And finally, leaving you with “rehab makes strange roomies” cuteness overload, enjoy these multiple shots of the bluebird and blue jay buddying up with each other!
And finally, leaving you with “rehab makes strange roomies” cuteness overload, enjoy these multiple shots of the bluebird and blue jay buddying up with each other!
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