博客存档 - Laurens Wildlife Rescue

Aiming at releases later this week!

1/28/2024

While last week’s predicted rain never quite materialized in the amount or constancy predicted, it was juuuust enough to prevent any releases. This week, however, is looking promising, so…fingers crossed, y’all!

LWR had just one new intake, another barred owl whose only injury appears to be mild head trauma. If all goes well, he’ll be among the birds released this week.

The barred from last week’s update is also slated for release this week.

The red tail pulled from a leg hold trap earlier this month has made it quite clear he’s ready to check out of the LWR B&B.

And rounding out the aimed-for releases, screech 2 is ready to skedaddle.

Screeches 3 (red) and 4 (gray), recall, are most likely nonreleasables, although screech 4 might just surprise us all. I’m hopeful but not optimistic, given his x-rays—remember, his radius and ulna were both broken, and the radius was pretty badly displaced.

Best of 5 attempts; he's feisty!

The falcon is likely going to colleague Steve Hicks for further evaluation and training, as Steve is a 30-plus year veteran Master Falconer in addition to being a licensed rehabber. Neither of us is under any illusion that the bird will be releasable, but Steve has the falconry skills needed to train her for use as an ed bird, which we hope will make her more easily placeable.

And the red shoulder did indeed attempt self-release but was unsuccessful, proving he needs time in the main flight—time he’ll be able to get once the falcon is transferred to Steve.

So the TL;DR summary is: If all goes well, look for a slew of release videos next Sunday!

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Holding pattern

1/21/2024

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Due to last week’s cold snap and this week’s prediction of rain all week, several birds at LWR that really need releasing are instead stuck while we await weather more suitable for release. And we had two additional intakes, so the inn is about full.

Starting with the new intakes, an adult barred owl came in with mild head trauma and is eating well and alert now; he’s one of the “needs release” birds.

The mature red tail who came in the same day had been pulled from a barbed wire fence. His leg was raw but looked like it should heal well with time and meds. He was alert and defensive, well-fleshed, eating well and casting pellets, all good signs, but within 72 hours he had died. Everything looked promising for a release within a month or so—there was no sign of infection, so the meds were obviously working—so I’m still not really sure why he died. Sometimes even when everything looks good, a bird dies for what we perceive as no good reason…

Red tail 1, pulled from the leg hold trap, has healed nicely and is another of the “needs release” birds. The way he eats, I wonder if he thinks he’s a great horned owl…

Tried a new camera; don't like the results...

Screech 2 is the third “needs release” bird; he’s not a happy camper, as you can tell from the photo below.

Screeches 3 (red) and 4 (gray), recall, are highly unlikely to be releasable once their wing fractures heal, but I already have several raptor educators interested in them, so they’ll be easily placeable.

The red shoulder is the last of the “needs release” birds. He’s already bolted for the door several times during feedings last week, so he may end up self-releasing, inclement weather notwithstanding.

And it appears the poor falcon can’t find placement as an ed bird for love nor money. Maybe I’m too honest about her temperament, but I’d rather any potential takers know she’s stressy to the point she’s trashed her tail feathers and still, after being at LWR for over 3 months now, ensures she’s at the opposite end of the flight pen from me at all times. Several potential takers have backed out on hearing that, so she’s most likely not going to be placeable.

If our rain chances diminish any, y’all can expect some release reports next Sunday; otherwise it’s likely to be the same ol’ same ol’. We shall see!

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Slow season? HAH!

1/14/2024

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Typically, December and January tend to be slow months but not Dec. 2023, nor is January 2024 shaping up to be a slow month. Well, I suppose it depends on how one defines “slow.” I mean one or two birds a week is still slower than baby season but it’s not all that normal for winter intakes, when LWR can sometimes average only 3-4 birds for a whole month, so…

ANYway…last week’s intakes included this gorgeous adult male red tail, pulled from a leg hold trap on a quail plantation. Like last month’s great horned owl, he was extremely fortunate that nothing was broken. We’re treating the wounds to make sure they don’t develop into bumblefoot, but everything looks good so far.

The barred owl who came in last week, however, wasn’t as lucky; he had an open wing fracture and required euthanasia.

Of the four screeches, screech 1 required euthanasia; screeches 3 and 4 have injuries that will likely preclude release; screech 2 had only head trauma. I already have a couple of potential placements for the two that will probably be nonreleasable. Below are photos and x-rays.

Screech 1

Screech 2

Screech 3

Screech 4

Still no luck placing the falcon, which is not boding well for her future.

And the red shoulder should be good to go if I can just get him into the main flight for conditioning, which will require relocating the falcon—which isn’t fair to her, this constant shifting from pillar to post. It’s not helping her stress levels, that’s for sure, but the red shoulder needs to build up his flight muscles for release, and he needs the main flight to do that, so…poor falcon has to be moved AGAIN…

Our temps this week are supposed to be about the coldest we’ve had all winter, so any movement of anybody might have to wait till the following week, though. We’ll see—as usual, we play it by ear where the weather’s concerned and remain ready to change plans at the drop of a hat!

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Screeches ‘r’ us

1/7/2024

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Happy New Year, y’all!

While a screech may not have been LWR’s first bird of the year, two more were added to the fold within days of 2024’s dawning, for a current total of FOUR screeches. Y’all know how I love my screeches, so I’m in hog heaven at the moment with four of the attitudinal little snots on hand—and three of ‘em are red phase!

Screech 3 came in with head trauma but is now eating well and hiding in the back of his box in the blind I always make for screeches.

Screech 4 came in with a broken wing but it feels like it should heal for flight; haven’t gotten him in for x-rays yet.

Screech 1, from the end of December, may or may not heal for flight; it’s looking a bit iffy at the moment, but we’ll see…

"My eyes are closed, so you can't see me..."

And screech 2, also from late December, had only head trauma and is unhappily glaring at me when he peers out from his blind.

We’re working on clearing out a flight for the two head trauma cases so they can be released as soon as the weather permits.

Meanwhile, the actual first bird of the year was a great horned owl with a massively broken leg—not an auspicious start to the year, as he required euthanasia.

Despite my misgivings as to the potential of the falcon as an ed bird we’re trying to place her, but the week of New Year’s is just not a good time to contact facilities. I’ve put out some feelers to several educational facilities, falconers, DNR head biologist Bob Sargent, and fellow rehabbers for contacts they may have that I don’t. She cannot fly and has ruined her tail feathers through stress picking, so any facility/permitted individual who takes her will have plenty of time to work with her before she can go on display, as she’ll need a full molt first.

The red shoulder appears to be ready for release. I’d prefer he spend some time in the main flight first, so this will entail some avian rearranging to allow him that conditioning time. But the weather guessers are predicting some potentially unpleasant weather (heavy rain and high wind) for our area this week, so most likely any bird juggling will be delayed for another week.

Hopefully the weather guessers are off in their prognostications, but right now it looks like LWR may spend tomorrow afternoon battening down the hatches!

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Aiming at releases later this week!

Holding pattern

Slow season? HAH!

Screeches ‘r’ us

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