Laurens Wildlife Rescue
  • Home
  • I found a wild baby - what do I do?
  • How can I help?
  • Contact us
  • FAQ
  • This week in wildlife

Comings and goings and pleasant surprises

4/20/2014

16 Comments

 
First, a fond fare-thee-well to the three GHOs: they were transferred to Bubba & Friends late last week. Below are a photo and short video clip of the clueless clan in their box for transport. Steve Hicks reports they’re doing well and have, after some initial hesitation, decided a fourth GHO he has is “good people”. Let the GHO fun and games begin…but not here! (Sorry, Steve...)
Picture
Last week this lovely male Eastern bluebird was a late-evening window-strike victim, as best his rescuer could tell. Following standard protocol, she kept him inside in a box overnight and attempted to release him the next morning. He could fly but was unable to perch, so she scooped him up and brought him to LWR. His left leg seemed weak, so I was worried that he might have a pelvic fracture. With some meds and a little R&R, however, he’d regained full use of his leg within a couple of days and was talking to me in that sweet, quiet little bluebird voice, letting me know he was ready to go.

His rescuer picked him back up and released him in her yard—his territory—where she reported he flew straight to the bluebird box she has up (and which she’d checked for eggs already, finding none). Sounds like he has a mate waiting out there somewhere and there’ll be eggs in that box soon enough!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
This young Eastern cottontail was not as fortunate. He was taken from a dog and had no obvious injuries but couldn’t move his back legs and had no feeling in them. Rabbits have the unique ability to snap their own spines when in the clutches of a predator, which is probably what this young fellow did. There was nothing to be done for him but end his suffering humanely.
Picture
When a young woman was helping a relative move, she picked up a potted plant and loaded it onto her truck late in the evening. The next morning, she heard noise and found this nest of house finches under the foliage. House finches, in addition to having sweet voices, are sweet little birds. These little darlings have grown like weeds in the six days they’ve been at LWR and are starting to flutter their wings like crazy in their nest.
Picture
Day of intake, 4-14
Picture
3 days ago, 4-17
Picture
Yesterday, 4-19
This little hatchling came in yesterday. He was found on the pavement in the rain and is a very recent hatch—he still has his egg tooth—see the little whitish dot on the tip of his beak?—and yesterday he still had a swollen “hatch belly”. His rescuer kept him warm but he was without food for at least six hours. He gaped first thing this morning but I’ve had to force-feed since then. We’ll just take it a day at a time with the little guy, hope he makes it,  and wait and see what species he turns out to be.
Picture
The tiny white "dot" on the tip of his beak is his egg tooth.
Picture
And…saving the big news for last: the Eastern bluebird eggs that I removed from the abandoned nest showed a network of blood vessels within four days of retrieval and as of yesterday, I could see the embryos moving slightly!

Here are photos from day 4:
Picture
Picture
And from yesterday, day 8:
Picture
Picture
Note the lessened opacity of the eggs as the embryos develop. Bluebird eggs have an incubation range of 11-19 days, and based on these eggs’ development at 8 days, I’m gonna guess we’re looking at somewhere near the outside range before they hatch—IF they hatch. As exciting as it is that they’re growing and developing, fully developed babies sometimes just don’t hatch, and “hand-hatched” babies don’t always thrive or survive. So yes, be excited with me, but temper that excitement with the knowledge that this still might not end well. We might have hatchlings by next week’s update, or we could still be waiting anxiously and hoping we have hatchlings!
16 Comments
dmortii
4/20/2014 09:15:54 am

Fingers crossed for the bluebird eggs!!!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/20/2014 09:43:46 am

Thanks dm! Landowner informed me that today, 4 days after the abandoned nest was removed, a new nest is in the works in the nest box, as well--hope this couple has better luck!

Reply
Catherine Fisher
4/20/2014 02:43:35 pm

Okay, I am seriously in love with the GHOs. While I have seen the exquisite eye flutter before, the little clacking sound with their beaks just drove me over the edge! Thanks Vonda for all you do for the little critters in your care....

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/20/2014 03:57:10 pm

LOL Catherine, while it may be cute in young GHOs, that beak clicking is a serious threat--as adults, GHOs can snap a full-grown chicken's thigh bone (not to mention an unwary adult human's finger) with that beak!

Reply
Sandy Skolfield
4/21/2014 10:59:22 am

They are fantastic. I especially love that V calls them clueless!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/21/2014 02:11:40 pm

Thanks Sandy!

Ann Feldman
4/20/2014 05:17:36 pm

Love the Bluebird! Those egg photos are truly amazing. I feel for the momma finch when she came home to find the planter and her babies gone! Happily, little birds don't have long memories.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/20/2014 05:46:04 pm

Thanks Ann! Yeah, I always feel bad for the parents when an entire nest is displaced. At least in this case it wasn't a predator like a snake getting into the nest, though...

Reply
Cheryl Ann Kingston
4/21/2014 01:19:43 am

Such AWESOME videos and photos, Vonda ... I truly envy your love and patience with these foundlings!
As Catherine said, the owls are simply amazing! It also seems like they hiss before they clack!
The development inside the eggs is truly a miracle to behold and I pray they hatch for you! How exciting that would be.
Thank you for all you do, Vonda ... you are truly an inspiration!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/21/2014 03:23:25 am

Thanks Cheryl! Yeah, the GHOs do accompany the beak clicking with warning hisses. We'll keep our fingers crossed on the bluebird eggs!

Reply
khpipwatcher
4/21/2014 07:09:24 am

What wonderful news (and photos) of the beautiful eastern bluebird (and those cute as can be GHOs - glad they found the other GHO at Bubba's to be "good people" - ha!!) Truly engrossing and fascinating newsletter update, and educational as always!!!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/21/2014 07:13:53 am

Thanks kh!

Reply
Pipette
4/21/2014 03:16:47 pm

The blue in that bluebird is so incredible - Mother Nature likes bright colors!

The finches are fortunate in every way.

I'm rooting for that tiny hatchling -- and won't it be interesting to find out what it is?

Glad you got the GHO's out of your B&B and over to Steve's (good luck, Steve!).

Finally, it is jaw-droppingly astonishing to SEE the development inside those eggs -- thanks for those photos. I deeply hope they hatch & thrive.



Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/21/2014 03:33:38 pm

Hey Pipette! Don't the male bluebirds have the most amazing color, though?

Finches have been moved to a bigger pre-flight-pen enclosure but refuse to leave the nest. They're sweet little rascals but slow to "leave home"--always.

Sadly, the hatchling left us today. I suspect the unknown length of time on the ground in the rain before he was found played a major role in his demise, although I'd started meds. Sometimes it's just not gonna happen, poor little fellow.

I'm pretty pleased the GHOs are with a raptors-only rehabber now, with baby songbirds coming in. Every little thing that lightens the workload a bit!

I'm watching those eggs with bated breath and turning them obsessively. Isn't it amazing to be able to see the development like that, though?! I wasn't sure I'd be able to get clear enough photos to be worth using, so I was pretty happy with those shots.

Reply
Elizabeth H link
4/23/2014 02:14:44 pm

Well, Vonda, in the absence of my WSP nest cam, perhaps you can post lots of entries about those bluebird eggs? I am jonesing! The very best of luck with them, and as always, you're an amazing human being!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/23/2014 02:30:31 pm

LOL, let's just hope they hatch first! I miss the WSP cam too.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008

    Categories

    All
    Baby Birds
    Baby Deer
    Baby Opossums
    Baby Possums
    Baby Rabbits
    Bluegray Gnatcatchers
    Carolina Wren
    Common Loons
    Epd
    Fawns
    House Finch
    Mbta
    Migratory Bird Treaty Act
    Mockers
    Mockingbirds
    Orphaned Birds
    Orphaned Deer
    Orphaned Fawns
    Orphaned Opossums
    Orphaned Possums
    Orphaned Rabbits
    Orphaned Wildlife
    Squirrels
    Wildlife
    Wood Ducks

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.