End of June, end of rehab for the year? Funding crisis!

I hate to sound sensationalistic or hysterical about it, but folks, the funds are gone and it’s only mid-year.  Due to an overabundance of admiration, respect and "attagirls" and a corresponding lack of firm financial support, LWR simply does not have sufficient funds to see us through the remainder of this year. Currently we have app. 36 frozen rodents for raptors, which will be about enough to feed one hawk or owl for one week. We are in dire need of funds for mealworms for songbirds, as well as gas money to pick up these various critters from pretty much the entire southern half of the state of Georgia, from Macon to the Florida line, and drive them to the vet as needed. Our reserve funds, set aside to build a raptor flight pen and renovate our songbird flight pen, have instead been required for gas, wildlife food and related supplies. Folks, I'm dead serious about this; without additional funding, when the paltry sum I have left (under $100, so it won't last long) and the current food supplies are exhausted, I cannot care for any more wildlife this year. The cost of supplies continues to rise. I'm at 10% over my intake level for the first six months of last year, and this month's not over yet. I've already had three calls today. Last year on this date I'd racked up 2667 miles on wildlife calls; this year it's 4254--and this is meeting people halfway!

I’ve set up an online fundraiser through GoFundMe, with a goal of $1200 to at least get me to the end of the year without having to turn away animals: http://www.gofundme.com/ryjb4. Alternately, every page on this website has a PayPal donation button, or you can mail donations to Laurens Wildlife Rescue, 1101-L Hillcrest Pkwy, PMB #255, Dublin, GA 31021 .  Don't sit back and wait for "someone else" to donate--YOU are someone else!

In less depressing news, the flight pen is once again nearly empty, as two of the three flycatchers, all the mockers and most of the moochers are out now.  Below are a couple of shots of the released flycatchers.

The pre-fledgling brown thrasher is perching now but not attempting to fly yet.

LWR received two hummers this week, from separate people. Hummer 1 has a broken wing; vet Shelley Baumann of Smalley’s Animal Hospital and I decided to try wrapping it, as he came in soon enough after the injury for there to be a possibility of the bone healing correctly.  Hummer metabolisms are so high that broken bones begin setting as soon as 24 hours after injury. Unfortunately, despite Shelley’s lovely wrap job, Hummer 1 managed to tangle his foot in the bandage and wrap it all around his neck in an attempt to rid himself of the offending thing—maybe he didn’t like the color? We thought it coordinated well with his feathers…His chances of release are slim, but we’ll wait and see what happens.

Three days later, Hummer 2 came in; she appears to be just a juvy who was unnested somehow. She  flutters her wings like crazy and gets a little lift but not enough to fly yet. She also still gapes for food, which is utterly adorable. Here are some shots of her with Hummer 1.

This downy barn owl was mistaken for a downy vulture and thus fed an inappropriate diet for 36 hours before I got him. Because he’s so young—just 10 days old—and had been on the wrong diet for over 2 days, he was transferred to Steve Hicks of Bubba & Friends raptor rehab the day after intake. Downy barnies require specialized care, especially when they’re down nutritionally.

These barn swallows’ nest was destroyed; the rescuer had seen mockers dive-bombing the parents earlier in the day. They were fed milk and bread for several hours before I got them. (Repeat after me, class: “Birds don’t have boobs; they cannot digest milk.”) Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to’ve done any lasting damage. The runt of the clutch probably hatched 24-48 hours after his older sibs. It’s not common in songbirds, but it can happen, and the late hatch is usually at a severe disadvantage, developmentally and nutritionally. The parents will feed the nestlings who gape and beg the most vigorously, leaving the runt to basically die of starvation, as he cannot compete with his older sibs. In this case, because these babies are in rehab, the runt will actually have a chance at survival. It’s not guaranteed by any means, but so far he’s doing pretty well for a scrawny little runt!

Photos above were taken on 6-20-12, day of intake. Photos below were taken today, 6-23-12.

Enjoy this update, as it may be the last with photos of intakes. Without operating funds, I’ll be unable to take in more critters.  Most people LWR accepts animals from blithely assume that “someone else” will pay for the care and feeding of the animal; I’m often asked point-blank on the phone if it will cost them anything for me to take the animal. I’m not allowed by state and federal regulations to require payment to accept an animal; all I can do is suggest that a donation would help. “You’re so wonderful”;  “I admire you so much”; “I just respect you for what you do”; and “God bless you” are NOT cash in hand to care for these animals. The public—that’s YOU, too—needs to step up and take ownership of our native wildlife by supporting me and other rehabbers with more than just praise and pats on the back. As I’ve said frequently in this space, respect and admiration don’t fill feathered crops or furry bellies. It takes cash to buy the supplies for that, and it takes cash to fill the gas tank to meet people with wildlife or take critters to the vet.  Please help if you’re able; the thought of having to turn away wildlife in need sickens me.