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

Fewer intakes doesn’t mean less exhaustion

6/25/2017

2 Comments

 
While there were only 10 new intakes this week, added to the over 30 already under care, it still equaled an exhausting and nerve-wracking week.
​
The week got off to a less-than-stellar start when a rat snake tried to eat one of the younger killdeer. Luckily, I was just down the hall, heard the commotion, and walked in to find a rat snake hanging on the wall with one of my babies in his mouth. I snatched him down to the floor and forced his jaws open so that he dropped the killdeer on the floor. A cursory one-handed exam indicated the poor baby was in shock; a more detailed exam had to wait until the snake was dispatched. I marched him onto my porch, planted my foot in his back and used the porch floor for leverage so I could operate the loppers one-handed—the other hand still had a stranglehold on his neck. Once he was summarily executed, with extreme prejudice, as a colleague likes to say, I gave the killdeer a more detailed exam. He was missing down from his neck and scared witless but otherwise unharmed. Given their high stress levels, however, I worried for the next 24 hours. I’m happy to report he’s doing well almost a week later! His sibs are fine, as well.
Picture
​Adding to the general crappiness of the week’s start, a volunteer transporter delivered an adult Mississippi kite whose wing had been sheared completely off. There was absolutely nothing to be done for the poor bird but to euthanize, which I did immediately. The only photo I took was after he was down, of the wing so you could see the damage. Most likely he hit a side view mirror on a car, although whacking a power line just right would also result in the same type of damage.
Picture
And people who’d hit an adult mocker with their car and kept it for three days, knowing it had a wing injury, finally decided it needed help when it quit eating and brought it to LWR, asking if we had 100% release rate. I purely snorted. Right. Show me a so-called rehabber who has 100% release rate and I’ll show you someone who’s limiting their intakes to only the wildlife they’re positive they can save—and there’s also a good chance they’re lying on their annual reports. 100% release rate, my arse…like that’ll ever happen…

The mocker they brought died that night, probably from infection in the still very swollen fractured wing.

The snake-bitten red tail died Sunday night, despite our best efforts. And yes, it sucked to lose him when he was fighting so hard and showing some improvement.

The red tail recovering from a wing fracture continues to mend and will be due for follow-up x-rays soon, as will the pileated woodpecker, also recovering from a wing fracture.

The red shoulder quintet is ready for release, having passed their live prey test this week. They’d be gone now, but we’ve had a week of near-steady high rain chances and humidity levels that have wreaked havoc with my nerves. No photos of them, as now the mere act of walking in the raptor flight should qualify for hazard pay. I tuck my head, deliver the food and get out before I get whacked by strafing red shoulders!

Next up for the raptor flight will be the screech, who’s going stir-crazy. I give him maybe two weeks before he passes his live prey test and is good to go. He thinks he’s good to go now!

In other good-to-gos, three of the older killdeer quartet are ready for release. The fourth developed some sort of neurological issue Friday afternoon. He was standing normally Friday morning; he was unable to stand and looked as if he’d broken his leg Friday afternoon. I took him to Smalley’s for x-rays, which showed nothing. Vet Richie Hatcher suggested something neurological and we tried steroids, with no results as of today. Sadly, I’m going to have to euthanize the poor fellow.
Picture
The fellow with the bad leg is far left; you can see it stretched out behind him. This photo was taken just before his vet visit.
Both the brown thrasher duo and the red-bellied woodpecker are ready for the songbird flight, once I seal the “leak” where I’m pretty sure the two snakes got in. There just hasn’t been time this week, and honestly, I wouldn’t’ve put birds out in that stifling humidity, anyway.
​
Look at the change in the red belly in just a week! No photos of the thrashers; they’ve decided they hate the paparazzi and freak out when I aim even my phone camera at them.
Picture
​The barnie is now totally self-feeding and stable enough for transfer to Steve Hicks of Bubba & Friends, to join the barnie mob he currently has. He’ll be accompanied by this gorgeous juvenile osprey, who has a broken wing. Steve has a flight just for osprey, so he’s better set up for this fellow than I am.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​This nestling mourning dove was brought inside the finder's house by a cat. He’s uninjured but has been on antibiotics to be safe. As you can see from the videos, he seems to be doing just fine!
Picture
Picture
​The downy red shoulder ain’t so downy these days—pretty much just his head! He’s hit that “feed me-no, I’ll do it myself-no, feed me” stage that makes me crazy, and he’s getting antsy, too. As soon as the screech has some flight time and passes the live prey test, Mr. Red Shoulder goes in the raptor flight.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​This is what happens when stressy little birds like Carolina wrens go 24 hours with no food. The finders took them to a mammal rehabber the morning after they found them, and she arranged transport to LWR, but by the time the transporter arrived that afternoon—she was coming from near the Florida line—it was too late. Always, ALWAYS check with a federally licensed bird rehabber to see what can be done to keep the birds alive and stable until they’re with that rehabber or another federally licensed rehabber.
Picture
When a caller reported nearly mowing over a baby bird in the middle of their yard and texted a photo of a fledgling mocker, I asked that they place it safely in trees or shrubs near where it was found, so the parents could continue caring for their baby. The caller asked if it would be safe.

People, no rehabber can guarantee that a bird they tell you to re-nest or place in the bushes for the parents to locate will be safe. There are numerous factors we don’t control: hawks, owls, outdoor cats, coyotes, snakes…the list is endless. The point is, IF the baby can be reunited with its parents, that’s normally the route we’re going to suggest, because the parents will do a better job of raising their babies than we ever could. Placing it back where the parents can find it exposes the bird to the same risks it’s faced since hatching. It’s nature, “red in tooth and claw.”

However, if there are obvious risks, like a free-roaming cat, we’ll recommend bringing the baby to us for safety’s sake.

In this case, the caller said they had a free-roaming outdoor cat, because they live “in the country.” Well, guess what? So do I, so far in the sticks that we nearly have to have our sunshine piped in, but I don’t use that as an excuse to allow my cats to roam outside. If anything, it’s more of a reason to keep them in: rural areas are more prone to packs of coyotes, bobcats, great horned owls and other predators who’d love a nice cat-snack.
​
My lecture to this effect fell on deaf ears. The mocker arrived an hour later.
Picture
​Another caller wanted to tell me her life story when all I needed to know was what bird she’d found and why she thought it needed help. Turned out to be an adult Mississippi kite (MIKI) that she swore couldn’t fly, whose only injuries, confirmed by Richie at Smalley’s, were scratches to the face. Normally I try to get adult birds back to their home territory; this person’s comments about wanting to keep the MIKI as a pet and “train him to sit on my shoulder” (yeah, good luck with THAT) led me to believe this bird would be safer released here and allowed to find his way back home—it was only about 35 miles, and MIKIs can fly pretty darn fast. He was probably home for…ummm…coffee the next morning.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​And finally, the wood ducklings are, of course, adorable.
Picture
2 Comments
Ann Feldman
6/26/2017 07:58:22 am

Lord those ducklings are cute! btw, I assume MODO s get fed crop milk like pigeons? Just curious as to what the contraption is with which you are feeding that little one.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
6/26/2017 12:58:50 pm

That "mob diving" is what cracks me up, Ann! Yes, MODOs get crop milk from both parents. Doves are very devoted parents who share the load pretty equally. He's being fed with a syringe modified to simulate a parent's crop--works pretty well, based on his reaction and full crop when he's done!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    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.