Last week was a frenetic few days, with five intakes all in one day and 13 total for the week…in addition to the 12 already in care. LWR is about officially at capacity, even with releases and euthanasias balancing out the number.
Where to begin? Although he came in mid-week, let’s start with the adult Mississippi kite (MIKI) who was found in the middle of a four-lane road on Wednesday. Two cars stopped to check on him, and the ladies in one car and gentleman in the other worked together to box the bird and get him to LWR, where—to my great delight—he appeared only stunned. Y’all have to understand that adult MIKIs seldom come into rehab with even fixable injuries, much less totally uninjured.
He was bouncing off the walls by Thursday afternoon, so I released him and he took off across the hayfield in short order. Gorgeous!
Where to begin? Although he came in mid-week, let’s start with the adult Mississippi kite (MIKI) who was found in the middle of a four-lane road on Wednesday. Two cars stopped to check on him, and the ladies in one car and gentleman in the other worked together to box the bird and get him to LWR, where—to my great delight—he appeared only stunned. Y’all have to understand that adult MIKIs seldom come into rehab with even fixable injuries, much less totally uninjured.
He was bouncing off the walls by Thursday afternoon, so I released him and he took off across the hayfield in short order. Gorgeous!
Another mild head trauma case came in Tuesday, an adult barred owl. By today he was also ready to go and was released. Got video of his release but no post-release photos.
Also on Tuesday a second nestling Coop arrived, a transfer from Bubba & Friends raptor rehab. He’s considerably younger than the first Coop who arrived a couple of weeks ago but is already self-feeding.
Yeah, the focus is off, but that expression...
The first Coop was released today after passing his live prey test. I didn’t manage video but he did pause long enough for one really good post-release shot.
A nestling what-I-thought-was-a-phoebe came in Tuesday, as well, but as he matured, feathers came in and he started vocalizing, he’s looking and sounding more like great crested flycatcher—although he’s very small for a great crested. He was found sopping wet on the ground after a storm, and he’s still struggling from the aftereffects of that, I think.
And a way-too-friendly fledgling blue jay came in Tuesday, after his finder reported he followed her around her yard for several hours and even came on her porch, begging for food. When he arrived he was less than half the weight of my somewhat younger other pair of jays, leading me to believe he’d been raised illegally on a crap diet and had MBD (metabolic bone disease) from a calcium-poor diet. He didn’t last 24 hours, poor baby.
Y’all, THIS is why it’s important to have the proper training and permits to work with ANY wildlife. There’s a helluva lot more to raising a wild bird than just feeding it some crap recommended by some fool on the Internet. In addition to a getting proper diet while it’s maturing, the bird must learn to self-feed on the diet it would find in the wild, have properly waterproofed feathers, build its flight muscles, etc. These wannabes who feed their egos by breaking the law and consigning the birds they screw up to death infuriate me.
Another brown thrasher arrived Tuesday, also—cat-attacked. He came in Tuesday night and though I started meds on intake, he didn’t survive the night.
In addition to the aforementioned MIKI, an adult great horned owl came in Wednesday. He was found in a ditch in a neighboring county and looked quite rough on intake, although nothing was broken and he showed no signs of frounce. Sadly, his condition deteriorated over the next few days, to the point he couldn’t even grip a perch. He was humanely euthanized.
Another brown thrasher arrived Tuesday, also—cat-attacked. He came in Tuesday night and though I started meds on intake, he didn’t survive the night.
In addition to the aforementioned MIKI, an adult great horned owl came in Wednesday. He was found in a ditch in a neighboring county and looked quite rough on intake, although nothing was broken and he showed no signs of frounce. Sadly, his condition deteriorated over the next few days, to the point he couldn’t even grip a perch. He was humanely euthanized.
A red shoulder who arrived Wednesday also required euthanasia, as his right wing and leg were broken at the joint and his right eye was swollen shut. The eye we could’ve worked with; the joint fractures weren’t fixable.
Friday people cut down a snag without checking first for nests and destroyed the home of three pre-fledgling bluebirds. Another 48 hours and they’d’ve been out of the nest—the first “fledged” from his box at LWR this afternoon. They’re not happy campers, bless their sweet little hearts, and I can’t blame them.
Also Friday, a nestling barn owl arrived after being found with dead siblings in a toppled deer stand. Since Bubba & Friends has two barnies currently, this leather-lunged little rascal will be headed to form a trio tomorrow.
In news of ongoing guests at LWR, the brown thrashers and grackle were released.
I tried the blue jays in the mini-pen and they were none too pleased so they’re back inside for the moment.
The mourning doves are also less than pleased with me at the moment, as I’ve cut back on their feedings to encourage self-feeding. They scatter the seed like pros but actually EAT it? Hah!
The barred owl is now in the raptor flight; he’s only a brancher but he needed room to stretch his wings.
And since the blue jays hated the mini-pen it was freed up for the screeches, who had me in stitches at their expressions in their new digs.
This one gives me the giggles every time I look at it!
There will be no update next Sunday—just a heads-up this week.
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