Yeah, it’s been a weird, weird week, with intakes, losses and a mystery nestling who’s not looking real good at the moment…Where to start?
The Carolina wrens have dropped in number; there are three left. For some reason, I seldom have a full nest of Caros make it, so while I’m not happy about losing two babies, it is almost a given that it’s gonna happen. These three seem to be doing well, though, so fingers crossed for them. Carolina wrens are stressy little birds.
The Carolina wrens have dropped in number; there are three left. For some reason, I seldom have a full nest of Caros make it, so while I’m not happy about losing two babies, it is almost a given that it’s gonna happen. These three seem to be doing well, though, so fingers crossed for them. Carolina wrens are stressy little birds.
The nest of house finch hatchlings that came in last week after being alone all night didn’t survive. I had high hopes for the wee ones, but apparently there were some underlying issues that didn’t show on a physical exam, poor babies. They were alert and eating well…and then they were gone, just that quickly. Died in their sleep. This is one of the frustrations of wildlife rehab: critters that should have every chance at eventual release just keel over for no apparent reason.
On the bright side, the six older finches were all released this weekend, after a week of daily rain delayed their release to the point that they were as eager to go as I was for them to go. They flew the coop and didn’t look back. I managed one shot of the last one to leave.
On the bright side, the six older finches were all released this weekend, after a week of daily rain delayed their release to the point that they were as eager to go as I was for them to go. They flew the coop and didn’t look back. I managed one shot of the last one to leave.
Two brown thrashers came for an extended stay at the LWR B&B this week, one confiscated by school officials from a child who brought it from home and another that a lady had kept illegally for a week, but “now it’s ready to put out and I don’t know how.” I commented on how interesting it was that she kept the bird a week, looking up how to feed it online—a diet that wasn’t the worst I’ve seen but wasn’t balanced, either—and yet none of those sites apparently mentioned the illegality of her actions, but now suddenly, when the novelty wore off, she discovered she was breaking the law and was miraculously able to find my contact info. Didn’t faze her. Some people are hopeless.
At any rate, both thrashers are doing fine, other than not being able to decide if they like or hate each other. Sometimes they’re cuddled together; other times they’re at opposite corners of the cage. They’ve been given some water and “big bird” food. So far they play with the mealworms but they do know what the bath water’s for!
At any rate, both thrashers are doing fine, other than not being able to decide if they like or hate each other. Sometimes they’re cuddled together; other times they’re at opposite corners of the cage. They’ve been given some water and “big bird” food. So far they play with the mealworms but they do know what the bath water’s for!
When a call about downed pileated woodpeckers came in after a particularly nasty, rainy, windy day last week, I was saddened to hear that four of the six babies were found dead after their nest was destroyed when the snag it was in split in two. Of the surviving two babies, one didn’t look good and the finders thought maybe the second had a chance. The first one died en route. The second, suffering from exposure in unseasonably cool, rainy weather; maggot eggs in his nose, ears, beak and pretty much everywhere else; a broken leg and massive internal bleeding, lasted about five minutes after I walked in the door with him. As I adore pileated woodpeckers, this really sucked. These babies’ eyes were just starting to open…
See the massive internal bleeding on the poor fellow on the right?
The grebe was released, and never was there a happier little bird. He dove under the water and disappeared; we started looking for him, and within seconds, his little head popped up like a cork a third of the way across a large pond…and then it disappeared again…and bobbed up even farther away! Grebes are expert divers; they dive to escape predators, since they’re such lousy flyers. One source actually describes them as part bird and part submarine! They even build floating nests, because they can’t maneuver on land. Talk about neat birds…
No baby season would be complete without a mockingbird or two, but honestly this little guy is psychotic. He acts like there’s some Cooper’s hawk somewhere in his ancestry! (NOT possible, folks, but it’s the best analogy to explain his insane behavior.) I’ve even had to move him back into a cardboard box because he managed to scrape and bloody his beak on the pen I had him in—he flings himself at the sides of whatever he’s in…over and over and over and…
This red-tailed hawk was hit by a truck Saturday and not gotten to LWR until today because the callers “got your voicemail yesterday”. Okay people, what part of “LEAVE A MESSAGE” is in Swahili?? If you don’t leave a message, I presume you have a species I’m not currently taking or live outside the area I serve. This ain’t rocket science, folks—leave a message! Nine times out of ten, I call back within 5 minutes!
At any rate, the RT isn’t lookin’ real good. His legs dangle limply but do respond when tested for feeling, so…we’re trying a little anti-inflammatory to see if maybe there’s just swelling compressing the nerves. My gut says we have an unfixable spinal injury, but I’m not willing to give up on the guy without a fight.
At any rate, the RT isn’t lookin’ real good. His legs dangle limply but do respond when tested for feeling, so…we’re trying a little anti-inflammatory to see if maybe there’s just swelling compressing the nerves. My gut says we have an unfixable spinal injury, but I’m not willing to give up on the guy without a fight.
And here we have a downy…well, I originally said red shoulder, but it’s actually a Mississippi kite. I have a history of confusing the young of these two species, but he’s a kite. He was found on the ground with a dead sib nearby, and his rescuers drove about two hours one-way to get him to me, so he’d have a chance at life. Given his relish for food, I think he’ll be just fine.
This little flying squirrel was also driven quite a distance to get to LWR after she was found on the ground in the rain. She’s about 6 weeks old and loves her formula but doesn’t care much for solids yet, aside from blueberries. She can chow down on a blueberry! Mostly, she still sleeps, though.
And rounding out today’s update, we have…I dunno. It’s a bird. It’s a nestling. I can reel off all the birds it’s NOT, but right now, I’m not sure what it IS. Too small for a mocker, too big for a blue-gray gnatcatcher…And it may not matter in the long run. This baby was gotten to me within an hour of being found but he’s weak-eyed and somewhat lethargic, and I’m not happy with his breathing—it’s too labored. Antibiotics to the rescue—we hope. We’ll see how the meds work and hope for the best. (And if any of my fellow rehabbers recognize the species, let me know!)
EDIT: Pretty sure my mystery nestling is a barn swallow. (But still willing to entertain suggestions from fellow rehabbers!)
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