In one of those rare instances, incoming and outgoing were equal—not often that happens. Unfortunately, of course, it wasn’t an all-good news week. Wouldn’t that be loverly, though, to have a week where all intakes thrived and were releasable?
Starting with the bad news, to get it out of the way, both barred owls and the oriole required euthanasia. The coracoid fracture on the oriole didn’t heal for flight; the wing fracture on one barred didn’t heal for flight; the dislocated wing on the other barred apparently damaged nerves or tendons, making flight impossible. Some weeks just suck like that.
And late this morning, a brown-headed cowbird with no apparent injuries came in. The finders first saw it late yesterday and when it hadn’t moved this morning, they decided it needed help. It was way too calm on intake and died within three hours, without ever touching the food or water in its pen. This is the time of year people start dousing everything in sight with insecticides and pesticides, with no regard for the wildlife they kill in the process, so it’s very likely the poor bird ate something covered with one of the many toxins people use to keep their yards “beautiful.”
Starting with the bad news, to get it out of the way, both barred owls and the oriole required euthanasia. The coracoid fracture on the oriole didn’t heal for flight; the wing fracture on one barred didn’t heal for flight; the dislocated wing on the other barred apparently damaged nerves or tendons, making flight impossible. Some weeks just suck like that.
And late this morning, a brown-headed cowbird with no apparent injuries came in. The finders first saw it late yesterday and when it hadn’t moved this morning, they decided it needed help. It was way too calm on intake and died within three hours, without ever touching the food or water in its pen. This is the time of year people start dousing everything in sight with insecticides and pesticides, with no regard for the wildlife they kill in the process, so it’s very likely the poor bird ate something covered with one of the many toxins people use to keep their yards “beautiful.”
Honestly, cowbirds aren’t among my favorite birds. They’re parasitic nesters, meaning they lay their eggs in other, usually smaller, birds’ nests, normally one invasive egg per nest. Those birds then raise the cowbird nestling as their own, often at the expense of their own actual babies, who either starve because the larger cowbird hogs all the food or get shoved out of the nest as the larger cowbird flails around in the nest. Some birds have learned to identify cowbird eggs and will pierce them with their beaks or shove them from the nest. However, cowbirds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), which, incidentally, celebrates its centenary this year, so I take ‘em in and work with ‘em. I just call ‘em the freeloaders of the avian world.
Once Monday’s predicted nasty weather moves through, the red shoulder will go in the flight pen, and not a moment too soon from his perspective. The red tail remains a laid-back guest and will go back in the raptor flight after the red shoulder is released. The overwintering flyers are, as you saw last week, ready to go as soon as the weather cooperates.
Last Sunday night, in the rain, a couple made the 90-minute one-way trip from their county to bring two two-to-three week old flyers to LWR. They said the tree had been down since that Friday but they didn’t discover the babies until near dark Sunday, by which time one had died. They put the two surviving babies on heat and got them to LWR late Sunday night. Upon arrival they were warm but dehydrated and hungry—and couldn’t be fed until they were rehydrated. In all the years I’ve worked with flyers, I’ve never had babies come in so hungry they were actually crying, but these wee ones were, bless their sweet little hearts.
Once Monday’s predicted nasty weather moves through, the red shoulder will go in the flight pen, and not a moment too soon from his perspective. The red tail remains a laid-back guest and will go back in the raptor flight after the red shoulder is released. The overwintering flyers are, as you saw last week, ready to go as soon as the weather cooperates.
Last Sunday night, in the rain, a couple made the 90-minute one-way trip from their county to bring two two-to-three week old flyers to LWR. They said the tree had been down since that Friday but they didn’t discover the babies until near dark Sunday, by which time one had died. They put the two surviving babies on heat and got them to LWR late Sunday night. Upon arrival they were warm but dehydrated and hungry—and couldn’t be fed until they were rehydrated. In all the years I’ve worked with flyers, I’ve never had babies come in so hungry they were actually crying, but these wee ones were, bless their sweet little hearts.
Once they were rehydrated, they could have proper food, which quieted them down nicely.
They continue to develop nicely, eating well and growing apace…and, of course, being impossibly adorable with every little pose they strike while sleeping…
And at the risk of sounding repetitious, please keep in mind that this is the beginning of nesting season, so don’t trim or cut trees unless absolutely necessary, and then only after checking to makes sure no nests will be disturbed or destroyed. Remember, it’s a violation of the MBTA and of state and federal law to disturb or destroy an active (with eggs or babies in it) bird nest!
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