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

Much-appreciated slow week

10/17/2021

2 Comments

 
LWR had no new intakes this week and one release, so it was almost like a vacation...if your idea of a vacation involves thawing mice daily and fighting with a recalcitrant bird to feed and medicate it...

So let’s start with THAT bird—the red tail who’s recovering from a ruptured crop. See, in his mind, nothing’s wrong with him. His wings work. His feet work. His crop works. So why’s he in captivity and being force-fed food and meds?

You ever tried explaining to an aggressive and confused raptor that he needs your help, whether he believes it or not? Yeah, they don’t listen so well...

So far he’s punctured the backs of both hands, through the handling gloves.  The tip of my index finger twice-daily has a new blood blister or outright puncture from feeding him, because he stubbornly refuses to self-feed. That fingertip is numb. I get slapped in the face twice daily by his powerful wings as he bates and tries to get away from me when I take him out to feed and medicate.

And I insulted his ancestry by exasperatedly asking him one morning last week if he was sure he didn’t have some Coop somewhere in his background...
​
On the plus side, his crop IS functioning beautifully and he only has a few more days on meds—and every morning, like clockwork, there’s a fresh pellet in his box. As soon as he’s off meds and will self-feed, Mister Spastic is going into the mini-pen and then the raptor flight to finish out his recuperation.
Picture
​The red tail recovering from the elbow fracture, while not a “teddy bear,” is certainly laid-back compared to his next-box neighbor and lives to eat. Honestly. I think I could drag in an adult black bear and this fellow would attempt to eat it all. He’s what colleague Steve Hicks describes as a “light eater”—as long as there’s light, he’ll eat. Another week or so and he’ll be ready for the mini-pen. 
Picture
​The mature red tail, I’m pretty sure, is just an old bird trying to die. He has no injuries; he’s been treated for frounce and capillaria, but he just sits in his box with his head feathers ruffled when he’s awake. Most of the time he tucks his head and sleeps. All day. He eats very little, even when hand fed. He’s just old and tired and as much as I hate to, I may call it on him this week to allow him to die with dignity.
Picture
​The gray phase screech self-released early last week when I walked into the mini-pen to feed both screeches. I wasn’t surprised. He was flying beautifully and I’d planned to release him anyway; he just beat me to it. This photo was taken the day before he flew the coop.
Picture
The red phase is looking good. Flights are still short and a bit wobbly but the wing is pretty level, so...we’ll see. He’ll have to come back inside when the red tails are ready to be moved outside.  The chess pieces get moved around the board as needs demand and space allows...
​
As are most screeches, he’s a master of stink-eye. This expression is priceless! “I see you, and I don’t approve. Go away.”
Picture
2 Comments
Ann Feldman
10/17/2021 11:15:07 pm

you have the patience of a saint.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
10/24/2021 02:45:45 pm

And the vocabulary of a sailor... LOL

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.