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

Now is the time…

3/9/2014

10 Comments

 
…for all friends of wildlife to come to the aid of their local rehabber(s). To paraphrase a famous quote, slightly—sorry; couldn’t resist. But I digress…

For some rehabbers, depending on location and species rehabbed, baby season has been underway for a good month or more, due to the spring squirrel breeding season; for those of us who do mostly birds, our baby season is just around the corner—and indeed, downy great horned owls are beginning to show up already. What can you do to help?

Rehabbers need—no, rehabbers LOVE—volunteers. Any time of the year, a volunteer is a great thing; during baby season, when meeting someone to pick up a baby bird would mean loading up every other baby bird in our care, having someone who can pick up and transport is beyond amazing. Even someone to help clean caging would be a huge help—and the training process for both is short, simple and free. So if you’re interested in helping your local rehabber(s) this year, give ‘em a call and see about volunteer opportunities!

The weather prevented the flyers from going into the pre-release caging last week. The weather’s prevented me from doing a lot of stuff I needed to have done this fall and winter and now, with baby season around the corner, I’ll be scrambling to play “catch-up”…par for the course.

But lookie here what we had come in last Sunday: another flyer, a little female, 2-3 weeks old at time of intake. She’s the youngest flyer I’ve had to date, and she’s just adorable. Of course. As if flyers have any other personality!
Picture
Because her fur's still coming in, you can see this flyer's patagia, or skin flaps, very well!
Picture
Picture
Another downy GHO also ended up at LWR after a pack of free-roaming dogs killed his mother. As best the rescuers can guess, baby fell from nest, dogs converged, and Mama GHO flew down like an avenging angel to protect her baby. Hearing the commotion, rescuers intervened to save the baby, but it was too late for Mama. She did manage to inflict serious injuries on several of the dogs, the people said. They looked for a couple of days after bringing me this little guy for other babies, as just one in the nest is unusual, but no others surfaced. This little guy was quite voracious the first couple of days…
Picture
This little red-phase screech may be the luckiest owl in the world. He flew straight into a young woman’s vehicle, wedging his head between the hood and the grille. Believe it or not, aside from a massive concussion, he was uninjured! Vision and hearing fine; no broken bones—I mean, really—what a lucky bird! Some pain meds initially, and then food and rest for a few days, and he was good to go! 
Picture
Picture
Giving me the stink-eye.
Picture
And just today, this black vulture came in. They’re slightly smaller but more aggressive than turkey vultures—and okay, let’s be honest, they’re also slightly better looking! His rescuers said he wouldn’t fly although he’d spread both wings. He walked around, and near dark, when they went out to catch him, he was sitting in water—not bathing, just sitting there in the water in the twilight. Weird… He’s thinnish but alert and aggressive. Nothing appears to be broken, but he sits back on his hocks, and his poop looks a little off, which is worrisome. I always worry that raptors coming in with vague symptoms got hold of poisoned carcasses or maybe ingested lead shot from their prey…We’ll see how he does tonight and go from there.
Picture
Picture
Nothing wrong with his eye; I caught him in mid-blink.
Picture
And finally, we’re trying the Ruby Tuesday fundraiser a little differently this time. For three days this go-round, from March 15-17, anyone who presents the flyer (click on link below) to their server at the Dublin Ruby Tuesday will have 20% of the total cost of their meal donated to Laurens Wildlife Rescue. So all you local folks, please share this flyer and help support our work. Print it out and make copies for your friends and co-workers. I mean, really—how easy can it be to support us this way? You eat out, something you’re gonna do at some point anyway, and part of your meal price is donated to LWR! 
rt_march_fundraiser.pdf
File Size: 409 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

10 Comments
neener/ phig
3/9/2014 10:43:17 am

Love the flyer pic!Really does show the 'wings'. So adorable!
I tried to count how many mice that GHO went thru- lost track. Did you keep track?
I agree the black is (a tad) better looking. I guess with the looks comes the attitude?
Thanks so much for what you do! I really hope those in your area do go out to dinner and help support your important work! :)

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
3/9/2014 01:14:01 pm

Thanks Neener! The GHO is eating app. 3 large mice per feeding--yeah, I keep track, since I get to cut 'em up to feed him!

Reply
Sandra Skolfield
3/9/2014 03:09:59 pm

That black vulture portrait is so great. I hope he/she makes it. Vonda, thanks again for your work.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
3/9/2014 03:17:08 pm

Thanks Sandra! They're actually attractive birds, in their own way.

Reply
Wendy Isler Alvarez
3/9/2014 04:27:18 pm

That is one ravenous little GHO! I think he lucked out ending up with you - I can't imagine that quantity of food being met by even the most diligent parents!
And that one photo of the little screech owl is classic - what a face!
You are performing miracles on a daily basis, Vonda!
Hats off to you!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
3/9/2014 04:32:41 pm

Thanks Wendy! Yeah, GHOs are little bottomless pits, and wasn't that pre-release "stink-eye" glare from the screech too cute?! If they were physically as big as they are in their little minds, we'd all be in trouble!

Reply
Catherine Fisher
3/9/2014 06:17:43 pm

Well Vonda, a better week than some for you I think!! I kept wanting you to get a little blanket for the flyer and cover him/her up and I so enjoyed the owl release. I think the vulture is quite handsome! Keep up all you do!!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
3/10/2014 05:11:44 am

Thanks Catherine! The flyer actually stays on heat except when I feed her, so she's toasty all the time. That little screech hauled butt, huh?! Black vultures are more attractive than turkey vultures to me, but I like the TV personality better, generally.

Reply
Scotty Thomas
4/9/2014 04:27:25 pm

Was keeping an eye on your blog to see what ever happened with the Black Vulture....hope to find out next month. Thank you

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/9/2014 05:09:48 pm

Sorry, Scotty--sent you a PM with the details, but after a progressive worsening of the vulture's condition, we decided the most humane option was euthanasia.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    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.