And now we could use rain again—what’d I tell y’all last Sunday about that?
But last week was blessedly rain-free, and LWR was able to release SIX birds! I’m not sure who was happier: them, me, or the birds that ended up in bigger digs as a result of releases.
Let’s start with four of those glorious (okay, some were a little klutzy…) releases: the adult red shoulder and the barred trio. (One of the barred videos recorded sideways; I found an online site that rotated it for free but watermarked it unless I purchased their full services. Free is good. I can live with their watermark.)
But last week was blessedly rain-free, and LWR was able to release SIX birds! I’m not sure who was happier: them, me, or the birds that ended up in bigger digs as a result of releases.
Let’s start with four of those glorious (okay, some were a little klutzy…) releases: the adult red shoulder and the barred trio. (One of the barred videos recorded sideways; I found an online site that rotated it for free but watermarked it unless I purchased their full services. Free is good. I can live with their watermark.)
This emptied the mini-pen for the red shoulder sibs, but by week’s end they were flying at the door and coming close to self-release every time they were fed. Having passed live prey testing, they were good to go, although I’d’ve preferred a little longer time in the mini-pen. But the turkey vultures also needed more space, so…compromises are sometimes necessary. The red shoulder sibs were released yesterday.
So now the turkey vultures are in the mini-pen, where they’ll remain till they’re fully feathered.
The remaining red shoulder brancher, the one from last week’s update whose nest was destroyed by an unknown predator, has morphed from traumatized baby to footy little rascal. I have to put on a handling glove just to put his food in his box!
The nonreleasable red tail will go in for a vet visit to confirm her nonreleasable status this week, after which the paperwork will be set in motion to place her at Elachee Nature Center in Gainesville, GA.
The vocal juvie is flying like a champ now and should be releasable within the week. I kinda hate to see her go; she’s a delight to watch. But she was well-fleshed when she came in, so we know she can fend for herself in the wild.
And the youngest red tail is part of the reason I hate to release Miss Vocal. I feel like he’s learning more from watching her, fresh from the wild, than he will from the nonreleasable, who’s been at LWR since the end of January.
We’ll see; she may need to hang around a while longer, till Little Feller is ready for release, too.
The vocal juvie is flying like a champ now and should be releasable within the week. I kinda hate to see her go; she’s a delight to watch. But she was well-fleshed when she came in, so we know she can fend for herself in the wild.
And the youngest red tail is part of the reason I hate to release Miss Vocal. I feel like he’s learning more from watching her, fresh from the wild, than he will from the nonreleasable, who’s been at LWR since the end of January.
We’ll see; she may need to hang around a while longer, till Little Feller is ready for release, too.
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