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Slow but steady

4/5/2020

6 Comments

 
With all the pandemic panic, the pace remains slow at LWR, although that could change at any point this month as baby season kicks into high gear.
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The red tail in the mini-pen continues to do well. Another week or so, and I’ll probably move her to the raptor flight to test her wings. That left wing droop worries me, but it’s been nearly 10 weeks since her x-rays so any healing that’s gonna take place has already done so.
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​Mid-week last week, an adult red shoulder came in with an open wing fracture which, as y’all know by now, is a fatal injury. He was humanely euthanized.
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​A day later, a caller said they’d found four baby possums with their dead mother. It would be the next morning before they could get them to LWR, so I explained emergency feeding and housing requirements. Two of the babies died that night, before arriving at LWR; the remaining two, both females, weighed in at respectable 26g and 28g, above the cut-off weight for survival. I thought they had a pretty decent chance, as their weights were reasonable, their eyes had just opened, and they were eating well and active. Both died within 24 hours of intake, however. 
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​Friday night a cat-attacked mourning dove came in, and she was stove up, as the old expression goes. Her intake exam had me wondering if letting the cat finish what it started would’ve been kinder to the poor bird. Still, I started oral antibiotics and topical treatments on her extensive wounds, fully expecting her to die overnight. Today her wounds have scabbed over nicely, she’s perching, and she’s eating well.  Nothing was broken, surprisingly; she just has a lot of raw skin, abrasions and missing feathers. We’re taking it day by day but at the moment, I’m mildly optimistic she’ll be okay.
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​And early this afternoon an adult male red tail came in, rail thin and lethargic but with no obvious fractures. There was no sign of frounce so I suspect capillaria, which is when worms from the rodents that form a large part of a red tail’s diet get in the bird’s crop and make it feel full even as it starves to death. I’ve started treatment for that and gotten a couple of small meals in the bird, which he ate eagerly. Again, I’m cautiously optimistic we caught this in time for the bird to make a full recovery.
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​For those who may not know the lore, here in the South loblolly pines form what look like crosses from their new growth every spring, nearly always right around Easter. Since next Sunday is Easter, here are a few photos of those Easter pine crosses for your viewing pleasure.
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6 Comments
Vickie
4/5/2020 08:48:20 pm

Thank you for what u do. It matters

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/5/2020 09:31:10 pm

Thanks Vickie.

Reply
Luanne Brooker
4/5/2020 10:04:31 pm

ditto what vickie said :) and I love the pinetree crosses also

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/5/2020 10:17:25 pm

Thanks Luanne. The crosses are pretty neat, huh?!

Reply
Lillian Selak link
4/6/2020 07:55:44 am

Thank you for reminding me to adore nature and the gentle human touch that it needs from us.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
4/6/2020 11:35:27 am

Thanks Lillian.

Reply

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