In the continuing record-breaking year, the intakes keep coming, hence the second fundraiser of the year. We currently have $355 in donations, $300 of which has already been spent on a small rodent order for the baby barnies. Please donate generously to keep these hungry and growing babies fed!
Speaking of the barnies, they are indeed growing like weeds—just look at these adorable babies!
Yeah, I *may* have gone just a wee bit overboard with barnie stuff this week...I'm just ever so slightly besotted with the rascals!
We were briefly up to 10 flyers but sadly lost one last night, one of my runt females from the litter of 5 earlier in the month. Runts can be iffy; they either do extremely well or extremely poorly. I thought this little girl was doing well, but apparently not.
Number 9 is from my own yard and all attempts to locate the nest to re-nest her were futile. I was SO sure I know where that nest was! She’s a strange little gal; she plays with the other flyers all night but refuses to sleep with them—has her own separate little cardboard box in the larger cage the remaining nine are in now. They’re like greased lightning with all that space to play in!
Number 10 is a cat-attack victim from several counties away who, luckily enough, had no injuries. We started antibiotics anyway, as cat saliva is toxic to wildlife and if she ingested any of the cat saliva on her fur, it could have had deadly results.
Number 9 is from my own yard and all attempts to locate the nest to re-nest her were futile. I was SO sure I know where that nest was! She’s a strange little gal; she plays with the other flyers all night but refuses to sleep with them—has her own separate little cardboard box in the larger cage the remaining nine are in now. They’re like greased lightning with all that space to play in!
Number 10 is a cat-attack victim from several counties away who, luckily enough, had no injuries. We started antibiotics anyway, as cat saliva is toxic to wildlife and if she ingested any of the cat saliva on her fur, it could have had deadly results.
Last week’s injured turkey vulture had indeed been shot and the wing was broken. Vets Richie Hatcher and Peggy Hobby of Smalley’s Animal Hospital agreed that given the location of the fracture and the extensive tissue damage to the entire wing, euthanasia was the kindest option. Of course, any time a non-game bird is shot, it must be reported to both Georgia Department of Natural Resources and US Fish & Wildlife Services. The sad thing is that without an actual eyewitness to the shooting, there’s very little that can be done to locate and prosecute the jackasses doing the shooting.
The second barred owl from last week—the one with the suspected broken wrist—did indeed have a fracture right in the joint, which again necessitated euthanasia.
This cat-attacked juvenile mourning dove didn’t even survive the night. The couple who took him from their cat claimed to be devastated by what the cat had done but my explanation that this would continue to happen as long as their cat was allowed outside and that their cat would be healthier and safer indoors fell on deaf ears; their eyes glazed over while I was talking.
Another couple found an adult Eurasian collared dove wandering around their yard, unable to fly. On intake at LWR, the bird had what appeared to be a shoulder fracture; he’ll go in for x-rays this week to confirm, and if it is indeed a shoulder fracture, he’ll require euthanasia as well.
Although they’re year-round residents of Georgia, woodcocks aren’t birds seen often in rehab. This woodcock was found in a neighboring county and brought to LWR the next day but died en route. A post-mortem exam revealed that both legs were broken and the poor bird was rail thin; he’d died of a combination of injury and starvation.
And we had not one but TWO releases!
The Cooper’s hawk who came in back in mid-September with a minor wing fracture was released…
The Cooper’s hawk who came in back in mid-September with a minor wing fracture was released…
…as was the barred owl whose wing had been tangled in fishing cord. Luckily, the feathers weren’t stripped, just mussed; once he’d had a chance to preen them well, aside from one broken feather, there was barely any noticeable damage and none that interfered with his flight capability.
Sorry for the less-than-ideal video and photos of their releases; neither bird was inclined to cooperate with the paparazzi.
And returning full-circle to the fundraiser, LWR has taken in 293 critters this year, nearly double the normal intakes for any given year. The barnies are up to 8 mice per feeding now, so that small order of rodents on its way won’t last long. Every donation, no matter how small, will help us care for the current “guests” at LWR and others that will come in between now and the end of the year—and remember, donations are tax-deductible! You can click on the Fundrazr link at the beginning of this update or on the PayPal link on this page to donate.
And returning full-circle to the fundraiser, LWR has taken in 293 critters this year, nearly double the normal intakes for any given year. The barnies are up to 8 mice per feeding now, so that small order of rodents on its way won’t last long. Every donation, no matter how small, will help us care for the current “guests” at LWR and others that will come in between now and the end of the year—and remember, donations are tax-deductible! You can click on the Fundrazr link at the beginning of this update or on the PayPal link on this page to donate.
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