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

Slower week but baby season’s not over yet

7/30/2017

0 Comments

 
​First off, thanks to those who donated to the fundraiser. With just two days left before the deadline and the total raised sitting at $2775, it’s pretty obvious we won’t meet the goal of $5500. Thanks to those whose donations will allow LWR to limp through another few months—we’ll operate till the funds get low, then cease taking in new birds in order to have funds to finish up with whatever’s currently in house. With luck, we might be able to stretch that $2000+ ($770+ has already been spent on more mice and various songbird/waterfowl feedstuffs) to the end of the year but I’m not optimistic on that front.  Too bad more of the 600+ of you who “like” the LWR Facebook page didn’t translate that “like” into financial support…
Powered by FundRazr
​The robin, last mocker and all three flickers are now released. The robin and flickers still expect handouts whenever I’m in the yard, which is fine; I can monitor their progress by how often they demand handouts and how long they hang around. They’re already grabbing a quick bite or two and flying away, so that shows they’re figuring out where the natural food sources are. 
Picture
Picture
The mourning dove fledgling from last week—the one who’d been attacked by a dog—started uncontrollably drooling blood Monday morning; apparently there were internal injuries. He was euthanized.
​
The Eurasian collared dove, however, is looking good and perching. He hasn’t quite figured out the self-feeding thing, but he’s at least playing with the food he’s offered.
Picture
​Monday a chuck-will’s-widow came in; he’d been cat-attacked. He was missing most of his tail feathers and had a deep scratch on his belly. After treatment with antibiotics, he was released. While 10-14 days is the norm for a round of antibiotics, with some really stress-prone species, it’s best to release as soon as possible. Nightjars tend to fall in that category.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Sorry the video's sideways; it played horizontally on my PC...
Picture
Amazing camouflage, huh?
Picture
Picture
​The brown thrasher and three red-headed woodpeckers went to the songbird flight last week; the thrasher is still there but the red-heads have been released. They flew the coop without a backward glance.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​The wood ducks are *thisclose* to release—maybe within the next week, certainly within the next couple of weeks.
​The young Mississippi kite with the wing damage is looking great. I don’t expect feather regrowth in the immediate future, so I may end up looking to transfer him out when funds start getting low; I can’t overwinter a bird without the money to feed him. 
Picture
​The flycatcher from last week is an Eastern kingbird, one of several members of the flycatcher family. He’s had a rough week, bless his heart. As you may recall, he was eating but not opening his eyes last week. Then about mid-week, overnight he developed severe diarrhea and was massively dehydrated the next morning. Then for half a day he couldn’t poop at all. I honestly seriously debated euthanizing but through all of this he was still eating well, so we did meds, wormer and crossed fingers. As of today—keep those fingers crossed—his poop is looking normal and he’s looking like he finally feels better. 
Picture
​The screech hasn’t been moved into the raptor flight yet, basically because it’s been too hot and muggy to deal with the between-birds cleanup required. The temps are moderating somewhat for the next few days, so he should be in the flight early in the week.
Picture
​We attempted to release the broadwing, as planned. It was the stuff of comedy. He came out between the flaps of the box before I could even open it…and proceeded to sun himself on the box…
Picture
​…then he hopped off the box and sunned some more on the ground…
Picture
​…then he proceeded to waddle along the ground like a penguin…
Picture
Picture
…at which point I gave up, scooped him up, and called colleague Kathryn Dudeck at Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) on my way home from the release site. Broadwings are social raptors so I knew to begin with that releasing him solo would be a crap shoot. I also worried about his initial weeks with the hamburger and worms idiot—how much handling and possible imprinting occurred then? He seemed wild enough in the raptor flight but I was able to walk up to him and pick him up off the ground in open space—not good.
​
And to add to the general frustration, as soon as he was back in the raptor flight, he was flying like a champ again!
​Kathryn had a couple of broadwings in that she could put my guy with; CNC is also on a major broadwing migratory flyway and within driving distance of a site where they gather prior to migration—all better than I could offer the clueless little fellow here at LWR. The day after his failed release here, he was en route to Kathryn at CNC, where he’ll hopefully figure things out in time for migration. 
0 Comments

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.