…and there’s been slightly more stirring at LWR than in past weeks.
First off, the barred owl from last week didn’t survive the night; I really wasn’t surprised, as I suspected internal injuries on intake.
Toward the end of the week a late first-year red tail came in. He was starvation-thin and, as the old folks say, “eat up” with frounce (sort of like thrush in a human baby but in the throat rather than the mouth.) His first 24 hours were on a thin slurry; the next 24 were on small bits of chopped up mouse—all while treating the frounce. He seemed to be doing well—was more alert, actually lunging for the food…and then, the morning of the third day, he was dead. And yes, it sucked. I really didn’t see that coming, as he seemed to be responding so well to treatment.
First off, the barred owl from last week didn’t survive the night; I really wasn’t surprised, as I suspected internal injuries on intake.
Toward the end of the week a late first-year red tail came in. He was starvation-thin and, as the old folks say, “eat up” with frounce (sort of like thrush in a human baby but in the throat rather than the mouth.) His first 24 hours were on a thin slurry; the next 24 were on small bits of chopped up mouse—all while treating the frounce. He seemed to be doing well—was more alert, actually lunging for the food…and then, the morning of the third day, he was dead. And yes, it sucked. I really didn’t see that coming, as he seemed to be responding so well to treatment.
Yesterday an adult mourning dove came in. The volunteer who initially picked him up suspected he’d narrowly escaped being a Coop’s meal, given that he’s missing all his tail feathers. Made sense until the second volunteer (they “ponied” the bird to LWR) arrived with the bird and I was able to examine him. He appears to have a pellet lodged in his wing, right at the wrist. I won’t know for sure till we get x-rays, but I suspect it’s not a fixable fracture. This one won’t be reported to DNR or FWS, as it’s dove season and he likely was hit when hunters were “spraying and praying” into a flock of doves. Sloppy hunting but not illegal…
And today people called about a bird that neighborhood children had apparently been harassing; their own children rescued the bird and took it home, whereupon the parents called LWR. It’s an adult great blue heron—no wing fractures, no leg fractures, able to poop well…but unable to stand. He has a fist-sized raw spot on his lower belly near his cloaca but there are no tears in the skin or anything. He can flail with his wings but he absolutely cannot stand. The raw spot has been treated; the inability to stand will have to wait till tomorrow for a vet visit to see if we can determine what’s going on.
There will be no update next Sunday; due to the work schedules of my niece and nephew, we’ll be celebrating Christmas on the 23rd, as they’re both off that day. So the next LWR update will be Dec. 30.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
Merry Christmas, y’all!
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