ANOTHER Bald Eagle Hit by Car, Field Trip for Hortonville Zoology Class, Patient Updates

(Photo: This photo was taken as I removed an adult female Bald Eagle from the transport carrier. She was hit by a car near Ladysmith, WI. and has a fractured left wing, facial bruises and scrapes and internal injuries.)

A friend emailed today and noted that when I don't have a new blog up in the morning she assumes it is a very busy day. That is an excellent point. I try to get it done, but there are times when the need for sleep takes precedence.

I drove to Medford, WI, to meet a DNR employee with an adult Bald Eagle. She was hit by a car near Ladysmith, WI. The eagle had been sitting on a deer which had been hit by a car, when she too became a victim of a speeding auto. Sometimes animals in the roadway cannot be avoided, but as a reminder, please drive carefully and try to avoid these situations. We have admitted two Bald Eagles in as many days, both hit by cars. This adult female has brood patch. That is a sure sign she has young in the nest. Without mom around the male will have to care for the young. He can do that, but not as successfully as with both parents present.



(Photo: Feeling pretty miserable after being hit by a car which broke her wing, this female Bald Eagle is now resting at the REGI clinic.)



( Photo: The Hortonville High School Zoology Class took a field trip to REGI this morning.)

The sky was gray this morning and threatening rain as the bus from Hortonville High School pulled up for a field trip. Like a miracle the clouds moved away and the zoology class was able to spend the entire hour dry and enjoying the many education birds and learning about the multi-faceted world of wildlife rehabilitation. It was good to be able to meet such terrific young people and their teacher.



( Photo: Alberta with our delightful Saw-whet Owl, Little Bit, during the Hortonville school tour. Little Bit is twelve years old. That is elderly for a Saw-whet Owl. He gets more time off programs these days but enjoys "people watching" from his habitat perch as much as he ever did.)



( Photo: The American Woodcock chick is growing rapidly. In this photo he is gobbling earthworms, which is his favorite activity. He eats about twice his own weight in earthworms each day at his age.)



( Photo: The nestling Mourning Dove admitted several days ago is growing and beginning to eat on her own. )



( Photo: Today was Education Director Steve Fisher's birthday! I love this "action shot" of him blowing out the MANY MANY candles on the cake, as Don, Katie and Alberta watch. I am comfortable in commenting on the copious number of candles because I am the same age.:)

The REGI family loves to celebrate special days or even regular days. Celebration days means we get to share food and especially cake. Today was Steve Fisher's birthday. We had pizza for lunch and a four layer, super chocolate cake. Happy birthday Steve and thank you for working on your birthday!

As a reminder we are selling tickets to our Springfest Fundraiser. If you love polka music or ethnic, Czech, German or Polish music, the widely renowned Dorf Kapelle Band is a must see. We do have tickets available. The performances are Saturday May 8th at 1:30-3:30 and 7:00-9:30 Pm in Antigo. Tickets are $12. for the afternoon performance and $15. for the evening performance. A German theme buffet meal can be purchased separately.

For more information or tickets call John Jacobs at 715-627-0120. This is the biggest fundraiser of the year. We hope you can all make it.

Have a great weekend.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Whirlwind Few Days, Bald Eagle Hit by Car, Barred Owl Release, American Woodcock Chick Admitted, Volunteers

( Photo: This adult Bald Eagle was hit by a car near Neillsville, WI. She has a spinal injury, but is moving her legs today. It is less than 24 hours after admission so we remain hopeful.)

What a fast-paced few days it has been! I can hardly remember it all, let alone write about everything.

The adult Bald Eagle in the photo above was found by a citizen near the side of a road. The location indicates the eagle was hit by a car. Wild creatures are unable to tell us what happened to them, so we put pieces of evidence together just like CSI:). Well, maybe not just like CSI, but you get the picture. That's why we ask lots of questions of those finding our wild patients. Our admission form has questions not only about where the bird was found, but the circumstances. The information helps us figure out what happened so we can understand and respond correctly. We don't know for sure what happened, of course, unless someone observes the bird being injured or gunshot residue exists or there are other indications.



( Photo: Alberta with the Barred Owl that was released on Tuesday night. The photo was taken a few days after he was admitted in early March.

The photo above shows a beautiful Barred Owl soon after he was admitted to REGI. He had been hit by a car near Mosinee. Rose Shelley found the owl. She scooped him off the street and put him in her trunk. He was near death. Rose knew it was his best chance of survival. His story quickly became an odyssey that includes the Mosinee Police Department, REGIs own Education Director Steve Fisher, and the employees of Fed Ex in Mosinee.

The first call REGI received was from a very excited Fed Ex employee saying an owl had been in someone's trunk, but when they opened the trunk, out popped a very dizzy owl. The Mosinee Police Department responded. Steve Fisher was quickly on his way as well. It all ended well when they were able to contain the owl and Steve transported him to REGI for care. We get lots of "interesting calls" at REGI. Often they are given in a kind of excited "shorthand" with important facts being left out until later.

We were very happy to let Rose and a group her friends release this owl back to the wild after he made a full recovery at REGI. It is so good to know there are people like Rose that care about wild ones when they are injured. Thanks Rose, Fed Ex employees, Mosinee Police Department, and REGI staff.



( Photo: Rose Shelley and friends prepare to release the Barred Owl that was hit by a car near Mosinee on March 2, 2010. We know the photo is blurred but it is the only one we have. sorry::( )



( Photo: A day-old American Woodcock chick was admitted last night. It is shown in a brooder that mimics what its natural habitat would look like.)

The Doering family of Merrill called yesterday evening to say they found an strange little bird on their lawn with no sign of an adult. They tried to put it in the woods but it followed the children in the family back to the house. It was likely lost from its family. The family quickly drove to REGI to get the little one care.

We are grateful when we are able to admit chicks soon after they are found. Youngsters are not able to thermo-regulate, keep themselves warm, without an adult. They always need a brooder or incubator. Our thanks to this great family for getting this little one help.

American Woodcock are secretive birds. They eat earthworms for the most part from the forest floor. They can be challenging to raise to release, but we have great success with them. It is important to make sure they feel comfortable with their environment or they will not survive. We take great pains to provide a natural "habitat" for them from day one. Can you see the woodcock chick in the photo below? It is on the left of the photo.



( Photo: The "brooder" American Woodcock habitat from above. It is a Rubbermaid container with natural leaf litter. Even the water dish has small stones to allow for safe foot placement for the chick. The legs of gallinaceous birds splay easily when on any slick surface. Splayed legs can result in a crippled bird. )



( Photo: Check out that long beak on this tiny American Woodcock. The beak is delicate and flexible to probe worms from the soil.)



( Photo: Super volunteer Dave Koch was back yesterday to continue repairs on our Peregrine Falcon enclosure. Dave brought Scott Breneman, a recently retired science teacher, to help with the project. Many thanks to both Dave and Scott for your help. It means so much to us.)

The repair work continues on the REGI compound. After twenty years we have lots to repair. We sure could use more volunteers to help with repairs, painting, and the like. While our work with the birds is important, we need to have our cages in good repair to continue to do good work with the birds. If you are interested in helping call Molly at 715-623-2563.

In case you noticed the time I began this blog, from this time on through summer I will be up at least part of the night tending baby birds. It is a long process from nestling to release of a healthy adult.: ) If you know someone who is interested in feeding baby birds, please give Molly a call.

Have a great day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Bald Eagles Admitted, Fishing Lure Embedded in Both Feet of a Bald Eagle

( Photo: This lure was embedded in both feet of a Bald Eagle from the Marinette area.)

I received several emails during the past few days from folks wondering what happened to the Bald Eagle I was waiting for from Marinette about midnight Friday. I would love to say it was a success story, but it was not. The beautiful adult Bald Eagle died before she arrived at our clinic. The kind folks that found her were in route and still about 60 miles from our clinic when the eagle died. They continued on their way, however, so we could do testing to find out what happened to this magnificent bird. I usually don't put photos of deceased patients on the blog unless it serves a distinct purpose. I hope the photo below is helpful in urging people to try to find lost fishing equipment and not discarding broken line, etc. in a lake or river.



( Photo: This beautiful female Bald Eagle had a muskie lure embedded in both feet and was not able to free herself. )

I cannot say enough about the terrific people who found this bird. They saw her while fishing earlier in the day and again in the same place as they were coming in for the night. They knew that was odd so they called for help. We have no volunteers in this remote area. This special couple carefully caught her up and began the trip to Antigo, knowing they would arrive about midnight (and a 2 hour trip home once leaving off the bird). It is people like this that make the world a better place to be.

Sadly, the Bald Eagle also had a hole in her lower mandible where a hook had been. She weighted only 5 lbs., which is less than 1/2 what she should have weighed. That indicates she was at least 10 days and probably more with the lure embedded. She was unable to eat. She was an older female and likely had been in the area for quite some time as Bald Eagles are territorial and occupy the same territory for many years.

We are doing tests to find out if there was something else such as lead poisoning involved. The preliminary testing, x-rays, revealed no lead shot in the body. The blood tests will take a few weeks.

For right now it looks like the Bald Eagle died of starvation and exhaution from trying to free herself from an impossible situation. You can imagine the eagle curled over with hooks in both feet and lower beak for at least part of that time as she tried to extricate herself from treble hooks. The hooks that are made specifically so fish cannot get away.

Please be mindful of your fishing equipment and monofiliment line and encourage those you know to do the same. I am a fisherman. I am well aware lures are lost when fishing. Some are impossible to retrieve. Many more are simply discarded if broken or are no longer wanted. The same properties that make monofiliment line so great for fishing, make it impossible for wildlife to free itself once tangled. Please keep wildlife in mind when your restring a pole or cut off bits of weak line. If you find discarded line along a pond, river or lake, pick it up and discard it yourself to avert this kind of tragic situation. This Bald Eagle would be in the sky above Marinette now had someone been more careful.

It has been crazy busy here at REGI with many patients admitted including another Bald Eagle yesterday, more patient releases and end of school year programs. I will catch up today so stay tuned on the REGI blog for some good news next time.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Patients Pour In, Barred Owl, Saw-whet Owl, Mourning Dove and Visit from UWSP Captive Wildlife Class

( Photo: This Barred Owl had a bit of bad luck. He has both a broken wing and a broken leg.)

Spring certainly is in the air. The warm temperatures brought with it baby birds earlier than any other year. While the calendar says it is April, the breeding birds seem to think it is May. I just hope the Warblers and other more delicate birds hold off arriving in Northern WI until later in May when our chance of freezing weather is minimal.

Dr Shelli Dubay brought her Captive Wildlife Class from UWSP here for a field trip on Friday. It is always a great class. We are excited to show them around and cover as many aspects of captive wildlife care as possible in the two hours they are here. It is exciting for us to know their bright minds and energetic spirits will be working with wildlife for many years to come.



( Photo: Dr Shelli Dubay's Captive Wildlife class from UWSP tours the REGI clinic as I explain what happens when birds are admitted. Two birds were admitted during the field trip.)



( Photo: An adult Saw-whet Owl with a fractured right wing spent some time on the ground without food as it is near starvation.)

A Saw-whet Owl was admitted with a broken wing during the time the UWSP Captive Wildlife class was at REGI. The little one, is an adult but weighs only 54 grams. That weight indicates starvation. The little owl must have been injured a few days previous and spent some time on the ground before it was noticed and brought to REGI. We re hydrated him and put him on heat to bring his body temperature back up to a normal level.



( Photo: A baby Mourning Dove was admitted after a homeowner found it in her dogs mouth. Thank goodness it was a retriever. Note to pet owners...Do you know where your pet is and what it is doing?)

I took a call very early in the morning from a homeowner in Mosinee, WI. Her dog brought home a baby bird the night before. She looked for a nest but was not able to locate it. She keep the little one warm and brought it to REGI soon after contacting us. It turns out it is a baby Mourning Dove. The nest of a Mourning Dove is a weak structure which consists of few sticks. It looks more like "a few sticks" on a branch than a nest. I am not surprised the nest was not located.

Mourning Doves drink crop milk from their parents crop rather then being fed in the more typical open mouth gape most people associate with baby birds. It is an interesting twist in the world of birds.



( Photo: UWSP Captive Wildlife Class tours the Eagle flight building to learn the importance of conditioning or birds before release to the wild as well as specifics of housing raptors.)



( Photo: UWSP Captive Wildlife Class got to visit with several of REGI education birds up close with Education Coordinator, Molly McKay and Education Director, Steve Fisher.

It is sure to be another busy day. We have high winds today. For us that means baby birds being blown from nests and adults occasionally colliding with solid objects like trees as they are buffeted around on wind currents. Wildlife rehabilitators see life so differently than regular people.:)

Have a great day everyone.

Marge Gibson ©2010

Busy Earth Day, More Releases and New Patients Admitted, Volunteer

( Photo: This male Northern Cardinal was released on Thursday. He suffered a wing fracture in late winter. )



( Photo: THIS is why we wear gloves when handling Cardinals, Blue Jays and some other strong-beaked birds. They use that beak so effectively and not only for cracking open sunflower seeds. :) )

Earth Day was one busy day! Education Coordinator Molly McKay was up super early to be at the Port Edwards High School for an Earth Day Festival. What a great job the high school students did putting it together. Molly will write about it early next week. We are hoping to get some photos from the school as we forgot our camera.

I did an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio with host Glenn Moberg on the WPR program "Hwy 51". At the same time Education Director Steve Fisher was at WSAU Channel 7 doing an interview for Earth Day and for the Sunday morning show with our wonderful education partner, Malcolm, our Barred Owl. It was so good to hear about the great things happening in the world and hope even more are to come.



( Photo: Catching a well-conditioned passerine in the flight aviary is not easy task. At the end, everybody is exhausted including the staff. Here Alberta finally snags the Northern Cardinal. )



( The Northern Cardinal could not wait to get out of Katie's grasp. He headed for the woods and off to the rest of his life. He had such a severe wing fracture when admitted we were not sure he would heal, but he did and is now living proof rehab works!)



(Photo: Alberta releases an American Coot that spent most of the winter with us at REGI. It could not believe its good fortune to finally have a lake to call its own.)



( Photo: The American Coot quickly found cover from which it could survey the lake. We found it hiding in some cattails. It is well camouflaged. Can you see it in the middle of the photo?)

Yesterday we admitted another American Coot seemingly to replace the patient we released. That is the way it goes here at REGI. One patient sent out the door and two more admitted. The coot admitted yesterday has lead poisoning and will be with us for awhile as the lead is chelated from its blood.

Volunteer Dave Koch spend two days working and repairing caging at REGI. Our caging is getting older now and the harsh winters take a greater toll every year. Volunteers who help with construction and repair are vital to our work. Dave has worked several days every spring to help us, and we are so grateful to him for his time and to his wife for sharing him. :)



( Photo: Dave Koch, "volunteer extraordinaire" spent two days at REGI doing repairs to caging. Thank you, Dave! )

We hope to get some rain to fill our lakes here in the northland. Our area is all about lakes and many of ours are either very low or nearly empty. It is very hard to comprehend.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Fledging TIme for Great-horned Owlets

Happy Earth Day Everyone!



( Photo: This Great-horned Owlet was on the ground at a local cemetery and caused some concern among folks that came upon it. Photo by Steve and Evie Fisher)

There is nothing cuter than a baby owl. No matter what the species, they are fluffy and almost round in appearance. They look a lot like a stuffed toy rather than the wild, well-armed future predator they are.

We have received several calls this past week from people who happen upon these adorable little balls of fluff. This is the time of the year when Great-horned Owls fledge, or leave their nest and become mobile.



( Photo: A young Great-horned Owl has the distinctive yellow eyes of its parents, which identify the owl species before the chick has feathers.)

Great-horned Owls are our earliest nesting birds in WI. It seems a contradiction; however, the adult owls are often on nests by late January when the winds are howling and snow covers our northern landscape. Great-horned Owls do not build their own nest. Instead, they choose an old nest of a crow, hawk, or even a squirrel to call their own.

When the young owls are 6-8 weeks old, they begin to venture from their nest. This is before they can actually fly. Nature's method provides owlets opportunities to develop their leg muscles that will very soon be catching their own prey. In a natural setting owlets that appear to have fallen from their nest actually have fledged. In a natural wooded area, bushes and smaller trees provide a ladder of sorts and allow the chicks to climb to a higher perch until they can fly. When owls nest in a city with concrete below them rather than a soft forest floor, problems arise. That is also the case with a well-manicured park or lawn setting that has nothing that can function as a ladder for the tykes.

Our job at REGI is to resolve which owlets are actually in trouble and need to come into captive care and which are doing as nature intended. This year we have had several calls with young owls on the ground. All have thus far ended up being normal owlets with parents at the location. They just need to be left alone so the adult can tend to them.
No matter how good the wildilfe center is, the owlets' natural parents are always the best choice to raise them.



( Photo: Adult Great-horned Owl guarding her chick. (Photo by Steve and Evie Fisher.)

When owlets come into captivity at REGI, they are raised here by a foster parent. The foster is a non-releasable adult of their own species. That allows the little ones to grow up to be owls and not imprinted to humans. While the little ones are adorable, they quickly grow up into real honest-to-goodness owls. If they are hand fed or associate food with people during their nestling period, the young owls become human imprints. They identify with people and not owls. It is a condition that is not reversible. Imprinted birds are very aggressive once they reach maturity. Some of the most dangerous birds we have are imprints. Because of the extreme aggression, they are never able to be released to the wild.

Owlets can eat between 13-17 mice per night when they are about 3-4 weeks old. They are little mouse-eating machines until their growth levels out. An adult owl eats about 4 mice per day.



( Photo: Great-horned Owl foster parents raising a wild youngster last spring. They are protective and great parents even to babies not their own.)

If you find a young owl, leave it where it is, unless it is in imminent danger. Give us a call and let us help you decide if the adults are in attendance and the chick is just fledging naturally or if there is something wrong with the little one. Remember, owls are nocturnal for the most part and are not easy to see during daylight hours. Mom and dad could be very close and yet be so well camouflaged they are hard to see.

If a nest tree has been cut or blown down, artificial nests can be used so the owl parents can continue to care for their young.

Have a great day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Spring Releases Fly Free, American Robins, Red-tailed Hawks, Great-horned Owl

We admitted a beautiful female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with a broken wing. They are such great birds. She had been sipping sap from a birch tree and likely got a little loopy on the fermented sap. She misjudged either a limb or other immovable object and crashed. Yes folks, it happens even in the bird community!



( Photo: Female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has a wing fracture. She seems a little embarrassed over the situation that caused her injury.)

It has been a busy week with many spring releases. We sometimes have to hold birds over the winter or parts of the winter due to severe cold temperatures. Critically injured birds are kept on heat or incubators until they are stable. Releasing them into frigid below zero F. temperatures would be fatal. In those cases the birds are our guests until spring when they can acclimate quickly and begin life again. The first step in release is exercise or physical therapy. All birds including passerines or perching birds need to be in great physical condition before released or their survival will be compromised.



( Photo: Alberta and Katie with two adult American Robins they just caught up from the exercise aviary for the last time. Today the birds start the "rest of their life" as wild birds. One robin sustained a wing fracture in late winter and was especially anxious to leave captivity. He seemed to have a destination in mind. )



( Photo: An American Robin with blue sky behind him after release to the wild. )

We are still working on spring cleaning. With the large number of birds in our care the facility needs constant upkeep and cleaning. In the winter our ability to clean is limited. Any water used would quickly turn to ice. Living in the far north is challenging in the winter season.

We are so grateful to the UWSP and UW-Madison students that have turned out to help with the Herculean job of REGI spring cleaning. If anyone else wants to volunteer we have have plenty of projects and opportunities. Thanks everybody.



( Photo: Katelyn Thomas and Elena Yaunke members of the UWSP Pre-Vet Club work hard shoveling pea gravel into new enclosures. Pea gravel is necessary for safe footing for raptors.)

We welcomed Lori and Brian Rowe and their daughters Sarah and Jenny as volunteers on Monday. The family is doing community projects with their daughters to help them learn the value of volunteerism. What a great lesson for the girls and so helpful to REGI at the same time.



( Photo: The Rowe family, Lori and Brian and daughters Sarah and Jenny came to help us on Monday. Our Daylily bed by the flight building looks beautiful! )

We had many releases this past week. It is hard to catch up with them all for the blog. Unfortunately, many were not caught on my camera. I will post them later when I get them. Three Red-tailed Hawks and Two Great-horned Owls are free again this week after rehabilitation at REGI.

Have a great day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Possible Lead Sinker Ban in the State of WI

( Photo: An adult Bald Eagle dying of lead poisoning. )

I did a spot on channel 7 last night on the lead fishing tackle issue. Lead sinkers are banned by the European Union. Lead sinkers have been banned in Great Britain since 1987. Both the Canadian Wildlife Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service have bans on federal lands. Many states including New Hampshire, Maine, New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts have a ban as well. Am I the only one who feels a little embarrassed that we fall so far behind other countries in this aspect?

Change is always hard, but lead is a toxin and we have new alternatives. It seems to me, allowing our sportsmen and their families to continue to be exposed to a known toxin is wrong, even a liability, for our state since we know, 100% know and acknowledge, lead is toxic. It is a poison not only to birds but to humans. We hear much about the increased cost of lead alternative sinkers. Are they more expensive? Did you ever notice that specifics of how much more expensive are not discussed? I am a fisherman. I just bought 100 non-lead sinkers for a little over eight dollars ( $8.00). 100 lead sinkers are $6.00. One hundred sinkers lasts a long time. We are talking about $2.00 to save loons, Trumpeter Swans and Eagles. Like I said, I am not sure what the fray is about, other than change is hard. I don't understand, but I assure you my grandchildren are not going to be exposed to lead poisoning.

The Lead Analyzer we use at REGI was developed to do blood lead testing on children usually in the inner cities. Now, we use the same machine to test the blood of Bald Eagles, Trumpeter Swans and Loons as well as other wildlife. The analyzer is not needed as much for children since paint has been lead free since the mid 1970's in our country.

I am old enough to remember the arguments of paint manufacturers when a ban of lead in paint was being considered. Heated discussions ensued with claims ranging from a ban being "Un-American", to manufacturers would be forced out of business because the plants would need to be re-tooled for the production of lead free paint. There were claims banning lead in paint would be a financial disaster for the U.S. economy.

That was thirty ( 30 ) short years ago. Last winter a toy produced in China was found to have a tiny bit of lead in a single color on the toy. The toy was immediately taken from the shelves. Parents were up in arms over China trying to poison our children. The swing of the pendulum of popular opinion is obvious!

Lead poisoning causes brain damage, neurological problems, seizures and organ failure. We know this. Lead Poisoning is well studied. Literature is readily available. As for me and my family, there is no question what the right answer is.



( Photo: Lead sinkers and lead shot in the digestive system of a Trumpeter Swan.)

Sadly, sportsmen are being taken advantage of with impassioned words from the sport fishing community that promote half truths. As a fisherman myself I am angry my fellow fishermen are being taken advantage in such a way. I ask everyone to make up your own mind. Do your own research. Don't allow only the vested interests of some to create your opinion.

I know personally that fishing and hunting are expensive sports. If you cannot afford an extra $2.00 every few years for non-lead sinkers, then take advantage of our free lead sinker exchange at REGI. We can provide a lot of lead free sinkers for fishermen with the up to $2000 in CA EDTA it takes to treat a single Bald Eagle or Trumpeter Swan for lead poisoning. The last year we had 11 Bald Eagles, 14 Trumpeter Swans and 5 loons with lead poisoning. The is $60,000 in medication alone to help these protected species for the public to continue to enjoy and our economy to continue to benefit through tourism. We get no state or federal funding to help defray this cost. Please think about it and do the right thing.

Marge Gibson 2010

Spring Releases Fly Free, American Robins, Red-tailed Hawks, Great-horned Owl

We admitted a beautiful female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with a broken wing. They are such great birds. She had been sipping sap from a birch tree and likely got a little loopy on the fermented sap. She misjudged either a limb or other immovable object and crashed. Yes folks, it happens even in the bird community!



( Photo: Female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has a wing fracture. She seems a little embarrassed over the situation that caused her injury.)

It has been a busy week with many spring releases. We sometimes have to hold birds over the winter or parts of the winter due to severe cold temperatures. Critically injured birds are kept on heat or incubators until they are stable. Releasing them into frigid below zero F. temperatures would be fatal. In those cases the birds are our guests until spring when they can acclimate quickly and begin life again. The first step in release is exercise or physical therapy. All birds including passerines or perching birds need to be in great physical condition before released or their survival will be compromised.



( Photo: Alberta and Katie with two adult American Robins they just caught up from the exercise aviary for the last time. Today the birds start the "rest of their life" as wild birds. One robin sustained a wing fracture in late winter and was especially anxious to leave captivity. He seemed to have a destination in mind. )



( Photo: An American Robin with blue sky behind him after release to the wild. )

We are still working on spring cleaning. With the large number of birds in our care the facility needs constant upkeep and cleaning. In the winter our ability to clean is limited. Any water used would quickly turn to ice. Living in the far north is challenging in the winter season.

We are so grateful to the UWSP and UW-Madison students that have turned out to help with the Herculean job of REGI spring cleaning. If anyone else wants to volunteer we have have plenty of projects and opportunities. Thanks everybody.



( Photo: Katelyn Thomas and Elena Yaunke members of the UWSP Pre-Vet Club work hard shoveling pea gravel into new enclosures. Pea gravel is necessary for safe footing for raptors.)

We welcomed Lori and Brian Rowe and their daughters Sarah and Jenny as volunteers on Monday. The family is doing community projects with their daughters to help them learn the value of volunteerism. What a great lesson for the girls and so helpful to REGI at the same time.



( Photo: The Rowe family, Lori and Brian and daughters Sarah and Jenny came to help us on Monday. Our Daylily bed by the flight building looks beautiful! )

We had many releases this past week. It is hard to catch up with them all for the blog. Unfortunately, many were not caught on my camera. I will post them later when I get them. Three Red-tailed Hawks and Two Great-horned Owls are free again this week after rehabilitation at REGI.

Have a great day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Baby Passerines ALREADY!, Spring Cleaning in Full Swing

( Photo: This Pine Siskin is only about 14 days old but almost fully feathered and beginning to eat on it own. It has the distinction of being the earliest nestling passerine admitted to REGI in our twenty year history! )

We have been hard at work here at REGI. Unfortunately the blog has not had attention as we are trying to tend our spring cleaning. We have several UWSP Field Trips coming up and a seminar so the facility needs to have the gloom of winter gone.

We have already admitted a nestling passerine this year! That makes the earliest admission of a baby passerine in our history. Our far north location makes it nearly impossible for songbirds to successfully nest in March, which is when the parents of the little one above went to nest. Besides being early, this is the first Pine Siskin youngster we have ever had at REGI.

We get plenty of adults during the winter season, but never chicks. Pine Siskins are birds of the par north and are usally thought of as irruptive winter finches. This year was not however an irruptive year for northern birds. With the presentation of this youngster we KNOW for sure there were at least two adults in Langlade County this early spring. :) The Breeding Bird Atlas for Wisconsin documented only 27 confirmed nesting of Pine Siskin in WI, so we don't feel too bad that we were surprised when the little one showed up on our door step. Our babe is the earliest nesting ever reported to our knowledge.

We are delighted we can add the data for the earliest nesting to the logs of ornithology for the State of Wisconsin.

We are grateful for students from the Biological Honor Society that came to help last weekend. They did some really hard work hauling gravel out of the flights. Every few years we have to change the pea gravel in the flights. it is hard, heavy work and not one that people think of when they consider what needs to be done at REGI.
Thanks everyone for lending a hand and strong backs too.







( Photos: Students from the The UWSP Biological Honor Society, Jamie Klemish, Brandon Carmichael and Nyssa Maki worked hard with REGI staff Katie Farvour and Alberta Halfmann and volunteer Ryan Pregler to change out pea gravel in on of the large flights. )

We have some sad news this week. REGI lost a good friend with the passing of Bob Javurek. Bob was not only a friend of the REGI organization but also the father of former REGI intern and employee Gina Javurek. We are a close "family" at REGI. Our interns become our extended family. Don and I attended Bobs funeral on Thursday in Eau Claire, WI. We released a Red-tailed Hawk in his memory following the service. Bob was a special person and will be missed very much. Our deepest sympathy to his wonderful wife Kris and daughters Gina and Nicki Javurek as they struggle to cope with Bob's sudden passing at age 59. Rest in peace dear friend.



( Photo: Bob Javurek with his daughters Nicki ( left) and Gina ( right))

We will be back at a more regular pace with the blog now so stay tuned! If we can admit a baby Pine Siskin, you never know what may be coming in next!

Marge Gibson 2010

Conferences are Just the Thing to Start the Creative Juices Flowing

Attending a conference/workshop is such a great way to recharge. I have been lucky to spend 5 days of the past week at an excellent regional conference, the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Region 5 Workshop. When many people hear the word interpretation it brings to mind people translating languages but to me it is just what I do, educating and trying to make connections between people and a resource, in my case our beautiful birds. NAI is an organization made up of people who work in museums, parks, nature centers, zoos and other such places. Connecting with other people who share a passion for a profession is an amazing experience. It is enjoyable just to have a few friends with the same passion, but to spend 5 days with more than 150 of these people is something special.

The NAI Region 5 consists of 7 states and 2 provinces. The Region 5 workshop happens every spring in early April. This year it took place in Wisconsin Dells. Wisconsin Dells is a wonderful place for a conference like this one because tucked away amidst all of the amusement parks and tourist attractions you can find a truly beautiful place. The Dells of the Wisconsin River are beautiful. Devils Lake and Mirror Lake state parks are nearby. The Aldo Leopold Legacy Center is just around the corner in Baraboo. But what is most attractive to me is the proximity to the International Crane Foundation and Necedah National Wildlife Refuge.

While I was at the conference I attended sessions on a variety of topics. I learned about some really great things that people are doing at other facilities and got ideas to make our programming even better. As I sat through the sessions I was constantly coming up with ideas. I have a notebook that I covered with notes about things that I was hearing about as well as the other ideas that the sessions sparked in my imagination. I get excited just thinking of the great projects that I am getting started on and how I can make the things we already have going here even better.

Of course, along with all of the learning there is a whole lot of fun to go along with it. Friday at an NAI workshop is always field trip day. It offers professionals the opportunity to experience facilities in the area. The trip which I was on was called "The Other Side of the Dells." We went to Lake Delton Dam and heard from an engineer about the flood emergency that occurred there in 2008. We went to the studio of H.H. Bennett, the artist who popularized the Dells and to Upham Woods, an outdoor learning center, where we hiked Blackhawk Island State Natural Area and got the chance to crawl through the caves located on the island (see photo below.) While I was on the trip I saw some great birds along the waterways. I was SO excited to see my first loons of the year on Lake Delton and to see and hear a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks flying just above the trees while on Blackhawk Island, just to name a few.

I will be looking forward to another conference next year, this time in Manitoba, Canada where they promise that we will see an amazing array of migratory birds on the small patches of open water.

-Molly McKay
Environmental Education Coordinator