Fuzzy Merlins, A "Goalie" Great-Horned Owl, Virginia Rail & Patient Updates

 

These merlin falcons are actually from two different nests, but they are getting along just fine in the clinic

The workload summertime is still in high gear as we soar on to patient 300 of the year! Above is just a few of last week's patients. It seemed to be the "Week of the Merlin" as we had 4 merlins enter the clinic. Three of which are pictured above, and the other is currently flying around her very own enclosure. The left and right birds pictured above were from the same nest, and the little guy in the middle was from a different nest. Even though there was a few day difference in hatching days... they are getting along great in the clinic! The little one is a PIG!

 

 After being tangled in a soccer net, this young great-horned owl was just in need of some rest! 
Assistant avian rehabilitator Katie Rymer moving the great-horned owl to an outdoor enclosure for rest and exercise.

Some wonderful folks in Merrill, WI made a daring rescue as they cut this young great-horned owl free from a soccer net. A group of kids watched the rescue ensue as adults pried the raptor from the nets on one of the warmest days of the year! She came in dehydrated and a little banged up, but we are happy to say that she's doing well, and hopefully will be back flying around the Merrill area this week!

 This Virginia Rail chick is gaining popularity of REGI's Facebook! He'd love some online donations so he can continue to enjoy his favorite treat... bloodworms!

This small Virginia Rail is a popular guy among our staff. He spends his days running around his enclosure, eating countless bloodworms, soaking up rays under his heat lamp, and jumping around in his water dish. When he came in he was about the size of a cotton ball, and he's growing like a little weed! We have high hopes for this REGI first! 

THINK HE'S AS CUTE AS WE DO?

** If you'd like to donate to our Virginia Rail's bloodworm addiction, you can donate online here, or visit REGI's webpage at www.raptoreducationgroup.org. He's already thanking you in peeping noises and unbelievably tall jumps for a guy his size! **

 Barn swallow fledglings catching some rays on one of their first days outside in the outside aviary

These little ones came in as featherless, large-mouthed, hungry kiddos. They've come a long way since their incubator days just a few weeks back. They are now spending their days outside in the aviary.

 This Blue Jay is one of the fastest growing babies of the season, and is doing quite well

This wide-mouthed baby has been eating on his own for a while now. Hard to believe that after feeding them every 20 minutes from sun-up to sun-down they are all grown up and ready to leave the nest. This blue jay is spending it's days and nights outside in hopes of an upcoming successful release!

 This American Robin is spending his days outside soaking up the rays

REGI has seen it's fair share of American robins this year! We are well over 20 robin babies, and hopefully we will be able to celebrate with a huge robin release. Several of these robins will be ready to go soon! Several of these smaller songbirds end up staying on REGI grounds even after release. We fill our feeders daily, and have several bird baths for them to enjoy on our warm summer days!

Interns Alyssa and Kerry learning how to bathe a sticky saw-whet owl

This owl had a run-in with some sticky fly tape, and is getting a bath in Dawn dish soap. Dawn soaps are used on animals during oil spill clean up, and do a great job! It only took a few baths and this little saw-whet was in his own enclosure getting ready for release!

Volunteer Mike & education peregrine falcon showing off our new peregrine falcon education station

This weekend was a warm one, but that didn't stop our volunteer from moving heavy rocks! After several hours and tricky engineering, we'd like to introduce you to our new peregrine falcon education station. For those of you attending upcoming tours, we're proud to say you'll be able to enjoy our adult education peregrine falcon in a more natural environment!


I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy there weekend! Here in Antigo, WI we were still in smoldering hot temperatures. We are all looking forward to an upcoming week of 70's & 80's!

Enjoy your week, and stay tuned to our Facebook for updates!
- Katie Rymer, Assistant Avian Rehabilitator

Happy Foster Father's Day to REGI's Barred Owl

Happy Foster Father's Day!

These two barred owls have a special foster dad this summer. The owlet in the front is utilizing his nictitating membranes. These help keep the eye clean & moist.

It's not too often that a raptor can say that they have a full-time job, but here at REGI... nothing is out of the ordinary! These two baby barred owls (pictured above) were featured in an earlier blog eating some mice in the clinic. Since then, they have been placed with a foster dad.  

When he's not busy doing education programs for the public, this barred owl works a summer job as a foster dad (pictured below, in the middle). He cares for a handful of owlets every year, teaching them how to act like a raptor. With his help, baby barred owls that make their way into REGI don't become imprinted on humans. Imprinting occurs when humans have too much contact with younger birds. The babies view you as one of their own... their parent... their friend... their chef... their.... dare I say it... mate. Because of this, imprinted birds are non-releasable. They rely heavily on humans, and wouldn't be able to fend for themselves.

Today, we celebrate our education barred owl's many accomplishments! Happy Foster Father's Day!

 Two years ago at this same time, our education barred owl was hard at work!

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 Patient Update
 

REGI's newest baby... a very hungry bald eagle

New patients are filling up the clinic everyday, and not all of them are lucky enough to get foster parents. One of this week's new patients is a young bald eagle. Although it's hard to believe, this bird hatched from an egg just this spring! Crazy! After only 10 weeks of being in the nest, young eagles are ready to make their first flights. Unfortunately, this one didn't have such a graceful first flight. Although the future looks bright for this young eagle, there is still a long road to a full recovery!

Raptors aren't the only birds that come through REGI's doors. The majority of our babies this time of year are songbirds and ducks.

These baby robins are enjoying their day outside!

A family of Eastern phoebes taking naps after feeding. 

Can you guess who's still hungry?

This baby turkey is only a day old. 
You can still see his egg tooth on the front of his beak. This tooth is used to help poke their way out of the egg.

Ruffed grouse chick nap-time!

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 The crew eats a delicious meal!

We are always hard at work and lunch time is no exception! This past Thursday, a delicious meal was prepared for the staff, interns, and volunteers from Linda, a long-time REGI friend! We made quick work of the chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and COOKIES!

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  Happy Father's Day! We were hard at work all day feeding babies from sun-up to sun-down!

- Katie Rymer, Assistant avian rehabilitator

                          ___
                       .-"-~-"-.
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                      )\__/V\__/(     for
                     / ~ -...- ~ \     you?"
                    |\` ~. ~ .~ `/|
                 () | `~ - ^ - ~` |   - Barred Owl
             () //  | ;  '  :  .  |
            ()\\/_() \ . : '  ; '/
           ___/ /_____'.   ; ' .'____
                 _   ^ `uu---uu`    /\
          _____________^ _________^_\/
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Patient Updates

Hello everyone!

The babies here are growing up fast and I want to share their progress with you. The following photos are updates on just a small hand full of our patients. Next week I'll try to introduce you to some of the new patients coming through the door.

Photo above: These are 5 of the 6 baby Bald Eagles we currently have in our care. You can see that they are exploring beyond their nest and trying out the high perches in their enclosure. One even decided to lounge on the ground behind the nest, and he looks quite comfortable all stretched out like that.

Photo above: The Sandhill Crane colt is out for one of his many daily walks following the leader, Katherine. Believe it or not, he is larger in this photo than when he was admitted! This tiny kid will soon be his adult size!

Photo above: These adorable Eastern Blue Bird fledglings were first shown in our May 25th blog. Back then, they were just tiny, naked little nestlings, and now they can fly! This photo only shows two of the little babies, but all four are all grown up and are flying around their flight enclosure.

Photo above: This Red-breasted Nuthatch came in as an orphan, and he wasn't introduced to you when he was a naked little baby, but you can see him here, almost all grown up. He's even been practicing that classic nuthatch move... walking down the tree upside down.

Photo above: These two beauties, an American Robin and a Mourning Dove, were first introduced to you in our May 25th blog as little nestlings. Now they have fully fledged and are in a flight enclosure with many of the other song birds, gaining flight muscles and continuing to grow up. Thankfully, these guys are beginning to learn how to eat on their own, a relief for our rehabbers who, until now, have put every bite they've eaten into their mouths.

Photo above: Check out this little guy. This American Robin is lounging quite comfortably on one of the perches in his flight enclosure. It is so fun to see how much he has grown!

Photo above: These are the three Great Horned Owl fledglings with their foster father. Oddly enough, the adult male is the smallest owl in this photo on the far right. It is also very interesting to see the huge variation in colors and sizes among the unrelated fledglings. Great Horned Owls show lots of color variations depending on region and genetics. They can be more grey, to more rusty, to very light in color, and it will be exciting to see these kids transform as they get their adult feathers.

Photo above: This is the Red-shouldered Hawk with a broken leg that was mentioned in the previous blog. When he was first introduced to you, I mentioned that he was giving us hope by standing up from time to time. Well, you can see for yourself that he is standing. His leg still bothers him, but he is beginning to put some pressure on it. We hope that he continues to improve and perhaps gain at least partial use of that leg.

Photo above: The seven young Belted Kingfishers have been moved to an outside enclosure so they can begin practicing using their wings. All are doing well, and are looking so grown-up! One of my favorite things about kingfishers are their odd proportions. They have giant beaks and large eyes, but the teeniest feet! Gosh, they're fun to see!

Photo above: Here's an update photo for the little Green Heron. He still has a funny fuzzy little head, but his adult feathers are growing in nicely.

Now that you've seen some of our patients, I'd like you to meet... a thief!

Photo above: I know this isn't a bird, nor is he one of our patients, but I found this little guy sneaking food from some of our bowls. Look at how much he stuffed into those cheeks! What a little devil! ;)

Have a safe and happy holiday everyone! Independence Day is the time to celebrate our freedom and accomplishments as Americans, and to honor our brothers and sisters over seas. Most importantly, we must celebrate in a safe manor; safe for us, and safe for our wild neighbors. Please remember that birds and other wildlife are raising their families right now so limit your use of fireworks. Instead of buying your own fireworks, enjoy the show your town puts on; it is much safer for everyone that way (and cheaper!). The loud bangs associated with fireworks can cause acoustic concussions that can kill birds by damaging their internal organs, not to mention frighten and confuse them. If your child or pet is scared by the loud booming explosions of fireworks, imagine how the wild ones feel.

Have fun, but BE SAFE!

Thanks everyone!

Karissa Mohr
Wildlife Educator

Where Do I BEGIN? Lots of New Patients, Pileated Woodpecker, 15 More Wood Ducklings, Barred Owl Babes, Red-tailed Hawks, Pine Siskin Update

( Photo: Barred Owl Owlets lost their home when a tree was felled. The landowner was not aware the tree was a home for the owl family.)

It has been a very busy time at REGI. It didn't help that I was called away to two funerals, one out of state during the past five days. This time of the year, if you take the luxury of sleeping an extra hour one day, you find yourself still behind in August. Let me try to catch you up.



( Photo: This male Pileated Woodpecker was hit by a car near Wisconsin Rapids. He has a broken left leg, internal injuries and a bad headache.)

Nicki Christianson is a wildlife rehabilitator from Wisconsin Rapids, WI. I have talked about Nicki before in this blog. You can bet you will see her name many more times. Nicki works with mammals however, has been gracious to help us with our avian patients more times over the years than I can recall. The Pileated Woodpecker in the photo above was rescued by Nicki.



( Photo: The male Pileated Woodpecker is resting comfortably but is still in critical condition. he is eating well and that is a terrific improvement.Sadly this Pileated Woodpecker has young in the nest. We hope his mate can manage to care for them on her own. )

Last night a gentleman from Mosinee called. It was nearly 10 P.M.when the call came in. He found a nestling baby American Robin on the sidewalk. One of a downed nest was still alive. He took it home not knowing what to do, but knowing that he could not leave it on that sidewalk without any help. After talking with me, he drove the little one to me at REGI arriving a little after 11 P.M.
It is thriving and joined a nest of four other American Robin nestlings just his age. Some people are just nice.



( Photo: American Robin nestling was found on a sidewalk by a caring individual and brought to REGI late at night. This is the only photo I have but it is the important part of him, his wide open mouth.)



( Photo: Nestling American Robins are eager eaters. They open their mouth so wide you there is no mistaking what their intent is. )

Our baby nursery is brimming with mouths gaping open to be fed constantly. It is comic relief to see the many different species and how varied the behavior is. American Robins open their mouths so wide you can almost do a class on their anatomy. Check out the photo above.



( Photo: Nestling Eastern Bluebirds tend to be quiet and shy, but are showing their soon to be gorgeous blue feathers even at this age.)



( Photo: Remember the Pine Siskin nestling that arrived in late March? He will be released soon. In this photo he is in an outdoor aviary set up as a woodland complete with a variety of insects. Here he has a fat worm in his mouth.



( Photo: Our American Woodcock chicks are grown. They are preparing for release to the wild in the woodland aviary as well. This is a close up photo of the oldest chick and one of the younger ones probing the earth for worms.)



( Photo: Fifteen more Wood Duck ducklings were added to our group. The ducklings are divided into a few different brooders to keep them safe and healthy.)



( Photo: Two very tiny House Finches were admitted today. They are doing well and will eat every twenty minutes for the nest several days.)

Speaking of those little ones I must sign off and get back to them. More catching up tomorrow! Interns arrive! YEA!!!!
Have a great tomorrow.

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

New Weekend Patients, Male Northern Harrier, American Robin

( Photo: This male Northern Harrier, was hit by a car near Merrill, WI. He had just arrived back to northern Wisconsin home from Central or South America. )

Our first patient of the weekend was a stunning male Northern Harrier. Harriers are one of our most beautiful hawks and have distinct color differences between the sexes. The male, like our patient in the photos, is light gray with white toned underbelly and bright yellow eyes. The female Harrier is larger than the male by 1/3 or more. Her plumage is mottled brown. Both genders have a white rump patch that can be seen clearly seen as they hover over fields hunting mice.

Male and female Northern Harriers are so different from each other in color and size, many people mistake them for different species.



( Photo: The Northern Harrier in this photo is not fierce as his look would indicate. Harriers are a shy hawk. He is frightened from a serious wing injury and sudden captivity.)

Our Harrier patient has a serious wing injury. it is unlikely he will ever fly again. Harriers are very beneficial to man and especially the farming community. Ironically many Harrier families are killed when run over during haying. Early haying practices have become common in recent years. The beautiful hawks are ground nesters. Their diet consists of mice, voles, rats, snakes, frogs.

A facial disk, similar to that of an owl aids this amazing bird in hunting mice. They "hear" mice running in the long grasses as they hover low over fields.



( Photo: This male American Robin , is likely an older male as they are the first to migrate back to the northern states. He suffered a broken wing.)

I love American Robins. To many of us in the Northern regions of the U.S. robins are the first sign of spring. Older male robins are usually the first to arrive. They have very deep black heads with "pearls" of white on the throat. The chest of the male is deep brick red. Female American Robins are lighter in color throughout their plumage including the head. They are a more muted version of the flashy male. Females are better camouflaged at the nest.



( Photo: Katie with our American Robin patient in a photo taken this morning.)

The robin has a wing fracture but is doing well. The folks that found him brought him into care at REGI quickly before the wing could set incorrectly. We are hopeful he will make a full recovery and be released in time to raise a family yet this summer.

We are working hard on the newsletter and continue to do spring cleaning. Both are time consuming. We are also taking advantage of students that have offered to help us out during their spring break. Please hang in there with us if we are not able to post blogs as frequently the next week. Once you see the newsletter in your mailbox you can expect things to return to a more normal pace. If you would like to receive a newsletter and are not on our list, please contact Molly at 715-623-2563 or MollyM.REGI@gmail.com . We also have an electronic version we would be happy to send out.

Have a great tomorrow.

Marge Gibson 2010