Wrapping up 2011, New Years Patients, Eagle Releases, and More!

Can you believe that 2012 is here already?! 2011was a busy year for REGI. We treated literally hundreds of patients, 76 of those were Bald Eagles, and 22 of those eagles were babies!

One of the highlights of the year was the successful rehabilitation and release of 7 poisoned eagles. It was a first for REGI and the world, as there are no records of any bird surviving this kind of toxin. It is normally 100% fatal! Imagine our joy to see them pull through this. Some of you may have been here with us to see them fly free. You can read what Fish & Wildlife Service had to say about this momentous occasion on their website.

Photo above: Katie Farvour releases one of the 7 Bald Eagles on June 1, 2011 (Photo: Karissa Mohr)

We have another big release coming soon! Saturday, January 14, we will be releasing Bald Eagles at Eagle Days in Prairie du Sac, WI. Prairie du Sac is prime eagle watching territory along the Wisconsin River. Hundreds of eagles gather there to take advantage of open water. This is a perfect opportunity to release juveniles, as the adults are there to guide them through their entrance to the wild world. We have about 30 eagles, juvenile and adult, who are destined for release at different times over the next month! Eagle Days is a public event, with releases by Marge and many activities for families. We hope you will all join us!

Photo above: Marge Gibson introducing the public to one of the eagles that was about to be released at an Eagle Days event.

We received so much support from all of you through the year! We ended the year with a very special Christmas surprise, Lori Schubring, from Wild Birds Unlimited in Wausau, brought us a truckload of donations which we talked about in our last blog. Well, Lori has amazed again, and started off the New Year with a bang! After hearing our plea for someone to transport a donation of mice, rats, and quail from Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee she conspired with her brother, Brian Thiede who lives in Richfield, to bring them to us! This morning they showed up with an entire truckload of food for the birds!

Thank you Lori and Brian, for the time, miles, and commitment to getting us the food we need! Marge and I were talking this morning about what a rare gift it is to have someone like Lori in our lives. When working in rehabilitation you see the very best, and the very worst of people. It is easy to become jaded. But people like Lori remind us that there are good people out there, she truly is one of the best.

Photo above: Lori and Brian work along with Katie and Stacie to unload the truck. (Not only did they deliver, but they helped with the unloading too!)

Photo above: Our newest education bird in training, Lou, enjoys a delicious mouse shortly after our big delivery came in. Yum!

Things in the clinic just don't seem to be slowing down. While the many eagle patients have moved up to larger enclosures or flight spaces we still have smaller patients in need of care. We have patients from the very end of 2011 in the clinic, and our 1st patient of 2012 has arrived.

Photo above: This little Downy Woodpecker is the first patient of 2012.

He came in just after the start of the year from Portage County. Found on the ground, and not flying his rescuers brought him in to the Humane Society. While humane societies don't typically deal with wildlife this little woodpecker was lucky enough to be brought to one that is aware of our facility. They called us right away! Downy Woodpeckers are tiny little things, only 5-6 inches in length, and look very similar to Hairy Woodpeckers. The easiest way to differentiate is to look at the beak. The beak of a Downy is about half the length of their head, and the Hairy's beak is about equal in length to their head.

Photo above: A beautiful Great-Horned Owl patient well on his way to recovery.

This large and lovely owl was found trapped in a fence in the Wausau area. He was found near the ground with his feathers tangled in the chain-link. It looks as though he got a bit too close to the fence while hunting, you could see tracks of a little rodent right in his path. Fortunately we found someone to untangle his feathers and bring him in for examination. He injured his wing slightly during his struggle, but the injury appears to be superficial, and he is on the road to release already. We have 2 Great Horned Owls in the clinic right now. If you are spending time in the woods this winter keep your ears open. Great Horned Owls are the earliest nesters, and you can begin to hear them calling for their mate starting in late January!

2012 is off to a great start! We hope to see you soon.

Molly McKay

Director of Education

Eagle Release, More Eagles Admitted, Lots of Baby Birds, Model A Club Tour, and Patient Updates

We are having a whirlwind of a summer! (And it's only June! Oh my!)

As many of you know, we released 7 Bald Eagles yesterday that were found in Eagle River, WI suffering from poisoning. The eagles were found on April 9, 2011 and rescued by REGI staff members Katie Farvour and Robert Prinsen with help from Ken Pedersen, a volunteer from the Northwoods. If it weren't for the fast action of these wonderful people, these eagles would not have survived. Marge spent two full days and nights caring for these birds, and through exceptional care, all of them recovered! Survival of birds with poisoning like this is unheard of, but yet, we did it here at REGI. We would like to recognize the wonderful work of REGI rehabilitators Katie Farvour, Robert Prinsen, and Alberta Halfmann, and REGI volunteer, Stacie Wild for caring for these birds during their nearly 2 month stay. Marge always says that her staff is among the best in the world, and with these 7 eagles, this statement is proven to be true.

Many people "flocked" to see the birds off, and while looking around the crowd, I saw so many awed people. Working with these birds everyday is an absolute privilege and a joy, but seeing people react to them with a sense of wonderment reminds me how amazing the birds are and how lucky I am.

Photo above: Marge Gibson walks near the crowd with a juvenile Bald Eagle to give them all an up-close look. This was a first time experience for many of the visitors.

Photo above: Marge Gibson releases the first of the 7 Bald Eagles.

Photo above: Katie Farvour releases one of the 7 Bald Eagles she helped rescue and rehabilitate.

Photo above: Robert Prinsen releases one of the 7 Bald Eagles he helped rescue and rehabilitate.


The very day we released the 7 Bald Eagles, three more found their way to our clinic to join another who arrived a couple days earlier. Release seven and admit four... things are never quiet here for long.

Photo above: This Bald Eagle has a possible shoulder luxation (dislocation). You can see that she holds her wings unevenly. Luxations are difficult injuries for birds to bounce back from because it usually limits their ability to the fly in the future.

Photo above: This Bald Eagle has a damaged iris (the colored part of the eye) and is somewhat thin. Her injured eye may have limited her ability to hunt therefore leaving her skinny; however, many raptors are able to adapt to hunting with one good eye so there may be an underlying factor affecting her weight.

Photo above: This juvenile Bald Eagle has multiple injuries from an unknown source. His left eye, left wing, and right foot all are injured. He is unable to stand and it is likely that he will not regain sight in his injured eye. He is fighting for life and that keeps us hopeful.


On top of the three adult Bald Eagles, we also admitted our THIRD baby Bald Eagle. Our foster father is getting the "father of the year" award from us this year!
Photo above: This baby Bald Eagle was found blown out of his nest in Northern Wisconsin after some high winds experienced earlier this week. We are watching him for signs of injuries sustained from the fall.

Photo above: The new baby Bald Eagle joins his "instant" family, and all (including daddy eagle) are doing well! As you may have remembered from earlier posts, we nicknamed the first two eaglets Wisconsin and Kentucky. Well, to accommodate for another Wisconsinite their nicknames have been adjusted. From left to right we have "Southern Wisconsin" or "SW", the first eaglet to arrive, we have "Northern Wisconsin" or "NW" the third eaglet to arrive, and we have "Kentucky", the second eaglet to arrive. SW has "fledged" and is exploring areas outside of the nest. As you can see, they are getting along swimmingly.


BABIES! We have admitted a lot of new babies and I will try to introduce most of them to you.

Photo above: This is the third baby Great Horned Owl currently in care here at REGI. He was found orphaned along a road and is thin, and is now being tube fed to improve his weight and digestion before we start giving him whole mice. As soon as he is well again, he will join his new siblings and foster father outside. The other two owlets are doing well and growing fast!

Photo above: We admitted two baby Wood Ducks who are enjoying childhood. To me, ducklings always look like they are having the most fun teetering around. They have been introduced to a foster mother Wood Duck to prevent imprinting.

Photo above: We admitted three more orphaned Mallard Ducklings and introduced them with the three we admitted earlier. The three larger ducklings in the photo were the first to arrive, and have grown quite a bit. Visit our earlier blog post from May 25th to see how little they were when they arrived. All 6 are now a happy ducky family.


Photo above: Two more orphaned Mourning Dove chicks have been admitted and are doing well.


Photo above: Here's an update on the the two Mourning Doves mentioned in the May 25th blog post. They are outside in screen cages now, and with their newly grown feathers, are looking very different from when they were admitted.


Photo above: An American Robin with an eye injury has joined our first Robin outside. The new baby is on the right and the first baby is on the left. Both were having fun bathing and splashing around in their water bowls before the photo was taken which is why they look a little water-logged.

Photo above: Here is a picture of the first American Robin mentioned in the May 25th blog post. Here he has dried off from his bath and is practicing his singing. He has grown so much in the short time he has been here.


On top of all the excitement with releases and patients, we have started giving some tours. Last Thursday we were visited by the Northwoods Model A Club. They all came puttering up the driveway in their awesome Ford Model A cars, some stopping to blow their "Awooga!" horns.

Photos above: The old time vehicles looked fantastic lined up along the REGI driveway!

Photo above: I spotted a bird on one of the cars! Almost as beautiful as the live birds here at REGI! ;)

Photo above: The Model A Club learns about Hawks with help from Education Coordinator, Molly McKay and Red-tailed Hawk, Xavier.

Video above: I watched as all of the amazing vehicles left the REGI property.

It was a big treat to see the amazing cars! We really enjoyed speaking with the members of the Model A Club and we hope they come back again next year!

As always, we will do our best to keep you updated as the summer continues.

Thanks everyone!

Karissa Mohr

Wildlife Educator

Memorial Day Bald Eagle Release

Eagle releases are always amazing, but releasing a Bald Eagle on Memorial Day is fitting and especially moving.



( Photo: And she is off to reclaim her place in the wild world. This Bald Eagle came in with lead poisoning in the fall of 2009. Photo by Katie Rymer.)

People wonder how we catch eagles when they are flying in our large flight building. It is a process. Below are a few photos that give an idea of what goes on.



( Photo: Time to catch her up in the eagle exercise flight! The eagles are well conditioned and this part of the process can take a long time. It makes for well conditioned staff too!)



( Photo: The Bald Eagles last minutes in captivity!)



( Photo: The Bald Eagle is finally tired and on the ground. Here we can pop a net over her head and pick her up for transport. Next she will have an "exit" physical to make sure she is 100%, then she will be fed a crop of meat before she is released. Intern Robert P. helps hold the net while I pick her up.)




( PHoto: The crowd in thrilled with an up close, but safe, look at an adult Bald Eagle.)




( Photo: Seeing a Bald Eagle up close is a once in a lifetime expereince for many and one they never forget. The birds presence and sense of calm is remarkable to everyone that sees it.)

It has been extraordinaily busy here this past week. We have admitted many patients, more than ever in our history. We have lots of photos to share when we can sit down and download them all.

The interns are all amazing. They are working hard and are sponges when it comes to learning about the birds and their care and husbandry. These young people will be some fine wildlife professionals.

Thanks for your patience with the slow process of the blog. We are here and we are busy taking care of remarkable patients with special stories we are eager to share.

Have a great day!

Marge Gibson 2010

Sandhill Crane Colt Improving, American Kestrel Chicks, Hairy Woodpecker and Rose-breasted Grosbeak Admitted

The Sandhill Crane colt admitted two day ago is doing great. It turns out its right leg was fractured. We put a very lightweight cast on the leg. In this way the young crane can heal and continue to exercise which is vital for crane colts.



( Photo: The Sandhill Crane colt adjusted better than we anticipated. The youngster seems not to even notice the odd thing on his leg. That is great news for everyone. )



( Photo: Sandhill Crane colt has a cast put on for a leg fracture. The unflappable colt was calm and relaxed throughout the procedure, much to our delight.)



( Photo: Lance Holm tube feeds the crane colt after the procedure while Intern Karrisa M. looks on. )



( Photo: Intern Jen R. exercises the Sandhill Crane colt in the 110' flight building hall. Crane colts grow very rapidly. If the youngster were not exercised often, its leg muscles would not grow properly. Within a very short time the young bird would not be able to stand or walk...ever. The colt is hard to see but it is on Jen's left.)

The prognosis for the Sandhill Crane colt is excellent. We hope to reunite it with its parents if that options seems the best in a few weeks. Meanwhile, he will be walked even with the cast about 2 miles per day at a minimum. Crane chicks make us a very fit crew! :)



( Photo: Intern Robert P. and I drove to Merrill to rescue four tiny American Kestrels . Their home was destroyed when a tree was cut down. )

Late yesterday we took a call from a landowner. She found four tiny American Kestrels on the ground after a dead tree was chopped down. Spring is not a great time to trim trees or limbs, since many animals rely on them for their homes.

American Kestrels are the smallest member of the falcon family. The little ones have internal injures now so are fed a pre-digested diet, but soon will be downing several mice each daily. The landowners will notice many more mice on their property this summer without the family of falcons, that is for sure.



( Photo: American Kestrel chicks are beautiful, covered with soft white down.)



( Photo: This young Hairy Woodpecker was in the wrong place at the wrong time when a dog found him. He sustained some serious injuries but gratefully was found and is recovering.)



( Photo: A male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was admitted this afternoon. He was likely hit by a car. Intern Jen R. looks on. His prognosis is good.)

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. We will be releasing a rehabilitated adult Bald Eagle in celebration of our troops and with the LeRoyer Hospice Program. The eagle release will be at the REGI compound after the memorial celebration at the LeRoyer Memory Walkway behind Antigo Memorial Hospital. We hope many of you can come and see our magnificent Bald Eagle go back to the wild and help us honor our loved ones and those that have given their lives for our country. We expect the release will be @2:30 p.m.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Eagles Released at Lower Wisconsin River Site (Chapter #1 of Three)

Male adult Bald Eagle when he was rescued in August of 2009. He was suffering from lead poisoning and a fractured wing when found in a swamp and deep woods. The eagle never would have survived had it not been for a concerned citizen, Ron Drayler. Ron found the eagle while surveying some land. He then raced to the closest phone to call REGI for help. The eagle's rescue photos are below photos of his joyful release.)



( Photo: A nice crowd gathered near Sauk City, WI, to celebrate the release of three Bald Eagles, including this adult Bald Eagle found injured in August near Wausau.)


( Photo: The Bald Eagle was able to give a great group of senior citizens from The Pines Assisted Living an up-close and personal view of his magnificence minutes before his release. - Since the residents were not able to brave the cold temperatures, we went to them in the bus. Photo by: Arlene Sykora)



( Photo: One last view of the adult Bald Eagle seconds before he opened his wings under his own power and began a new phase of his life.)



(Photo: Free again, this adult male Bald Eagle takes his first wing beats in the wild since he was rescued near Wausau, WI in August 2009. Photo by: Bill Wright)



(Photo: The day in August when I was able to capture the injured and sick Bald Eagle from a swamp and wooded area near Wausau, WI. A very excited Ron Drayler signals REGI interns that we captured the eagle. It took a few hours of wading the swamp, but success that day assured this eagle would live to fly again.)


( Photo: Ron Drayler looking very pleased we were able to rescue the Bald Eagle he found dying in a wooded/swamp area. I just look very tired after tromping the swamp and swatting mosquitoes for over an hour to rescue the eagle.)

It takes so many people to make a success like this possible. We can rehabilitate Bald Eagles, but without people to find them and alert us to their situation, they would die without have a second chance at life. Ron made a difference for this eagle, but so can each one who reads this blog. You never know when you can become a hero to wildlife. Notice that this Bald Eagle suffered from Lead poisoning as so many do. Lead Poisoning is fatal without exception unless the bird is treated with chelating agents. Lead poisoning is something that every person can do something about. Thanks, Ron, for your part in this story.

Ron shared that his son will soon be leaving for deployment to Iraq. We join the family in their pride for their son's duty to our country.

Another Chapter, another story and release is coming up tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010