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

Migration, Bald Eagle Released and More Admitted, Fall Releases

( Photo: I am preparing to release this beautiful Adult Bald Eagle. She came in with two broken wings and internal injuries after having hit a semi. She flew so strong and soared until she was out of sight. She was an incredible case. Watching her fly away after caring for her when she was so critical was like watching a miracle. We hope she is back home in Shawano now and has an uneventful remainder of her life.)




( Photos: Katie and Alberta prepare to release this American Woodcock after successful rehabilitation. I can never get enough of photos of that amazing face with huge eyes and long flexible beak.)
To say this has been a busy week is an understatement. I have tried to get to the blog but am exhausted by the time night comes. I will share some of our recent releases with you today. The best part of doing wildlife rehabilitation is the release of a bird that is 100% ready to take his place in his own world again. Sometimes we are asked if it is hard to let them go... We sure think about them after they are released but not in the longing way of wanting them with us. We are just grateful to have had the opportunity to give them a second chance at being wild birds again.



( Photos: A young Cedar Waxwing and a young Barn Swallow while they were still in a small aviary. They have since been releases along with other swallows, swifts and countless other patients from woodpeckers to and through Bald eagles and many species of ducks.)

Migration time is always busy for us. Birds coming through Northern WI from more northern regions including Canada and Upper Michigan can end up in our clinic with a variety of reasons. Last time we went over some things that happen to the Common Nighthawk. However the boreal forest to our north is home to some of the most sensitive and secretive birds on wings. Warblers are now making their way to the tropics and come grace us with their presence on their way. Many times warblers hit radio or TV towers or even tall buildings and come in with everything from slight headaches to broken wings or serious head injuries. These birds migrate at night and do not see the guide wires that hold up the very high towers. Just as if we were to run head on into a wire stretched across our path, wires pose a serious threat to migrating birds. Most are killed rather than injured. It is the lucky ones that end up in rehabilitation facilities.


(Photo: This female Bald Eagle was hit by a car near Ladysmith, WI. She has a wing fracture and internal injuries. )

The Bald Eagle in the photo above just admitted this week. She was hit by a car near Ladysmith, WI. We can expect that more eagles will be hit by cars as our deer season opens soon. Eagles do like carrion and make use of animals that are killed by cars or the die near roads and highways. If they have a full crop of food they do not fly away as quickly as they could without that extra weight on board. Kind of like after a Thanksgiving dinner. If you are driving please be aware of the extra danger to wildlife during the fall and winter seasons.

This patient is doing well and for the most part eating on her own now. She loves fish. Interestingly most bald eagles when admitted with medical problems prefer meat such as venison or beef heart as a first food.

I am off to do more releases. I promise to update the lead poisoned Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon soon.

Have a great weekend.
Marge Gibson ©2009

Bald Eagle Falls From Nest, Cold Temperatures Cause Problems in Swallows, Nighthawks, Phoebes

( Photos: This eleven week old Bald Eagle eaglet fell from its nest on its first flight in Stevens Point and injured itself.)

It was another cold day in North Central Wisconsin. We had snow a few days ago and I might remind you today is July 1. We are pretty tried of the cold temperatures. The native birds that have diets made up entirely of insects such as swallows, nighthawks and phoebes are coming in to rehab now because they are starving. Our region that has jokes developed entirely on the huge mosquito problem in the summer has an absence of any insects due to cold. UNHEARD OF!



( Photo: Birds that eat insects are having a very hard time surviving in the recent and continued cold weather. In the photo a Barn Swallow, Eastern Phoebe and the tiny Bank Swallow share a box in rehab.)

We are going through a huge number of insects to keep our patients fed during this time. Birds can eat their weight or more in insects a day! Each eats several hundred per day and that is for the tiny birds like swallows. I don't even want to think about the bill for insects this month.:(

We got a call early this morning about a young Bald Eagle that apparently had fallen or injured herself on her maiden flight from the nest on the Stevens Point Golf Course. Steve Fisher and I went to investigate and captured the beautiful youngster without incident. Many thanks to the fine folks at the Stevens Point Golf Course for observing the problem and getting help for the little one even as golfers continued to play. Special thanks to Sally for sitting near the little one until help arrived.

People are always amazed at how big young bald eagles are at such a young age. Their egg is a little larger than a duck egg and within 12 weeks are pretty much full size and often weigh more than their parents at that time.

Back at the REGI clinic the eaglet was weighed, a physical was done as was blood work. She is anemic, but does not have lead poisoning which honestly is surprising. Lead poisoning is so common in these amazing birds and others we have come to expect it. That is a sad commentary on our toxic environment.

The eaglet has not yet eaten on her own but has been tube fed and is resting comfortably. More tests will be done tomorrow.
( Photo: The eaglet as she was captured.)

She is not with a foster parent yet but if she checks out tomorrow she will be put into the fostering chamber with our other eaglet and the foster dad. The less time she spends away from an adult the better at this age. It will be easier for her to transition back to her parents when she can go home. We hope her stay here in not extended, but we will know more tomorrow.





( Photo: Thanks to Sally and the staff at the Stevens Point Golf Course for getting help for the eaglet. )






I complained in the last blog about the weeds getting taller and not having time to cut them. That very night a volunteer showed up in the form of Mike Brietenfelt. Mike has a day job, but wants to help us out too. We are grateful.
We don't have many volunteers but those we do
have are terrific. Many thanks to Mike for his help. We hope he comes back lots and lots.

( Photo: Mike " taking out" our weeds! )




Our patient numbers continue to grow. People have called to see how the Belted Kingfisher kid is doing and we are delighted that she is well and growing.
The Osprey is still having problems. She can only digest liquid food and tests indicate she has liver damage. I hope it is temporary. My great staff is tube feeding her many times a day to keep her in calories.

I am signing off for tonight, but will be back tomorrow. I HOPE tomorrow is a bit warmer.

Best to all,
Marge Gibson 2009



( Photo: Belted Kingfisher chick in photo taken today. She is getting those blue feathers and is eating tons of minnows. Note in the second photo she has a minnow in her mouth. Sorry for the poor photo but she is fast at swallowing and that is the only shot I could get.)