Barred Owl, A Special Volunteer, Visitors from UWSP, and Patient Updates

Things are still going well here at REGI. We have some new patients and a few visitors!

We admitted a Barred Owl that has been hit by a vehicle near Aniwa, WI. His left eye has been injured, but we won’t know the extent of the injury until he opens his eye. He also has a broken wing which has been taped to allow it to heal. The blood you see around his beak in the photo is from his internal injuries. Vehicle strikes produce multiple injuries, which each on their own would be a challenge to overcome. Combining them all at once can be more than some birds can handle. The good news is that he has been standing the past three mornings and appears to be alert. We are very hopeful for this handsome guy. He has a very calm and gentle demeanor and he would make a wonderful father. It is likely that he has a mate in the wild, but luckily Barred Owls have not begun laying eggs quite yet. It would be very difficult for a single parent to raise a nest-full of owlets on their own. We are trying to be optimistic and hope he can return to his mate soon. He will miss out on this breeding season, but he hopefully has many more breeding seasons in his future.

Photo above: This Barred Owl was admitted with a broken wing, internal injuries, and an injured eye due to a vehicle collision.

We had a wonderful donation of venison earlier this week. We are extremely thankful to receive donations such as this road-killed deer, but people may not realize the amount of work that goes into preparing a whole deer for feeding to multiple raptors. The work of a rehabilitator is not just about healing injured birds and releasing them. Most of the time is spent preparing food and cleaning up after hundreds of birds. Meat usually doesn’t arrive at REGI prepackaged and on a tray like it does at the grocery store. Whole animals arrive with fur and guts; most of which needs to be removed. It isn’t a glamorous job, but it is an incredibly important part of being a rehabilitator. We are thankful every single day for these donations and for the hard work of our rehabilitation team.

Photo above: Assistant Rehabilitator, Stacy Wild, and Licensed Rehabilitator, Alberta Halfmann, show off the results of their hard work; deer legs ready for feeding to Bald Eagles.

We want to shine a little spotlight on one of our very dedicated volunteers. Ted Bengtson, a retired dentist from the area, has been volunteering at REGI twice a week since the end of summer. He keeps REGI looking beautiful and keeps us safe by helping with snow and ice removal. Before the snow fell, he groomed the gravel paths leading to each enclosure. On days when there is no snow to shovel, he cleans the floors to perfection. These necessary tasks are sometimes challenging to complete ourselves when we have critical patients in the clinic, paperwork to do, and education programs to present. Thank you, Ted, for all of your help!

Photo above: Volunteer, Ted Bengtson, hard at work.

We had a small group visit us from UW-Stevens Point on Thursday. Two are veterinary students from Japan, Yusaku Watanabe and Tomoka Tsuji. We had a wonderful time getting to know them and showing them around REGI. I really enjoyed learning about the amazing birds of Japan. We share a number of the same species with Japan such as Peregrine Falcons, Long-eared Owls, Short-eared Owls, and Golden Eagles, just to name a few. It was fun watching Yusaku recognize many of the birds we have here in Wisconsin. We showed them proper handling techniques and they were both able to work with a bird on their glove for a short time. An experience they will probably not soon forget!

Photo above: Vet students, Yusaku Watanabe and Tomoka Tsuji, pose with a Harris's Hawk and a Barn Owl.

A bit of sad news... the lovely Spruce Grouse lost her battle with her dog bite injuries. It is a shame that she has to be an example of why it is to important for people to keep their pets under control. The dogs are not at fault, they are only doing what dogs do; people need to step up and take responsibility for their pets. Dogs and cats are not "natural" predators; they were brought here by people. People breed them in excess and let them run wild. For that reason, people are responsible when a pet kills or injures an animal. On top of that, many pets are lost every year to the road; don't let your pet become road-kill. For the sake of wild animals everywhere and for the safety of your own pet, please be a responsible pet owner and keep your pets under control.

I know many of you out there are keeping tabs on Eagles #007 and #008, and beautiful Red-tailed Hawk, Juliet. I am very pleased to tell you that all three are doing well! Thank you for all of your kind words and thoughts. It truly does help.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I hope you can dig out from under all of this beautiful fresh snow!

Karissa Mohr
Wildlife Educator

New Patients, Lead Poisoning, and Great-horned Owl Releases

I have a mini update for you all. We continue to see many patients coming through our door, but here is just a peek at what we have now.

I'm going to spend a moment talking about the first patient I'm introducing to you because this is a species that isn't common to our clinic or our blog. Yellow-rumped Warblers are beautiful and fascinating little birds that spend their summers in the far north and west. This time of year, they begin migrating to their warmer wintering grounds in the south, and luckily for us, they pass through our area so we can enjoy their beauty for a short while. The most fascinating fact about these little birds pertains to their digestive system of all things. These birds can forage on bayberries and their relatives which have a thick coating of wax for protection that other birds cannot digest. Because of this unusual trait, Yellow-rumped Warblers can subsist on these berries and live farther north than some of their warbler cousins.

Photo above: This beautiful Yellow-rumped Warbler accidentally hit a window near Woodruff, WI. Luckily for this little one, only a few days of recuperation were needed for a full recovery, and he has been released to continue on his migration southward.


Photo above: This lovely little male Barred Owl was likely hit by a car and has a wing fracture. He is in very good weight, and is expected to make a full recovery!


Photo above: This gorgeous female Bald Eagle was seen feeding on a gut pile when she then tipped over onto her back. She was rescued, and when she arrived at our clinic, a blood test was done to determine if she was suffering from lead poisoning. The results were off the charts. The good news for this beauty is that she is with us for treatment, and with a lot of perseverance on her part, she can pull through. Please excuse the "crumbs" on her beak, she just finished enjoying a piece of salmon when I photographed her.

During and after hunting season, many Bald Eagles are brought to our clinic suffering from lead poisoning. Because they are scavengers, Bald Eagles are at a huge risk of becoming poisoned by lead this time of year. When a deer is shot, bullet fragments containing lead are left in the woods in gut piles. Unknowingly, scavengers, including Bald Eagles, feed on these gut piles and become very ill. With luck, these poisoned animals are found and brought to us for help, but sadly, those that do not get help will ultimately die. Making the switch to non-lead ammunition can be the difference between life and death for wildlife. I am a hunter myself, and the few extra dollars I spend on a box of lead-free ammunition, is worth it. Please, if you are a hunter, make the switch.


Things are slowing down a bit this fall, and we have been experiencing the joy of release with many of our patients. Two Great-horned Owls that were originally admitted due to starvation and being hit by a car were able to make a full recovery and are now free once again!

The gun deer hunting season is fast approaching, and that means it is time once again for Have-A-Heart for REGI! Those of you who are hunters, or know anyone who hunts, please save the deer hearts for us! Heart provides an excellent source of nutrition for the raptors in our care, and you can do your part to help us out. Information about drop-off sites can be found on our website under the "events" tab or by following this link!

Thanks everyone!

Karissa Mohr
Wildlife Educator

Turkey Vulture Pumpkin Fun, Saw-whet Improving, Barred owl Hit by Car

( Photo: Morrie and Pilchard our resident Turkey Vultures love investigating the used Jack-o Lanterns left over from Halloween. )

Enrichment is important for the birds in captivity. They get bored when things remain the same and life has no challenges. Let face it, their life in the wild is perilous, but raptors are born thrill seekers. Our education birds have lots of things to keep them busy. Some species need more challenges than others. Turkey Vultures love to seek out their food and use their sense of smell. Not many birds have a good "olfactory" system. Turkey Vultures are the exception to most avian species and have an exquisite sense of smell. They also happen to be gregarious and full of curiosity.

This year we reached out to the public and encouraged children to bring us their used Jack-O-lanterns once they began to fade after Halloween. It was a great idea if we say so our self!

Not only were the Turkey Vultures enamoured with the pumpkins, but other species were as well. The Sandhill Cranes, Wild Turkey, and corvids like the American Crows enjoy them as well. For some we hide meat pieces inside and let them "find" them and work a bit to get the meat out. Others like the Sandhill Cranes and Wild Turkeys just wanted to tackle the pumpkin itself. Even the seeds are excellent food for many species.



( Photo: This female Saw-whet Owl was admitted several days ago. She is improving quickly. While she is still being tube fed most food, she was chomping on mouse when I last peeked in on her. )



( Photo: This Barred Owl was hit by a car on Monday evening.
She suffered a broken wing. )

Our education team has been very busy with programs in Northern WI. Education Coordinator will update everyone soon with their travels.

Snow is predicted this weekend. We know we have been very lucky this past few weeks, but sooner or later the white stuff will come. Enjoy the warm temperatures and bundle up for the weekend.

Have a great tomorrow everyone,

Marge Gibson 2010

Post Storm Clean-up, Barred Owl, Sandhill Crane Admitted,Ruffed Grouse Released

( Photo: Barred Owl hit by a car. He suffered a wing fracture but is doing well.)

It has been a busy few weeks. A huge storm system came through the Mid-west causing havoc all around. We were lucky in that we did not have any significant power outages, but some folks less than a hour away lost electricity for over a week.

I am grateful to my grandson for doing most of the clean-up. He is a whiz around a chain-saw. I helped too.:)



( Photo: Me cutting up parts of a tree that came down in the wind storm. )

Several birds were admitted during the week of the storm. This happens when the winds whip the birds into tree branches, the ground or even the side of houses or barns. We are talking serious winds. They were classified as up to a Category 3 hurricane force. We are not used to that in the Mid-west and it did get our attention.



(Photo: An adult female Sandhill Crane was admitted during the week. This photo as she was coming out of the transport box.)

A beautiful female Sandhill Crane was admitted this week. She came from an area near WI Rapids, WI.. We are grateful to the folks that have watched this sandhill family for years, for noticing "mom" was not doing well. Sandhill mate for life. The male and the pairs youngster were trying to get the female to fly so they could leave on migration. The male would not leave without his mate.
The real stories of our patients are often heartbreaking but also beautiful. Their reaction to situations such as this allow us an opportunity to see their society and social structure. We have so much to learn from our amazing patients and their lives before they came to us.
We are grateful to the family the first noticed the bird in trouble, the gentleman that caught her and kept her safe until we could transport the crane, and two of my summer interns, Katie Rymer and Rob Prinsen. Katie and Rob took time from their busy college schedules to pick this crane up from the capture site and transport her to REGI. It takes so many people working together for these cases to have a happy ending. There will be more to come on this story.

The Ruffed Grouse admitted after being hit by a car has been released. She was eager to leave us. We were not able to get any photos as she launched into the air and flew into her future.

I had the opportunity to talk to some terrific people in the La Crosse area a few weeks ago. It is always exciting to talk to people that are excited about birds and conservation. Their presence fuels my enthusiasm as well.
Journalist Jim Solberg writes a terrific column, Ridgerunner Reports. He was kind enough to include my presentation in the column. Click here to Jim Solberg's column in the Ridgerunner Reports. It will be another busy weekend. We have had some snow but happily the weather has held and allows us to continue winterizing the REGI facility.

Have a great weekend everyone. If you live in the local area enjoy the sunshine!:)

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 Eagle Has Double Trouble, Owl Success

( Photo: This Bald Eagle is doing better but was found to have lead poisoning as well as his injuries when he was hit by a truck. )

Eek! An alien has overtaken my computer this morning. I have written the blog a few times now and it disappears into computer land just as I finish. I will try again.

The Bald Eagle that was hit by a truck on Valentines Day is improving. He had such severe injuries including internal bleeding I was not sure what his future held. He started to improve and then we noticed he had some neurological signs. We did some blood work and guess what? He has lead poisoning in addition to his injuries. We started him on Ca EDTA injections right away. It has been five days since the shots were started and he is is doing much better now.

Lead poisoning is such a terrible thing and sneaky too. He is an adult Bald Eagle that should be out there getting ready for breeding, and instead he is at REGI fighting to survive. He was not able to see, taste or smell the lead ( Most birds have no sense of smell. ) in what was likely a deer carcass he was feeding on, but still it would have killed him had he not come into rehabilitation.

You might wonder how he was hit by a car in the first place and what the chances were he had this kind of double trouble. Lead poisoning makes a bird disoriented in the early stages. When he was admitted, the lead poisoning had not reached the point where he was starving yet. Since he was in normal weight, we didn't suspect it right away until the neuro signs began. The scenario may have been that he was disoriented and unable to get out of the way of the truck that hit him. It happens more than you imagine.

Sad that we humans still allow lead, a known toxin, to be used so casually in our sporting world. I wish people could see it the way I do.



( Photo: Giving sub-q fluids to the Bald Eagle when he was unable to hold down even water. )



(Photo: We went back to tube feeding the Bald Eagle when lead poisoning was diagnosed. )




( Photo: Alberta with the Barred Owl hit by a car in Mosinee ( His finders call him Mr OWL.)

The Barred Owl from Mosinee is improving. He is flying and eating on his own, but we are keeping him confined due to the skull fracture from which he is still recovering.


( Photo: The ear opening of the Barred Owl above. Notice the dried blood in the opening. Bleeding from the ear is one of the signs of a skull fracture.)

A new intern started yesterday for the spring term. She is a terrific young woman, and we are excited to have her as part of the REGI team. I will have some photos soon.

We have been able to move some patients outdoors as the weather has been mild. ( Mild for Wisconsin anyhow.) The Golden Pheasant that came to REGI just before New Years Day was one of the birds that is now outdoors. He is doing great but spring is livening up his hormones. He would like a lady love to share his joy with.

( Photo: Golden Pheasant is now outdoors and looking forward to having a girl friend this spring.)

The Male Ring-necked Pheasant admitted in December with restraints on his legs and his wings and tail feathers clipped, :( is also excited that spring is approaching. He would like a few ladies too in case anyone out there has some female ring-necked or golden pheasants.

We are working on getting the spring newsletter together. We hope to go to press next week. I am preparing to head south, along with Education Director Steve Fisher and his wife Evie, to Houston, MN and the International Owl Festival this weekend. I hope some of you can join us there. I am doing the keynote speech on Saturday night at the banquet. It would be fun to see you there.

We have a busy day ahead of us! Have a great day everyone!

Marge Gibson © 2010

Catching Up and Patients Continue to Arrive

The worst part about taking vacation is getting back to mounds of work. Work doesn't take a vacation but should. I am going to do a memo next time!



( Photo: Barred Owl hit by a car in Mosinee has made great progress.)

While I was gone several patients were admitted. This is a slower time of the year as we don't have any babies to feed, but accidents continue to happen on a regular basis.

The Barred Owl pictured above was hit by a car near Mosinee. Someone stopped on the highway and put her in their trunk. Imagine their surprise when they got to work, opened the trunk to show co-workers and get help for the owl, and the bird, now conscious, jumped out in the parking lot of FED EX in Mosinee. The Marathon County Sheriff Department called REGI to alert us to the situation. I am grateful to this fine agency. We are located over an hour from the site, and they are excellent about responding to evaluate. They let us know if we need to come out or if they were able to capture the bird and only require transport. Education Director Steve Fisher lives the closest to the site. He got a VERY early morning call to "re-rescue" the owl. Steve wears many hats around here! He never knows when that next phone call will come or what adventure it will bring. The poor Barred Owl was standing but not able to fly and would not have survived had she been left in the parking lot. She had lots of drama in her life that early morning.

The exam after admission revealed blood in her mouth and one ear. That indicated a head and chest injury with some bleeding in the lungs. We are delighted to report that not only has she done well but may be coming out of critical care today and start the next phase of her rehabilitation.



( Photo: The Bald Eagle that was hit by a car is "STANDING".)

The Bald Eagle hit by a car last week is improving. We had another little "surprise" in his blood work. I will update that in the next blog.

In my last blog I commented that wild birds have to be perfect to survive. One reader sent me an email to ask if my comment diminished the need for our work. NO, it surely doesn't. Most of our patients come to REGI through human-caused events: being hit by a car, window collision, illegally shot, poisoned ( usually accidentally when people are trying to kill insects or rodents) and similar situations. A few year ago we saw "illness" in otherwise perfectly healthy birds but that was a rare situation. West Nile Virus, an emerging disease in the U.S. at that time, takes advantage of even the strongest immune system because no natural immunity yet exists. That is one reason we are careful with the likes of Avian Influenza ( A.I. ), for instance, and continue to test for it in target species.



( Photo: This beautiful Red-tailed Hawk is wrapped in what we call our "burrito wrap". I coined the phrase many years ago and notice it is now widely used in the raptor world. )

The truth is we don't "repair" birds that have what may be "genetic" problems.
While we don't get many, there have been some that for whatever reason should not breed in the wild. The chance of weakening the species is simply too great. Many of those birds are kept for educational purposes or placed in zoos or wildlife centers.

Off and running.
Have a great day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010