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

Eastern Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, Amercian Robins and Eastern Phoebe all Released Today!

( Photo: Look quick! That bright blue blur to the right of the open hand is an Eastern Bluebird taking flight for the first time as a wild bird.)



( Photo: Alberta holds one of the male Eastern Bluebirds raised at REGI just before he was released to the "soft release" site. They have the brilliant blue coloration of the adults with the exception of the spotted belly of typical of juveniles. )

It was another exciting release day here at REGI. All of the birds released today were raised at REGI. They all came in as hatchlings. If you follow the blog you have likely seen photos of these youngsters when they were much younger. Their stories were as different as they species when admitted. But today they were all celebrating the same stage of their life, becoming truly wild birds.

Getting photos of the smaller passerine birds is not an easy task. The birds released today have not had human contact other than staff throwing in worms, other food items and water for weeks now. They avoid any contact with humans. They seemed particularly unhappy with attempts to get them to stay still enough for photos. That is a good thing however and exactly what we want for the birds going back to the wild.



( Photo: Another of the Eastern Bluebirds prepares to leave captivity.)



( Photo: Two Cedar Waxwings and an Eastern Phoebe perch on a hanging perch while still in the aviary. )


( Photo: Two of the youngest set of American Robins raised this year at REGI. Getting two of any of the birds in a single camera frame is pretty impressive.)

The youngsters were released in a manner called a "soft hack". That means they are in a protected area if they chose of they can venture out. They can return for as long as they wish. Food and water are provided until the last of the group is no longer returning for food.

In this way we give the young birds a chance to learn about the great outdoors slowly if that is what they need. They can and most do hang around for a week or more especially coming back in the evening to take advantage of a predator proof roosting site and some free grub.

Once they leave the area and connect up with others of their species for migration we know we will not see them again until spring. It makes spring even more exciting as we wait to see who comes back to visit and when. We wish we knew exactly where they went and what adventures they had during the winter. We have been through good times and harrowing times with them even in their short life. It is a bit like packing your kids off to college, we are all ready to see them be on their own.

Many thanks to Katie, Alberta and Nicole for getting such great photos.

Have a great tomorrow.
Best,
Marge Gibson © 2009

Trees are Changing Color, Insect Eating Birds On Their Way, Baby Birds Still Coming In

(Photo: This Eastern Bluebird sibling group are all males. They are from the Amherst, WI area. They have begun to fly and will soon be going into the large flight area to prepare for insect hunting training and release. )



( Photo: Night time baby bird line-up. Left to right. Eastern Bluebird X4, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin, Eastern Bluebird with head feathers missing,Cliff Swallow, Cedar Waxwing x2,Mourning Dove, Eastern Phoebe.

Evening is when I have the baby birds to myself. The staff and interns are off duty so I feed the little ones until midnight or so when we turn in for the night.
The line up photo above is what I saw the other night looking from above after feeding time. Before feeding time the little mouths would all be open/gaping skyward for food. I just couldn't resist sharing the cute little group in a single basket.
I am sorry the photo color quality is not great. The heat lamp above the babes produced odd lighting.

It is hard to believe that the leaves began changing here in Northern WI in the end of July. Now in mid August we are seeing a fair amount of color in the trees that is usually reserved for September. The wild birds have sensed the changing of the seasons too and are beginning to be on their way to their winter homes in the south. Our resident pair of Barn Swallows left on July 24th. That is an early migration time in anybodies book. We have had baby swallows come in that finders feel were left by their parents when the migration urge grew too strong. It has been an unusual summer for sure. Cold and dry many insect eating birds are not finding enough to eat or feed their families. Many in our public tours tell us they have seen less swallows and nighthawks this year.



( Photo: Young American Robin with West Nile Virus. Few birds this small survive the virus.)

We are seeing more West Nile Virus this week. Several species that are the hardest hit are the American Robin, Red-tailed Hawk, Great-horned Owl to name a few. The larger species have a chance of recovery whereas the smallest do not. It is sad to see otherwise healthy youngsters in such a difficult situation.

We had a few odd cases this week as well. We received a Red-tailed Hawk from Merrill, WI. He is an adult and was found floating in a horse watering tank. We could hardly believe our eyes when we examined him. The tumor was surgically removed and pathology was done on the tumor itself. Sadly it turned out to be a Sarcoma. That is a malignant soft tissue tumor. While it has been removed and the bird is now eating and in stable condition, this type of cancer will likely return. We are keeping him comfortable and trying to give him some quality of life during his remaining time.



( Photo: Red-tailed Hawk from Merrill, WI was admitted with a huge tumor on his wing. It proved to be a Sarcoma, which is a malignant soft tissue tumor. )

A Mourning Dove was admitted from Wausau yesterday. An older adult bird she has a tumor on her neck as well as other medical problems such as trichomonas. A section of the tumor was removed. While it is still in pathology for examination it could also be cancer. We are not used to seeing cancer naturally occurring in wildlife. It is very odd to see two in two days.



( Photo: REGI staff gathered for lunch as usual on Friday. Much talk has occured and friendships solidified around this table this summer. We are beginning to miss the interns already. Left to Rt. Aprill, Lance, Alberta, Steve, Nicole,and Elizabeth )

Our interns are getting ready to go back to college. Aprill and Natasha will be leaving on Wednesday. Lance is staying on until the end of August. The summer has gone fast but it has been a good summer for everyone. The list of things to do before the summers end has started. The reality of friends leaving is setting in.

More soon everyone,

Marge Gibson 2009

Storms Come Through Wisconsin Passerines Affected, Tours and Programs

( Photo: Young American robins are delightful patients.)



( Photo: A tiny baby American Robin snuggles in soft towels after his nest came down in a storm.)

Storms have been riping through the Wisconsin landscape taking with them many nests of late nesting passerines such as the American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Dove and Cedar Waxwing. As a result the REGI passerine section is filled with cheeping and peeping little tykes. Some of the babies have feathers but some are newly hatched and naked.

Passerines are labor intensive for staff. They must be fed every twenty minutes their first week of life from sun up to sun down. As they grow a bit they are put in screened cages we affectionately call "screen porches" `



( Photo: Natasha feeds young robins, and a mourning dove inside a "screen porch". )

Young passerines grow rapidly. Some species can go from hatch to flight in only 8-10days! Can you even imagine that? Of course when they are raised at REGI that time span is longer. While the diet we feed youngsters is very good in terms of having all the elements needed for their growth and development, we can never be a perfect as their own parents. As a result they grow a bit more slowly. After they are grown we have to make sure they know how to secure food and interact with other birds they will encounter in their life once released to the wild. The good news is our passerine flights have a wide variety of species most of the time, often including adults of the same species as the youngsters.

It was a busy weekend for programs. ON Saturday we gave three programs, two at the REGI site and one at Rib Mountain in Wausau. I will include some photos below of the Rib Mountain event. You can see from the photos how beautiful Rib Mountain State Park is. The Rib Mountain event is held yearly and put on by the Friends of Rib Mountain. They are a terrific conservation group. It rained during the presentation. Super educator Steve Fisher continued on even with the rain. His mantra is that as long as the audience was willing to stay he is. Now THAT is dedication.:) There were about one hundred folks the braved the rain with him.




( Photo: Steve Fisher with Peregrine Falcon,Ishmael at Rib Mountain State Park.)



( Photo: Steve Fisher walks with Red-tailed Hawk Juliet, just as it began to rain during the presentation. )

Off to feed those little passerine babes.

Have a great day everyone,
Marge Gibson 2009

Bald Eagle Rescued from Swamp, Orion Goes Home

( Photos: A few moments after capturing the adult Bald Eagle near Wausau, WI. We were still in the woods/swamp when this photo was taken. If only you could see the swamp drenched lower part of my body in the photo::(( )

We received a call Sunday night about an adult Bald Eagle unable to fly near Wausau, WI. We had a similar call a few miles from the site the day before, but the eagle had disappeared into the woods before we were able to rescue it. So, we grabbed Natasha and her boyfriend Brad and our new intern, University of MN Pre Vet student, Elizabeth and were off to make the hour plus drive to try to find the eagle that was in trouble.



(Photo: Ron Drayler, the citizen that first located the injured eagle and called REGI for help, holds the bird for a photo.
Left to Right on the photo: Brad, Ron Drayler, Natasha and Elizabeth)

The location of the bird first appeared to be a wooded area. I incorrectly assumed we would be able to find him, rescue him and then be home for a late dinner. What I didn't see what the thick swamp behind what turned out to be a small stand of trees.
The eagle was no where to be found when we arrived. Since we had previous calls on what I thought was the same bird, I wanted to do our best to find him. Wildlife hides when they are in trouble and disappear quickly into thickets in an effort to protect themselves while they are injured and vulnerable.

The short part of a long story is, with Ron in the lead I followed into the swamp. The ground was wet and my adventure began. It was a few hours later by the time I located the eagle. To capture him I ended up knee deep in dark swamp muck. For those of you that are not familiar with swamp muck, it acts like quick sand. Before I knew it I had lost a shoe and then the other shoe. I retrieved both shoes but before the adventure was over had lost them each again. To say I was tired by the time I had the eagle in arm is an understatement. Looking at the photos taken at the time, I am not sure if the eagle was more exhausted or me.




( Photo: Natasha holds the Bald Eagle at the Antigo Veterinary Clinic while waiting for x-rays.
Photo: Elizabeth holding the Bald Eagle with Dr Rich Piowani at the Antigo Veterinary Clinic. )

We are so grateful to the terrific veterinarians at the Antigo Veterinary Clinic in Antigo for their care and help with our wild birds. They have a very busy practice but somehow always make time for our patients.

I worried the right wing of the eagle may have had an old fracture however, the x-rays did not revel any fractures. No pieces of lead that might cause toxin were found either. The eagles blood lead was also within low normal limits. That is a surprise since almost every Bald Eagle cared for at REGI has some degree of lead poisoning.

He is anemic however and was low in weight. We will keep looking for a reason for him to be debilitated. It could be as simple as he was injured in some way and was not able to hunt during that time. Starvation could be the reason he is now too weak to fly and why he is anemic. Wildlife cases are always a puzzle. We take all the clues we can from the history and then piece it together.

We are very optimistic for this eagle to return to the wild. He is now eating well and is getting stronger.



(Photo: Orion the Great-horned Owl that is an education bird for Trees for Tomorrow in Eagle River with Katie and Troy Walters, Orion's handler. Not a great photo of Orion, but he was squinting in the sun. )

Orion went home yesterday. Orion is the educational Great-horned Owl that was housed at REGI while his enclosure was finished at Trees for Tomorrow in Eagle River. His handler Troy Walters is very dedicated and traveled to the REGI facility in Antigo to keep up with Orion's training. Troy was here so often we began to feel like he was a part of the REGI family. We will miss them both now that they are back in Eagle River, but know a bright future in wildlife education awaits them both.



( Photo: Baby Eastern Bluebirds are miniature models of the beautiful adults and just as sweet. Even at this age their lovely song is apparent.)

We have had many more admits including lots of baby Cedar Waxwings and Eastern Bluebirds. They are such beautiful little tykes and a joy to have in care.

There is much work to do today including trying to find out why my email refuses to send attachements. My computer and I have a love hate relationship these days.:(
So, if you have been expecting an email from me and did't get it, please call.

Have a great day everyone,
Marge Gibson © 2009