Riding the Roller Coaster of Life at REGI- The Good

(Photos: Stevens Point Bald Eagle eaglet is weighed when admitted. We use a baby scale and they are usually very cooperative laying still. No sedation is used in case you are wondering. Katie, Natasha, Lance and Steve look on.
Photo below: Head shot of the young Bald Eagle.

This has been one of those few days where you feel like you are on a roller coaster. One minute you have GREAT even TERRIFIC news and the next something horrible comes through the door and within a minute there is a call about an animal abuse situation that is intolerable and very literally within minutes after that you are putting food into the mouth of a precious little barn swallow so filled with innocence and enthusiasm of just being alive. Then the whole cycle starts all over again.

On the Terrific end of things, the young Bald Eagle was put with the foster dad and other eaglet that is already in the rearing chamber. Things went perfectly for the newly formed little family. While the photo I could get isn't perfect you can see the dad on the left and the two youngsters in the nest on the right. You may have to look some to see both brown youngsters in the nest. We are still not sure what happened to the eaglet, but continue to work to find out. She will have xrays Monday or Tuesday.



( Photo: Bald Eagle foster dad with the two eaglets. We don't get close to do photos so the quality is always grainy. The male was right in the nest with the kids once it got nigh time. I wish with everything in me that I could share this kind of behavior with the world! It is beautiful.)



More good news in a HUGE way from friend Barry Wallace. Barry is a consummate Trumpeter Swan watcher/protector/helper/health observer. I cannot say enough good about the many years that Barry has spent with the huge Trumpeter Swans near Hudson, Wi where many winter, nor the valuable work he does with this endangered species.

Last winter we were swimming in cases of lead poisoning in Trumpeter Swans. It was a miserable winter with long days and nights spent caring for these magnificent creatures. Lead poisoning is a horrible problem and with the high blood levels we were seeing in the winter swans nearly always fatal.

( Photo: Barry Wallace with Trumpeter Swan #87Y just prior to his March, 2009 release back into the wild after having been treated for and recovered from lead poisoning.)



( Photo: Pat Manthey DNR/BER Avian Ecologist Adjusting the neck collar on 87Y prior to his release in March while Barry holds him one last time.)

Making a very long and agonizing story short...One of the swans that came in to us was a 14 yr old male Trumpeter Swan that Barry has known from a neck collar since he was a youngster. If you can imagine for 14 years this man watched this elegant swan and his family as they wintered on the St Croix River. Last winter the male became very ill with lead poisoning. Barry caught him up and the bird came here for help. His neck collar number is 87Y. That number becomes a "name" for us while there are with us. 87Y had a rough time in rehab. He nearly died several times and finally recovered after months of treatment. There was a celebration when he was released back on the St Croix where he was found. His mate had just left back for her home territory




( Photo: I hold 87Y while Don says his goodbyes just minutes before his release. and a photo taken just after his release with the other wintering swans on the St Croix River which was still frozen in March.)


We heard little from the bird. Barry had an occasional update, but it was on a no-news-is-good-news status.

Yesterday I got an email from Barry. He found 87Y with a new uncollared adult female and they were looking pretty happy. That is GREAT news. We are not sure what happened to his former mate. She may no longer be alive. Swans mate for life or until some situation separates them. We are not sure what happened in this case.

We hope 87Y is deliriously happy with his new mate and has an uneventful fall and winter this year.

This swan episode and the other swan lead poisonings are documented in the blog in March and April if you would like to read them.

More good news is our Red-breasted Nuthatches are ready for release. They will be released tomorrow if the weather holds. The Black-capped Chickadees are also nearing release ready as is the Chipping Sparrow.


Many of the American Robins are also ready for release. We were waiting for warmer weather before opening the doors on the aviary and will do that next week after the Fourth of July celebration. Fourth of July and all the firecrackers and fireworks is not as exciting if you are a bird in a tree and terrified of the sound, the reverberation and the light show.

The good news continues as "Slick" the Amercian Robin chick that spent some time in a pail of oil or oil fluid of some kind is doing really well. When he came in he looked like well... SLICK, but these days he is looking pretty much like a normal baby robin. He eats more than most and that may be a reflection of his desire to get on with life.:)

(Photo: "SLICK" the baby American Robin that took a dip in a pail of oil is looking good these days. Many thanks to Lynn Ott who quickly washed him off when he arrived at her house for transport.)

( (Photo: Aprill trying to feed the Northern Flicker chick that was hit by a car but is recovering very well.)
The little Northern Flicker that was hit by a car is doing very well also. Flickers are such interesting youngsters. They are some of the "coolest" of the woodpecker babies and chat all of the time. They insist on hanging from you while you are feeding even when you wish they would not. Most years we have several nests of Northern Flickers by this time of the year. That occurs when trees are cut without people knowing tree contains a nest of the active woodpecker.

( Photo: The Barred Owl that was hit by a car several days ago is in an outdoor flight and doing well. The second photo was taken of the same owl on June 24, 2009. She has done well and come a long way. )

The Barred Owl that came in June 23rd having been hit by a car and looked like she was about to give up on this world is in an outdoor flight and looks great. She still has a bit of a headache and will need to exercise to regain her muscle strength, but she looks great and her vision and hearing are perfect. So many times when owls are hit by cars they lose vision or hearing and are then not releasable to the wild.

I will finish up the Bad and the Ugly portions of the blog in a few days. Then a warning, don't read it if you feeling delicate. ::((

Remember wildife when you use fireworks and loud poppers. Have a great and safe holiday everyone.

Marge Gibson 2009

Two More Eagles Admitted/Pond Work

It was a beautiful day today and we took full advantage of it. The pond in our swan compound finally has the ice off. It is a large man-made pond, has a filter and is lined with clay, but I fret unceasingly that the bio load is too heavy for the health of our patients. So, despite assurance from many that the water is fine, we pump the pond out and replace the water at least once a year. I sleep better knowing we have begun the season with the best possible habitat for our swans and other water birds. Besides, me being happy makes life here much better for everyone. :)

We were able to get a look during low water level and saw our turtles made it through the winter as did the frogs and bullheads. The winter was so severe I worried they may not have made it through. (For those of you that are thinking that with plant life and healthy turtles, frogs and fish that is proof positive that it IS just fine, I know that at least on some level. But … So don’t write in. When it comes to the birds I am over compulsive.)

We are beginning to think of changing our name to Eagles R Us. Two more Bald Eagles were admitted on Friday and we have had two more calls today.

One new admit is an immature Bald Eagle from Wood County. He was hit by a truck and has a broken wing and internal injuries. Poor little one is in critical condition. He is about two years old. It is hard to see them so vulnerable.

The photo shows Nicole Swanson, from our education department holding the eagle during the exam and initial stabilization of the wing. We are so lucky to have such versatile people that just jump in where needed and do whatever possible when the birds need care. Nicole actually transported this young eagle from Wood County (2.5 hour drive from REGI) She and Steve happened to have programs for the 4th grade classes in Nekoosa on Friday afternoon. After the programs they met DNR staff that had the eagle waiting for transport. It was a long day for all of us.

Birds come to REGI from some great distances. Our location in relatively remote North Central WI is great for being close to lots of wildlife but no large population centers.

The young Trumpeter Swan with lead poisoning discussed in the blog on Feb… and last blogged about on March 9, 2009, was put out into the swan compound on Friday. She was thrilled to see the other swans and be able to interact with them after her long convalescence. She was so sick with lead poisoning and the resulting starvation we didn’t think she had much of a chance to survive. She did however and while she will need one more round of CA EDTA to treat a residual lead level, she will be going home as soon as this round of treatment is finished. I wish people could see how birds struggle with lead poisoning. It is all so preventable just by making a few changes.

That is all for tonight. Morning comes early and it is sure to be another full day.

Best to all,
Marge

©2009 Marge Gibson

Three Bald Eagles Admitted Within 24 Hours

(Photo: Tribal Conservation Warden Don Waukechon holds Bald Eagle he rescued)

REGI is always a busy place, but the past 24 hours have brought three new eagle patients plus an adult male Cooper’s hawk, an American Goldfinch and several Pine Siskin. I am going to begin using the patient numbers to better identify them for everyone.
The first adult Bald Eagle (# 142-09) had been seen on the shore of Lake Superior for several days. He was weak and was dragging a wing. His left wing is fractured. We are concerned he may have hit a power line. The feathers on the left wing appear to be singed. Electric burns take a few days to demonstrate themselves. He is a beautiful adult male bird in the prime of his life. Our focus is always to get the bird back into their natural environment however that is not always possible. If the bird is not able to make a 100% recovery we give it the best possible option for a full life even if that is in captivity. It could be placement in an educational facility or working as a foster parent for young orphaned eagles that come into rehabilitation. When young birds are reared by foster parents they do not imprint on humans.


(photos: Don Gibson examines wing of bald eagle patient from Lake Superior #142-09 and in pnoto below the wing is washed and treated.





About 9 P.M. Tribal Conservation Warden Don Waukechon received a call about an adult Bald Eagle found in a wooded area near Neopit. The eagle (#143-09) was unable to fly. Don is a long time warden and has rescued many bald eagles in the past. This time was no different. Don was able to capture the bird and bring him to REGI for care. This bird is also an adult male bald eagle. He is an older bird. He is very thin at 5.6 lbs. He was having seizures when he arrived. We did blood work on admission. He is anemic. His blood lead is within normal range, so this time it is not lead poisoning. Lead poisoning is so common in bald eagles I begin to assume it is the problem until the testing comes back. We suspect he has encountered a toxin of some kind and will continue to test him until we find the problem. The eagle was able to keep down a small amount of food and is digesting which are both good signs. His convulsions while still present are slowing in both interval and intensity.
( Photo on top of blog page)

Gus Frank found an immature Bald Eagle (#144-09) near Crandon, WI late afternoon today. (4-15) Gus gave him the Indian name Na Kwe ga Boe which translate to “The lights always shine on you”. The beautiful three year old male was found on a roadside and was likely hit by a car.


There are no obvious fractures but he is very weak. X-rays will have to wait until he is in more stable condition. With the risk of internal bleeding high with this type of impact injury keeping the bird as quiet as possible and in a low stress environment is the most important thing. He did receive vitamin K to help stop internal bleeding. He is becoming aware of his surroundings.



( Photos: Na Kwe ga Boe when he arrived at REGI was lethargic and bleeding internally. Na Kwe ga Boe up close)



The Coopers Hawk (#140-09) is a beautiful adult male bird. He was likely hit by a car. He has a serious head injury but even the twelve hours since his admit ion the head injury has improved. He also has a broken wing. Wing injuries while serious, are something we can fix. We have a very good success rate with wing fractures. Head injuries are less straight forward. The same complications occur that plague human patients after a head injury. This patient is spirited and full of life however and that is always a positive thing.


( Photo: Adult male Coopers Hawk is a spirited bird.)

So far everyone is doing well. The bald eagle that was impaled on a stick about 10 days ago has begun flying short distances. She has received two rounds of treatment for her lead poisoning. She has another blood test tomorrow to see if she will need another course of treatment.

Thats all for now.

Busy in Antigo,
Marge

Adult Bald Eagle Hit By Car/ Lead Poisoning

An adult Bald Eagle was admitted from Lincoln County with lead poisoning and a spinal injury. The injury was likely caused by impact such as being hit by a car. It is not unusual for our patients to have more than one problem. Something like a toxin even when not fatal can cause a bird to be weakened, move slowly or be disoriented. Those factors make a wild animal at risk for being hit by cars, shot or even hitting electric lines that they don’t see as well. When a bird comes in with an obvious injury we think, “OK, why did this happen?” “What is the primary problem that caused this injury?’ Caring for wildlife takes sleuthing. It is a lot like in the “old days” when doctors didn’t have the luxury of being able to run lots of tests on patients that allow them to “see inside” the patient through CAT Scans and MRI’s. We do basic blood work and test for toxins and basic x-rays, but the cost mounts quickly and become prohibitive for a non profit such as REGI.

We also are not able to talk to the patient or the patient’s family to get a history of the illness or injury. We have to put pieces together to get an idea of what happened. This bird was found in a ditch by a road so we can consider the bird was hit by a car. Had she been found in the middle of a large field or woods that would be less a consideration.

We observe a patient closely. Everything from the typical “Do you see blood and where?” “Does the bird stand without help?” “Does the bird fluff up the feathers in an effort to retain heat from its body?” This observation has to be done without the patient realizing we are watching. Birds are very good at hiding their health issues, or bluffing to stay alive in the wild. If they show weakness or injury they are killed or eaten by predators. It is the law of survival of the fittest.

Wildlife rehabilitation is a complicated field. There are many similarities to human medicine, but just as many differences.

We hope our new patient survives. She is eating and that is a great sign both for lead poisoned birds as those with spinal injuries. She is not yet standing. That is a negative to her prognosis. We will continue to offer her the best in supportive care, a safe warm and low stress place to recover. So many wild patients survive despite huge odds. Wild animals have strong DNA which has been perfected for eons. Only the strongest individuals of species survive in the wild. That serves them well in case of injury and captive survival.

As if to underscore the variety of birds we care for, a young family brought a Pine Siskin with a wing fracture. A tiny bird, the wing was likely broken when it hit a window. The wing is in good position. The bird is in good body condition. There is a 90% chance this bird will be released again. The public is always surprised that tiny bones heal well and quickly.

Stay tuned for more exciting news coming up next week!

Marge