Summer Patient Update

Hello everyone!  Everything is in full swing here at REGI with patients coming and going and lots of changes happening.  Some of you have been calling hoping to join us on tours but we have had to delay tours for a short time due to the weather and construction.  We are hoping to have everything up and running again starting next week.

A Willow Tree is cleaned up after high winds brought it down in a storm.

We had a round of severe storms sweep through the area last week and are still in the process of cleaning up.  Above you can see our beloved Weeping Willow that gave shelter to many visitors and provided food to many birds being cleaned up after falling in the storm.  This tree was a special place for a releasing many songbirds where they can slowly readjust to being back in the wild while eating from the plentiful feeders.  The Willow was one of many trees that came down around REGI and we are sad to see it go.

Construction workers frame the newest building on the REGI property.

One of the other causes of delay to our tours is a construction project.  Our original REGI building and enclosures, which we called the "Middle Mews", has been torn down and is in the process of being replaced with a new building.  The "Middle Mews" had been at REGI since it's inception in 1990 and were showing serious signs of age.   The new building will house more birds and provide more space for some of our larger raptors.  We will keep you updated at the building process comes along.

A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird perches atop her feeder.

This beautiful female Ruby-throated Hummingbird (above) came in suffering from what we suspect to be chemical poisoning.  Herbicide and pesticide use in yards affects wildlife and can be fatal, although many people don't realize the dangers.  Fortunately she seems to be recovering from the neurological effects of the chemicals and we anticipate her release in the near future.  You can often hear her humming in her enclosure as she exercises her wings.

Fluffy American Kestrel chicks are among REGI's many orphans this summer.

Do you recognize the two little American Kestrel chicks (above) from our blog two weeks ago?  They were still tiny balls of fluff but growing rapidly.

Female Kestrel fledgling intently watches the camera.

A young Kestrel already displays the beautiful blue of a male on his wings.

They have already reached their adult sizes and are now gaining their adult plumage although you can still tell they are juveniles by the downy fluff surrounding them, particularly on their heads (see above.)  When you last met them we were just beginning to see the markings that tell us if they are male or female and now it is quite clear.  The Kestrel in the top photo has reddish brown and black barring all across her wings brown streaking on her chest which tell us that she is a female, while the Kestrel on the bottom has blueish gray wings with a lighter smoother chest and black markings telling us that he is a male. 

Northern Flicker preparing for release.

This Northern Flicker (above) came in along with his siblings when their nesting tree came down earlier in the summer.  They were completely naked and the size of a thumb each.  He was recently released and can still be seen hanging around the REGI neighborhood.  You can see the yellow feather shafts on his wings which is indicative of an Eastern bird, Western flickers have red feather shafts on the wings.

A juvenile Bald Eagle joins his new foster father .

Our ever faithful foster Bald Eagle has his first baby of the year (above.)  The eaglet that you met in the last blog has graduated to the flight building and is ready for the care of a foster parent.  Our foster Eagle will care for the young eaglet and show him the ropes as he finished his recovery.  So far the chances for a future release are looking good.

Intern, Kerry McVey, holds a Bald Eaglet in preparation for a feeding.

This young Eagle (above) came in weak and starving at the incredibly low weight of four pounds.  Birds suffering from starvation need to be gradually weaned onto solid foods and must be tube fed for a long period of time.  While the road to recovery will be long for this bird we are feeling hopeful.  He has gained two pounds so far and is continuing to grow.

So, the clinic is packed and we are ever busy!  There are many summer programs coming up in the next weeks.  Keep your eyes on the REGI website events page to follow our events.

Molly McKay
Director of Education

New Patients, Summer Interns, and Tours Start Soon!

Greetings! The month of May is quickly coming to a close and I did a quick count of the patients we've admitted so far. I counted just over 70 patients since May 1st and we still have a few days to go! No wonder the clinic has been buzzing with activity. I unfortunately cannot introduce you to all of the 70+ new patients  so I've selected just a few.

Remember the little Sandhill Crane colt from the last blog post? Well today he's nearly 2 feet tall! Young cranes grow so incredibly fast. 

This gorgeous bird is a male Northern Harrier (formerly known as Marsh Hawk). Harriers are one of the few species of raptors in which you can easily tell the sexes apart. Males, like the one above, are a light grey color and have been nicknamed "the grey ghost." Females are a pretty brown color. This hawk was found along a road laying on his back. Of course we don't know for sure because the hawk cannot tell us what happened, but we hypothesize he has been hit by a car. After a whole day of being unable to stand, he delighted us all by getting up on his feet Monday afternoon! 

This lovely bird is a Great Crested Flycatcher. He came in with a broken wing. His wings are taped now and when they heal he will be placed in our passerine flight building to regain his strength. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but the prognosis for this little guy looks great.

This stunning male Indigo Bunting came in after colliding with a window. He has been placed in our passerine flight building to recover. He is currently unable to fly, but we will continue to monitor his improvements.  

These three little baby American Crows were blown 80 feet from their nest during the harsh winds last week. It's incredible that they survived such a high fall, but at least one of them is suffering from internal bleeding. Once their health improves they will hopefully be placed back where they came from so their parents can continue to raise them. Baby crows have a big apatite and a big gaping mouth! They also have light blue eyes for the first few months of their lives. 

These teeny baby birds have us a bit stumped. At this age it can be difficult to determine the species of baby birds because so many species can look similar as nestlings. We are thinking they may be Chipping Sparrows, but for now they are lovingly referred to as "LBJs"- little brown jobs.  

These little nestlings are Northern Flickers. They came in as tiny, pink, naked little things and they've grown incredibly fast. They are beginning to grow their feathers which has helped us identify them. Flickers are interesting woodpeckers because you usually find them on the ground instead of high up in trees like other species of woodpeckers. Flickers eat ground-dwelling insects, like ants and beetles, which is why they're frequently found pecking at the ground. 

Last week our interns began their 3-month summer internships with us and we have an additional visitor from Turkey! They are all working very hard this morning, but I managed to snap a few photos of them so I could introduce you to them.

Intern, Sarah (left) and Turkish Veterinarian, Aysegul (right) are carefully tube feeding the Northern Harrier. Aysegul has come all the way from Turkey for the summer to learn more about avian rehabilitation. We are thrilled to have her joining us! 

Intern, Sarah from the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities is a fisheries and wildlife major with a pre-vet and wildlife emphasis. She is transferring some ducklings to an outside enclosure for the day. 

Intern, Maddie from Humbolt State University in California is a wildlife management and conservation major. She is transferring the young American Crows in the box she's holding to the clinic for the day. I didn't notice the giant blue dumpster from our recent construction behind her until I had already taken the photo. Hopefully we'll have time to update you on our construction projects soon!

I'll introduce you to the other interns next time :)


REGI summer tours are beginning again soon! The first tour day is Thursday, June 7th.

Where: Raptor Education Group, Antigo, WI.
When: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the 2nd Saturday of each month from June through August at 10:00am and 1:00pm. Pre-registration is required. 
Cost: $8/person (children under five are free)

Have you ever looked a bird of prey in the eye? We invite you to join us in discovering the powerful beauty and unique adaptations of raptors at our facility in Antigo, WI. Let the REGI education team guide you as we explore the wonderful world of hawks, eagles, owls, and falcons.
Tours are an entirely outdoors and are subject to the weather, please come prepared. 

Please call (715) 623-2563 to reserve your spot(s) as space is limited.

That's all for today! Have a great week everyone!

Karissa Mohr
Wildlife Educator

Herky Update! Bald Eagles x2 admitted, Osprey, Lesser Yellowlegs, Northern Flicker...

Herky the young Bald Eagle from Hayward, WI that arrived on Sunday with her leg wrapped in string from a snare is improving!  She has quite a following from folks in both WI and Iowa! It is great to see people involved with this amazing little lady.



Herky the Bald Eagle from Hayward gets a check-up.  Open wide Herky!!

                                                     Herky with her eyes wide open:)  Yea!!

Herky remains in critical condition but has begun to gain a few ounces.  Starving birds actually continue to lose weight after admission even with supplemental feeding.  Their body is in a negative balance and it takes a bit for that to balance out.  It is a scary thing to see the scale drop but joyful when it starts to move in the other direction.  Herky is being cooperative and seems comfortable with her situation.  She is still receiving antibiotics and an anitfungal drug to prevent aspergillosis which can occur in a bird as compromised as Herky. She is definitely happy about getting food even when it means she is getting it through a tube.  We do not have to restrain her when feeding time comes!  She has begun to make some soft calls which is another step in the right direction.

Herky is aware of the world around her which is different than when she was admitted less than a week ago.  We admitted 2 other Bald Eagles this week and she is aware that they are in enclosures next to her and is interested particularly in the adult.  

This beautiful Bald Eagle from Gilman, WI was poisoned.

 







We admitted an adult Bald Eagle yesterday from the Gilman, WI area.  He had ingested poison, likely an organo-phosphate. He is still convulsing from the neuro toxic affects.  Before anyone can ask "why"...I will just say it is illegal and should never happen but it does and more often than you imagine.  I will be up all night with this eagle.  He is receiving shots of atropine to counter the affects of the poison on his brain and nervous system about once an hour.  Keep us in your thoughts.  I find myself wishing everyone could be with me as they watch the horrors of what this toxin does to an eagle. If people knew they would be more careful and think things through before putting out bait for wolves and coyotes.  At least I hope they would be.



Exhausted from yet another convulsion the adult Bald Eagle from Gilman rests after being given atropine.



An immature Bald Eagle was hit by a car.
Immature Bald Eagles are so beautiful.  Their plumage is changing from mostly brown to a mottled white and brown.  Our new patient has a wing fracture, but if all goes as expected we are looking for a early winter release.

The Lesser Yellowlegs admitted last week... is STANDING!

Great news on the Lesser yellowlegs admitted after having been hit by a car last week during migration.  He suffered a back injury and was unable to stand until YESTERDAY! This is means he is going to be able to continue on his way south...maybe with a little help from a Wausau company that flies REGI patients south when needed to assist their migration or catch them up to their flock. He still has some conditioning to get him into shape again but his future looks rosy.  He will be heading to South America so like any athlete conditioning is important.

This Northern Flicker was hit by a car yesterday. Sorry about the poor photo,but I take only one photo of patients when they first come in to keep stress to a minimum.  He is already making progress and eating well.

I will get a photo of the osprey today to post soon.  We will be releasing 5 Eastern Bluebirds and several Amercian Robins today!! It has been yet another busy week here at REGI. 

We are havng some issues with the blog today. The spacing is odd and seems unfixable at this time. Please forgive the inconsistancy. We will get it fixed as soon as the program will allow it. :)

Have a great day everyone... enjoy the wildlife around you.

Exhausted in Antigo.

Marge Gibson