The Photo-filled Blog of the Century. WOW, Lead Loon, Patient Updates.

It's been a while since the last blog. It's been a work in progress for some time now. Every time I feel like it's ready to go... something amazing happens. So here it goes ladies and gentlemen... an amazingly long, awesome, photo-filled blog!

Lets spin back time a little ways. We've had several releases these past few weeks! Releases are the epitome of our hard work at REGI.  I have to say that working with the patients in the clinic can be an emotional roller-coaster, but releases make everything worth it. I wish everyone could experience the feeling of releasing a rehabilitated bird back into the wild. Here's some photos from our recent releases.

We just love releases. But release wouldn't be possible without rehab, and rehab isn't possible at REGI without support from YOU!

This past weekend we celebrated the 3rd Annual Wings Over Wausau (WOW... great acronym if you ask me!). WOW was a big success this year, we saw several faces from last year, as well as hundreds of new wide-eyed bird nerds in training! Although many people came out to see the birds up close and personal and hear their stories, WOW also featured a silent auction table, vendors, food, and bird games.

Thank you everyone for coming out to support us! We couldn't do it without YOU!!

 The Wausau Grand Theater, a beautiful backdrop for the stars of the show!

 The staff, interns, and volunteers getting ready for the doors to open!

 Mike with a male American kestrel and intern Kerry with a peregrine falcon at the falcon station.

 Interns Alyssa and Sarah at the turkey vulture station.

 Executive director Marge Gibson with an education Western red-tailed hawk.

Rehabilitator Katie holds a red-tailed hawk stretching her wings over Wausau... get it?

Not a second after getting the birds put away from WOW, we had 2 new patients come through the doors and, the phone rang once more. 

A loon had been found up in Ashland, Wisconsin (4 hours from REGI) washed up in a marina on the boat launch. Nothing appeared to be injured and to the staff here at REGI that meant one thing.... lead poisoning. After flying to REGI via airplane, the loon landed safely in Antigo. After drawing blood to check the lead levels our suspicions were confirmed. The lead levels were off the charts.

The common loon shortly after being admitted with an off-the-charts lead level

 X-rays from the loon showed 2 lead sinkers in the bird's intestine

After a trip to the Antigo Vet Clinic, the X-rays revealed 2 lead sinkers in the loon. Not a good diagnosis. Lead from the sinkers works its way into the bird's blood and sequesters in the bones. Treatment is time consuming, meticulous, and extremely expensive.

Lead poisoning in birds is 100% human-induced, and loons aren't the only ones that are effected. Eagles, swans, and the endangered California condor are constantly in a battle against lead. One lead sinker can kill an eagle. One lead sinker can kill a swan. One lead sinker could kill REGI's new patient loon. Just ONE. Our unlucky loon has ingested two.

Although not impossible, the road ahead will be a difficult one for this guy. Staff is working round the clock and we have our fingers crossed that the sinkers come out soon so we can begin the road to recovery. Until then, we play a difficult and frustrating waiting game.

** For more information on lead poisoning in wild birds please click here.

** DO YOU FISH? For alternatives to lead tackle please click here.

On a happier note, there are some of our growing babies... one of which has stole the hearts of many... the Virginia rail!

 Look at the Virginia rail! He's getting so big (relatively speaking), and is about the size of your palm. He's graduated into an outdoor enclosure!

 This young goldfinch came in not long ago without feathers. Hard to believe it's already turning yellow!

 This young cardinal is under the wing of an adult male foster parent

This killdeer came in weighing no more than the change in your pocket, but has grown into a stunning young bird. Keep an eye on the blog for an upcoming release!

As happy as I am to share our baby bird updates... I can't stress enough the importance of using non-lead sinkers & ammunition. Just as we've moved away from lead paint in homes for our own health, we now need to focus on a mind-frame to protect the environment we live in. 

As a full-time rehabilitator, hunter, and fisherman, I wish every outdoors-man could witness a lead poisoning case first hand. It changes everything.

- Katie Rymer, Assistant Avian Rehabilitator

Grown Ups, Patient Updates, & Interns

Hey everyone, were still swamped in baby season here at REGI.

Here's a picture-filled blog full of updates!

_____ All Grown Up _____

These merlins made their debut on our last blog (above), look how grown up they look now (below)

Hard to imagine that just several weeks ago these striking falcons were just white puff balls with large eyes, sharp beaks, and quick feet. Merlins go from hatching to flight in only one month, and we can attest to that here at REGI. This has been the summer of the merlins. We've seen seven fluffy babies come through our clinic doors. All of which are currently flight training in an outside enclosure!

The Virginia Rail is doing great, and enjoys fresh duckweed and insects daily

Look at who else is growing up! REGI's Virginia Rail is no longer cotton ball size! He stirred up quite an array of followers on our Facebook, and would like to thank everyone for their monetary donations to support his bloodworm addictions! He still has expensive tastes, and has moved up to waxworms & small minnows.

This baby turkey vulture had a high-speed migration in a car from the University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota contacted us this past week with an interesting request. They had acquired a turkey vulture chick that had fallen from its nest into a large body of water, and he needed a foster parent. Kayakers found the little one flapping around in the water and were able to pull him up into the kayak and get him to the University of Minnesota. Here at REGI, we have several successful turkey vulture foster parents, some of which who have fostered Minnesota vultures in the past. It appears that these two are over the whole Packer/Viking feud, and are getting along great!

_____ Patient Updates _____

This young broad-winged hawk came into the clinic just yesterday. His parents may have kicked him out of the nest because he appears to be fully blind in his left eye.

This red-tailed hawk came into the clinic starving and has an injury to a leg. Cases like this lead us to believe he she had some sort of collision with a car which left her unable to hunt.

This great-horned owl came into the clinic very thin. A male great-horned owl weighs over 2 lbs, and a female can be over 4 lbs. This one came into the clinic weighing just over 1 lb. Release is a long way in the future for this owl... but we are crossing our fingers/toes for success

_____ Summer Interns _____

 Licensed rehabilitator Alberta & intern Alyssa tubing one of several fledgling eagles in the clinic

The interns this summer are doing a fantastic job! They truly get the whole rehabilitation experience here at REGI. Although they work long hours (as all of our former interns will remember), their spirits stay strong. The following are all photos of the interns learning experiences to date. They have seen a vast array of different species come through the clinic doors, and never know which one could be next!

Licensed rehabilitator Alberta & intern Maddie tubing another fledgling eagle

Intern Kerry holding a belted kingfisher while he anxiously awaits a larger box in the clinic

Interns Maddie and Sarah tubing the 1 lb great-horned owl

Intern Molly enjoying some alone time with our education peregrine falcon

_____ Summer Tours _____

 Molly, our education director, leading a tour past our crows & raven

Our education peregrine falcon poses for the tour group. Come meet our peregrine up close on one of our on-site tours

Summer tours are still soaring strong. Tours run Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the second Saturday of every month. Most tours still have spaces for both the 10AM & 1PM time slots. Call the education office at REGI to reserve your spots ahead of time (715) 623-2563.

Enjoy your week, it sounds like we finally have some rain in the forecast!

- Katie Rymer, Assistant Avian Rehabilitator

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

Lead Poisoned Bald Eagle Update, Peregrine has Surgery

( Photo: Three year old Bald Eagle admitted last night can now stand, but holding her head up is hard. She is still in very critical condition.)

I have a few quick notes tonight to update our blog followers on the condition of the Bald Eagle admitted yesterday with lead poisoning.

The eagle has improved. She is no longer convulsing. That is a huge relief. Her blood lead level is still off the chart. It is nearly midnight as I write this. I left her a few minutes ago. I did a final tube feeding, gave her medications and tucked her in for the night. One concern I have is she is so weak and remains disoriented. She does not seem to have the strong "will" I am used to seeing in Bald Eagle patients. I hope she is just tired and aspergillosis has not already taken a toll on her body. Time will tell if that is the case. She weighs only 6 lbs 1 oz. A female Bald Eagle should weight between 11 and 14 lbs in our region. Starvation is part of lead poisoning. The birds are unable to eat as their digestive system shuts down.

( Photo: The Bald Eagle is still very weak. She sleeps most of the time and chooses to sleep on over a heating pad. The heat supports her natural body temperature which is compromised in such a critically ill bird. )


( Photo: This photo was taken about 10 minutes ago. She is resting for the night. The convulsions ceased as of early this morning. Now we just hope all goes well thought the night.)

( Photo:Katie holds the Peregrine Falcon as he wakes from anesthesia. Dr Powani did a great job as always.

A young Peregrine Falcon had surgery today on his eyelid. He came out of anesthesia well and is happily eating a gopher tonight. More on him tomorrow.

Off to bed now. Keep our beautiful eagle in your thoughts tonight.

Marge Gibson ©2009

Post Lake Bald Eagle Update, Peregrine Update

If I didn't think people read our blog before I know know that they do. We have had such interest in the lead poisoned Bald Eagle from Post Lake as well as the young Peregrine Falcon from Columbia Generating Plant near Pardeeville. Thank you to everyone for your emails on them and your interest.




( Photo: Taken today, this photo shows the Post Lake Bald Eagle is sitting on a perch in a critical care enclosure rather than a more confined box! She is making progress. )



( Photo: Alberta holds the Post Lake Bald Eagle ab out noon today. She is a huge bird as you can see as she makes Alberta look like a tot. This is just before I gave her CA EDTA shot for round three of the chemical to chelate the lead from her blood. Notice she is not happy with the situation. )

The Post Lake Bald Eagle is making real progress this week. We delayed her third round of CA EDTA in hopes that her lead level would stay down to an acceptable level. That didn't happen, but she is so much better.

I hate to start celebrating too soon because so much can happen with lead poisoning cases, but lets say I am feeling optimistic for the first time.

The photo of her when she first came in below shows her capture when she was so weak and sick she was unable to walk let alone fly. I remember that first night I didn't think she would make it through the night. When she did I was surprised but the next night was even worse in terms of her convulsing and being near death. No one was more shocked than I that she has made the progress she has. We do our very best for the birds here as we have with her, but still she was so very critical.

( Photo: The day she came into care. Very sick and near death.)


( Photo: Post Lake Bald Eagle during her capture on August 22)


Thanks again to everyone that is following her story.

The young Peregrine Falcon is also making progress. I do not have a photo to publish but he is sitting on a perch now rather and is on his way to what we hope is a full recovery. He did have some problems with his right eye a few days after he came in, but that has cleared up. He is still not excited to eat on his own, but it getting the idea that if he does not we force feed him and that is not his favorite activity.

More soon.
Best to all,
Marge Gibson ©2009

New patients include Immature Peregrine Falcon

( Photo: An immature Peregrine Falcon was found injured by the Columbia Generating Station near Pardeeville, WI. Here he is with REGI staffer Aprill Jeager.)

Another busy week here at REGI. Time gets away from me when patients flood in.
We admitted an immature Peregrine Falcon from the Columbia Generating Plant near south of Portage, WI. He was one of three youngsters hatched from a nest box put on the plant in efforts to provide nesting areas for peregrines in the Mid-west. All of the young Peregrine Falcons are banded and followed closely by a great group of folks including Greg Septon of Wisconsin Falconwatch. This young bird was named Larry by the team at Columbia Generating Plant.


( Photo: Here we are re hydrating the young Peregrine Falcon with oral electolye fluid to help stabilize him.)

We are not sure what happened exactly, but the young falcon was found on the ground unable to fly. His right wing is fractured as well as his right leg. He was weak and lethargic when he arrived, but has stabilized. He is doing well so far and has even begun to put gentle weight on the leg. That is a good thing. He is eating but not as well as we would like. We are supplementing his diet wtih force feeding to assure his calorie intake stays at a good level.

Peregrine falcons are very fast in flight. They have been clocked at diving at over 240 M.P.H.. When they are young and new to flying, they make mistakes. It is one thing if a young robin crashes on landing, but when diving at 200 M.P.H. and miss a landing, the consequences are much greater for the bird. It takes some practice before they are skilled at controlling the great speed they were blessed with. It is like giving a 12 yr old boy a race car and letting him use it at will. Crashes happen as you can imagine. When they crash they tend to get pretty banged up because of the rate of speed they are traveling.



( Photo: Young Peregrine Falcon rests as he recovers from a broken wing and leg. In photo taken on Monday. We think he looks a bit embarrassed to be in rehabilitation after what was likely a mistake in his judgement of speed and solid object.)

We certainly hope for a full recovery for this young super star. It is amazing to think that the species once had such low numbers people were worried they may disappear from our country. It is a testimony to a group of committed people to make a difference for a species. In this case The Peregrine Fund and Wisconsin Falconwatch as well as many independent biologists, breeders and falconers that made the difference for the Peregrine Falcon. These people often dedicate much of their life to the survival of this species. When I look at the young peregrine, I see the results of their hard work. Of course, I also see a strikingly handsome youngster all on his own.:)


Migration is in full swing here in northern Wisconsin. The leaves have begun to turn brilliant colors ALREADY, and we have had two nights when the temperature dipped below freezing and those were still in August. The Farmers Almanac indicates we are in for a bitterly cold and dry winter. That word BITTERLY is there word not mine. I am trying not to think about it.

More on the new admits and releases soon.

Best to all,
Marge Gibson 2009