Subaru Drive Article is out!

Check out this seasons "Owner Spotlight" article Subaru Drive Magazine at http://www.drive.subaru.com/ Many thanks to Monteen and her case of education owls for being part of it! Here she is loving on Sam. Please consider supporting her and her non-profit organization hawlktalk.org

Ahhh we have a falcon that flew into our window....

It ain’t over till……..

On Sunday evening, around 6:30 pm, I got a call which read on Caller ID "Fannin Regional Hosp". I thought, crap, it's the hospital calling to collect money from me for something they forgot to bill last year! The voice on the other end said "ahh, hi there.....I got your number from the emergency clinic, and I wondered if you could help me". Instantly, I thought, why the heck is someone calling ME from the E-clinic? Did they needed help identify a poisonous snake that bit someone or had one of my friends been in an accident? She went on..."we have a falcon that flew into the window at the hospital and it's just laying here". I said, "Ok....I can come. You are just about 6 minutes from me but I needed to find my gloves and get a crate in the car and I will be on my way". She said: "we will be standing on the side of the hospital near the heliport waiting for you".

I was literally there in around 7 minutes and saw a group of people standing in the cold evening air, no coats, all waiving at me. Two men in blue medical jump suits (obvious pilots) and two nurses in scrubs greeted me. Instantly I saw the bird, face down not moving in the grass. Someone pointed out where it had the collision with the window - there were a lot of scuff marks and feathers lying around.
I knelt down and put my hands around the bird's bluish body, wings folded into his sides. As soon as I flipped him over I knew it was a Coopers because of the coloring and the purple in his mouth. I knew that it was not good as finding this bird face down and lifeless most often indicated severe trauma and there would be little chance of helping it at this point. One of the nurses told me she came out to stand with it because the crows were dive bombing it.

There was little to no reaction from the bird. Eyes mostly closed, mouth open, labored breathing, lifeless legs, claws/talons limp and closed. I quietly said to myself, "oh buddy". In seconds it felt like the temp dropped 10 degrees, as a half dozen nurses and doctors were now gathered around in a huddle.
I told them it was a Coopers Hawk and probably going after his last meal of the day; (maybe of its life), when it flew into the black reflecting window. I told them it looked "pretty low" and that I would do my best.

I thanked them for calling me and told the one nurse I would call her back to get the information for the paperwork. She said to me, "at least he won't be suffering dying out here tonight". There was a huge storm-front coming and we all knew the chances of this bird making it on its own, injured and on the ground was about zero. Knowing nurses and doctors, and how they treat their patients and respond to the situation at hand, they all knew it did not look good and I did not have to say anything more. The mood was somber. One of the nurses asked if she could call me tomorrow for an update and I told her absolutely.

I rolled up a towel, place the bird in the little makeshift nest right side up; (supporting its head and neck), put him in the crate and headed home. I figured the bird was now about 2 hours post impact, and did not hold a chance in the world of recovering. Like the nurse said, I thought, well at least it will have a peaceful passing in a quiet and warm stress free place.

When we got home, I administered oral Metacam with some oral fluids, and gave him an injection of Vit B in his breast. I quickly felt for possible fractures (which there seemed to be none) and laid it back down gently. Unfortunately, there was little to no reaction with the exam, and the only life was the swallowing action when I give it fluids. I did not hold much hope. I decided not to bother it again until the morning.
Around 6:00 am, Monday morning, I went about my morning routine feeding the cats, cleaning litter boxes, signing on my PC and showering. Around 8:30 am, I opened the door to my rehab recovery room to see if I would need to make arrangements for his disposal. I dreaded going in there because it would throw me off the entire day but again, I got myself ready for the worst.

Much to my total surprise and delight I found him standing! At first I could not see his head, and thought that he'd sustained a broken neck, but after saying "buddy are you there", his little head (that was tucked under his wing) came forward and looked right at me. I was pretty shocked and extremely pleased to see him alive yet alone slightly alert. I gave this bird less than a 10% chance to make it through the night and here he was standing!

Based on instructions from my "Muse Monteen", I gave him two small mice doused with medication and fluids about mid-day, (I know...gross huh - but this is the part of rehab that you have to just accept). He cooperated and ate them both with little to no resistance. I put him back in the crate until that evening. Monday around 6:30 pm I check on him again and gave him a second round of medication and a small amount of oral fluids. Now he's showing more signs of life. Good! But not out of the woods yet. Typically with Coopers Hawks, they are one of the hardest to have in recovery or captivity post injury, as they are extremely high strung, uncooperative and defensive by nature. Tell any "Bird of Prey" rehabber or Falconer you have a Coppers Hawk and they will say "I'm sorry!"

Tuesday morning came, and he was still flat footed in his cage although I put a low perch in the crate the night before. He’d not eaten the food I left either so I knew that I would have to muscle him, most likely wrap him like a taco and force feed him in order to get fluids and medication in for this second day.

This time, it was an all out battle. He was using his feet and talons to push me away. In about 5 minutes I got him on his back, wrapped and medicated. I could see that his wings were fully extended and there seemed to be neither breaks nor pelvic injuries. Amazing and such a relief and a GOOD SIGN AGAIN! He was acting everything like an angry Coopers Hawk. VERY VERY GOOD! Back in the carrier until Tuesday night.
I knew that he had one more change to use the perch or I would have to make the hard decision; (along with recommendations from the vet) on if there is a potential for neurological damage and if so he would need to be euthanized. I did not want to keep him going too long in a confined space because he would start to thrash around and injure his plumage or himself further.

Wednesday morning came. I work up, and could not wait to look in his enclosure. This time, he was sound asleep with his head tucked under his wing but...........he was on the perch!!!!!!!!!!!! He was grasping and holding on like a champ!
Today, about 50 hour post rescue, was his liberation day. At 9:30 in the morning, I took his crate to my upper side porch and opened it. He flew to the fence line in about 1 minute, looked around, heard the birds chirping, and in about another minute, took the most beautiful flight about 100 feet away into the protection of the trees. I made a big sigh of relief and felt fulfilled.

What a wonderful experience. Someone asked me why we rehabbers intervene with nature and don’t just allow nature to take its course, especially in this case for a bird that was almost clinically dead. I said, well, for this one bird it makes all the difference in the world. It's not his fault there was a big shiny, black, reflective, cold, hard barrier in his way, confusing him and ultimately could have led to his demise. In this instance, it only cost me my time, and about $15 to rehab him for those three days. It was worth every minute and every penny. It gives me hope and reinforces my belief that I am making a difference. His condition and treatment gave me more knowledge about head trauma injuries, and now I know more about timing, and treatment.

More so than anything, it gave the nurses and doctors who found him and cared enough about him, the satisfaction that because of their actions, they saved a very precious and worthy life. Because of their quick response and tenacity to find someone to help, that kind of compassion allowed this bird to goes on to live a healthy life, hopefully away from windows!

..................so this fat lady was singing this morning, as my little Coopers (at one point who was nicknamed Son of Satin) is doing his birdie thing out there where he belongs – among the trees and in the wild!

Raining Raptors

I can't believe how many birds of prey I have gotten calls on so far this year!!!!!!!!!!!! No possums, no ground hogs, very few squirrels but the owls and hawks are out of control! So far I have had a hand in the rescue/triage/rehab/transport and/or release of three Screech Owls, two Barred, a Redtail Hawk, a Red Shouldered Hawk, and a Coopers Hawk. I have been helping triage and transport for now until I am licensed. It's been fun and very educational! Below is little Woodstock. He was re-released just under 24 hours post his impact injury, thanks to some great folks in the north GA mountains. They told me they were coming back home late one night from celebrating Val's birthday and she saw him on the road and made her husband stop the car. He had a bad headache but was released back to his home territory within a day. It's EXTREMELY important in rehab to take the exact location address from the surrendering party in order to ensure animals that are injured are re-released back to the same area. Did you know there is a VERY delicate balance with the overall carrying capacity with animals in the wild. We could really mess things up if we release them back to foreign area. Did you know that 20% of the animals taken from the wild, when re-released actually survive. That's why it's critical we release them back to their actual home range, as many of them have mates, as well as have a territory which they carefully have established over their life time. So please think twice before you kidnap ANY animal from the wild; (90% of all babies are NOT abandoned or injured) and call a wildlife rehabber BEFORE you decide to intervene with any wild animal!

It's a NEW YEAR 2011!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry I have been away. I moved FINALLY to my little farm in Blue Ridge Georgia and am working on finally finishing my barn so I can start active rehab again in the spring. I have not been empty handed as it seems that the local abandoned cats found a sucker in me, and now I have one living outside in a wildlife igloo, and one in my office recovering from having him man jigglies taken. His name is Possum (because someone thought that was what he was), will be available for adoption SOON!

In the mean time, I helped a friend out by getting this "little man" who was hit by a car and rescued and taken to the fire department. Just so happens one of the guys is a falconier, and did not know what to do with an injured owl. WHAT?????? Anyway, he came to me and was here for a few days. I treated him with oral steroids, and after not eating for four days, I managed to get some raw chicken down his throat with some fluids. He was transferred to a Bird Of Prey friend and released back to his own devices. I just LOVE these birds...there is something very special about Screech Owls

Three's a charm

Three...three what...there is only one little turtle in this picture. Yeah but look closer...see something strange....YEAH...that's right, this little dude is missing his back right leg. Congenital, maybe but not likely. Probably got it bitten off from a bigger turtle, or perhaps a hawk. Good news, it's a back leg so he can just about function normally with just three. I had him for a few weeks, brought to me by someone who saw him crossing the road. Can you believe that someone in a car saw this cool little dude? Anyway, he was release right before the weather started to get cold so he could acclimate and hunker down for the winter. I observed him to check to make sure he was capable of taking care of himself. You should have seen how clever he was at "righting" himself if flipped on his back. That neck of his would turn that head upside down and he would flip himself back over. I sure hope that I see him again some day....nature is amazing in how they can adjust to a missing appendige. They do so much better than we humans. I can't even function if my finger hurts!

Hog in the garden

Everyone knows I LOVE ground hogs. I have had the opportunity to raise a few and have loved EVERY minute. Well, my mother always said...what what you ask for. A few months ago I saw one crossing the road about a mile from my house. I was delighted to know that some were living near me. Frequently on my drive to Blue Ridge I see them along the highway, having holes in the embankments among the kudzu - popping their heads out as if to wave to me as I pass by.

Well...last weekend, I started to clean out the dead squash and harvest my Indian corn on the lower of my two garden terraces. We built them on the frond of the house because the bank was too dangerous and steap for a mower. I planted it this year and the garden flourished with sunflowers, blooming bushes, squash, and lettace. While cleaning out the finished crop, I found three large holes under the support beams that hold up the first retaining wall. I am thinking to myself...wow...those are some big chipmunks. Maybe Gophers??? Can't be snakes...could be turtles. Then, this past weekend, I photographed this character.

OK...so I am slightly freaked after reading the fact that they can excavate close to 20 tons of dirt for their tunnels...which now happens to be under the front of my house and perhaps under the foundation. Sure he's getting ready to winter-over. I wonder if he plans on staying around for the spring?

Beware the black widow spider!

This past weekend, I happened upon this HUGE lady when putting some old wood in the burn barrel. Yes, she startled me, and she was not prepared for me either as she took a defensive posture showing me how scary this dime sized symbol of darkeness can be.

I ran in to get my camera and shot this picture. I pondered what to do with her; keep her in a jar till she died and use her for education (nah - too cruel), leave her alone (nah one of the dogs would step on her), move her to another location (YEA.....take her into the woods to live her life and multiple)! OK...so I felt good about not killing her, and then ran into the house to read about what she meant to me and my life now. SO interesting...from the book of Animal Wise:

Spider
Legends of the spider links them to the past and the future, birth and creation. When the spider crawls into our awareness it is asking us to rebuild the web of our life in accordance with the design the Creator gave us. The spider shows us that the past, the present and the future are all interwoven. It awakens our intuitive creative senses and encourages us to design the fabric of our lives from our souls original intention. If you see a spider in its web, or creating a new one, pay attention. It symbolizes where you are in the weaving of your own destiny. A study of the medicine wheel and the four directions is helpful. (BTW, I found her less than 5 feet from my medicine wheel on my property). Because spiders are actually very delicate they embody the energy of gentleness. Spiders are not usually aggressive unless they are defending their lives. Moving forward in all situations with a gentle strength is a skill that often needs to be learned for those with this totem. In man, the bite of a poisonous spider symbolizes a death, rebirth process. Poison enters the nervous system and the body either transmutes it or falls victim to its venom and dies. The spider signifies the tapestry of life. The web we weave is the reality we experience. Choosing the appropriate path is one of the lessons associated with this medicine.

Anyway...this lady has another mission to accomplish other than helping me awaken to my own reality now.

Possum Posse shirts available NOW

OK...this is the shirt that I designed and got screened for the Wildlife festival in Blue Ridge the weekend of Sept 19th-20th. Please come see us there: www.braea.org. Also, my good friend Lara will be there with her red tail hawk talking from 1-3 at our booth. The shirts will go do fund wildlife education and outreach in the Blue Ridge area.

Birds and the bees

This one is purly for pleasure. These are my sun flowers I grew at my house in the mountains. I could not believe how big they were this weekend. Time to harvest them for the birds for winter.

Deer Diary...

"Dear Diary, today I found a great spot to rest and relax and eat some yummy apples.....what a find. I will keep it to myself. I try really hard to come out when no one is looking but today it did not work. Some person came strolling by with two of those other funny looking four legged things and they stopped and stared. Don't they know how rude that is and how that hurts my feelings".

Yes, here is a deer that took a break one hot July afternoon to eat some apples from a neighbors tree right here in Berkeley Lake. She proceeded to go across the street and lay down in an abandoned house's green lot to take her afternoon nap. It's not unusual to see wildlife out during the day when the weather is hot. They are doing what they need to do to survive (get some form of food, hydration). Unfortunately she's also not so street smart and that is the demise for quite a few deer that dwell among us in suburbia. This one took of as soon as she had her fill. Funny thing was I walked by her with Dudley (my Great Pyr) and she did not even move...so she still knows how to "strike the pose"

Good citizen to the rescue

I got a cooter in my car. WHAT I say to the caller? She says again, a giant cooter that was hit, I picked her up, she's in my car, are you the turtle vet? Hold on I say....you have a injured turtle? Yes...someone told me to bring it to you. Can I come now? Yes I say. Not knowing what the hell I was getting, this is what showed up....a slider! Look at this magnificant baby (well this is most likely a mid to elder, based on his size). He had a few scuff on the bottom, and was way ready to be released back to the wild. Since he was picked up on a very busy highway, I released him back to the creek which adjoins the lake near where I live. Happy again to be away from the concrete jungle

Ester Williams hangs on

This is little Ester. Found in a swimming pool filter having held on for most of the night, she was found just in time and brought to me. SHe's recovering but not without some strange issues. Her biggest issue is related to the mysterous patches she's got on her tail, as well as the fact that she's not gaining weight. It's possible that she's got Metabolic Bone Disease as well...as she looks slightly deformed, but us able to walk and respond like a normal little Possie. I will give her a few more weeks of good food, rest and relaxation and then evaluate her for her ability to sustain herself in the wild. Cute little thing wet or dry (she prefers the dry side).

Did you know that opossums are excellent swimmers? They use those amazing tails like rudders too and those back legs are like little motors. Do they prefer to swim...hard to say. Rarely do any of us see them do it. I had an instance where my neighbor released one of my rehabbed possies on her aunts acres of land with a pond. That possum headed right to the water and swam across the pond and came out on a branch/downed tree. They said they all stood there without breating until she reached the other side only to sun herself on the log. So...we all know now, like to or not, in the event of an escape route, they will certainly take to the water if they have to.

Lucky 13

Did you know......that baby opossums are called joey's?
And did you know that a mother can have up to 25 or more babies but only 13 will survive since she's only got 13 little facets at the watering hole? That's right. I guess that's natures way of keeping things in balance. Here is a pouch of exactly 13 babies that came in with their dead mother (car incident) a few nights ago. These are not extremely young babies (about 5 weeks), but they are still VERY small and need to be fed via a tube. Baby opossums don't suckle like other animals, the swallow the nipple and the mother decides when and how much milk to pump into their little bellies. Rehabbing very small possums can be VERY challenging. Simulating this feeding is one thing, but so is simulating the pouch and the balance of Oxygen and Carbon Minoxide and moisture. You see their environment is so damp and specialized, as is their breathing requirements, there is a point in time when babies which are too small don't have a good likelyhood to rehab without suffering at the hand of a well meaning rehabber. Meaning, the chance of aspiration and pneumonia with constant 2 hour feeding intervals is probable. When someone that does not know what they are doing tries, the outcome is ususally not good. This is why in most all cases I URGE the public to contact a licenced and skilled rehabber to handle these little Jack's and Jills.

These guys are going to the wildlife center....as I am traveling and have to find a baby sitter. We will see how they do the first few days...and if they are taking well to tube feeding without getting pneumonia...then we will keep things moving forward.

I love "possums"!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking for My Soul Mate...he's has feathers and goes beep beep....

OK...look at this picture. Cute as can be...and so afraid (THANK GOD). Baby coyotes can be crazy wild, but this little one is so shell shocked, he's stayed still long enough for his picture to be taken. About 3-4 weeks old, we are not sure what really happened to his mother. The caller told me she called so many places, no one would take him. He's safe and sound and being rehabilitated. He will do fine...releasing him is another story. Frequently, like foxes, coyotes find themselves on the other side of most urban dwellers who come upon them visiting the trash cans or backyard gardens. Too often when the housecat goes missing, the coyote get's blamed. I tell people...if you are afraid that the cat will get eaten...keep it in! Wildlife was here first....they are only doing what they were born to do, survive. If you choose to set up a buffet for them and part of the main course includes your cat, it's your fault if it goes missing. OK...off my soap box. They are SOOOOOOO misunderstood and sadly trapped and killed because of fear. When you see a story on the news about a trapped coyote or fox RARELY does that animal live. It's not legal to re-release them (because of them being considered a nuance species and the fact that they are considered a RVS). Oh BTW, relocating ANY animal to another habitat is not doing the animal any favor. Nature has something called a carrying capacity. The last statistics I read said that any relocated animal has less than a 20% chance of survival in another habitat. Trapping does not solve anything..it just gives the present animals space to fill in the void with a larger amont of pups next year. That's how nature works. Any trapper that tells you he's going to trap and release a coyote, fox, or any other RVS is lying to you. It's illegal for them to do that. By laws of most states, they have to euthanize them. I don't mean they are going to get humanely put to sleep with sedation and then a lethal injection either. NO...if you really want to know how they do it, contact me. I will spare the rest of you. This is the harsh reality to trapping and the challenges our poor wild animals face every day as their habitat quickly disappears and they have no choice but to move into more people filled areas. The other day one of my neighbors asked me "what are we going to do about the deer problem in the neighborhood". I asked here...what problem. She replied...well they are eating the neighbors roses. I almost blew a fuse!!!!!

Anyway...I can only hope this little fellow grows and finds a way to stay clear of the city. Although country living is no better because people in the woods shoot whatever they want and rarely get caught. It's a sad world we live in some times.

This is why they call them.....wild

Here is Balou...the centers Bobcat. She was kept by some good meaning public. Now she has to live her life in a cage (sad really). Here we are hamming it up for the visitors.....nothing like a 20lb cat on your head chuffing and purring and then doing the stinky face (formally called Flehmen). The flehmen response (from German flehmen, meaning to curl the upper lip), is a particular type of curling of the upper lip which in essence facilitates the transfer of pheromones and other scents into the vomeronasal organ, also called the Jacobson's Organ.In the flehmen response, animals draw back their lips in a manner that makes them appear to be "grimacing". The action, which is adopted when examining scents left by other animals either of the same species or of prey, helps expose the vomeronasal organ and draws scent molecules back toward it. This behavior allows animals to detect scents, for example from urine, of other members of their species or clues to the presence of prey. I wonder if I smell good or bad to her?

How cute is this?

Baby fox, in a drain for days. Rescued mothers day.....what a gift

Easterhogs

Well...anyone that knows me knows how CRAZY I am about groundhogs. When I got the call on Saturday about three that were trapped...I jumped at the change to get them. I just regret that I had to hand them over to the center. They are truely a delight to work with. If some day in the future I could create a release site on my property for these dudes I would. Tell me they are not the cutest little things you ever saw!

Not for the weak in stomach

OK...you are going to have to bear with me here...but there is a lesson in all of this and it's about what we wildlife rehabbers have to endure. This is going to be a story about how we have to handle situations with people not just animals.

The other day I got a call from the center director asking me if I could take some possums. I told him to tell the guy to call me.

Many of us do what we do for the love of animals. Many of us prefer to be with animals over people. For me, after working in the corporate jungle all day long, coming home to wildlife gives me the opportunity to "get away" from the "tit for tat" and back stabbing of my own species.

I love nothing better than to sign off my PC (if I am working virtually) or to come home and listen for the silence, attending just to my animals. No TV, no radio, no talking.

Babies especially make me smile. Their little grunts, spitting, squeaking, and noises that have no definition remind me about how precious life is.

BUT....................my little evening utopia gets all out of sorts when the phone rings and on the other line is a caller "freaking out". In this instances, it was a very confused man, about to bury a animal hit by a car ; (because his wife was screaming at him to dispose of it), only to realize it has babies underneath that he thinks are still alive.

OK....I have to breath deep, and take some serious patience pills and well.....a stiff drink before they arrive (just kidding of course). The caller proceeds to tell me that it's a dead mother with a filled pouch. The center told him to take the babies out and bring the babies to me. The proposition of this man touching these animals were out of the question. It is not unusual to have many brave wildlife lovers remove babies from a mother pouch and bring them to us in all stages. I asked him if they were pink or had hair. He said they were furry (thank goodness). The conversation progressed and the man got more and more hysterical as I gave him direction to my home. He could not bear to pull them out of her, so like most people, I ask them to put the dead mother in the box covered in a towel and to come right to me. He did...but................... it was 39 frigging degrees and he insisted on bringing in back of his open bed truck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told him before he left the house to have the box in the cab with him in the truck with the heat going.

He was too afraid that this dead mother (who was dead now for 24 hours) and her babies would ATTACK HIS NECK! (No joke here). Now I have heard it all. He arrived and all of them were STONE COLD. I maintained my composure although I wanted to attack him neck now - or more likely his throat!

I don't know why he flipped the mother over so all the babies were exposed for the 20 minute car ride in freezing air flow but I was literally sick when I saw them with sadness. They were all white like little ghosts. None of them had good vitals, and I could not find any movement. Most of what I saw was the lifeless bodies looking like little frozen statues. This was not about playing possum...these little ones were minutes for being gone.

I finally said to him...they are so cold...I don't know if any of them are alive, I knew I had seconds to decide, are they dead or should I try to revive them. Now he's freaking out...pacing, saying,......oh my...oh my.....oh my.....until I finally said....PLEASE BE QUIET while I assess their potential to survive.

Now...usually, the first thing I do is get them to fill out surrender paperwork and send them on their way, but I had seconds to act and to try to resuscitate the few that were hidden under the mother. I told him he would have to be quiet for 10 minutes and just hang out with me for a few minutes, while I pulled them off the mother.

Immediately, my basement turned into a trauma unit, as I started a warm water bath in the sink, had the space heater blowing warm air, juggled them between the flannel bags and a heating pad, all the time rubbing them between my hands and trading off between the 8 that looked the least dead not the most alive. . I proceeded to breathing into their little faces, alternated moving them in a rolling motion between my palms to get circulation back into their lifeless bodies and sitting them on a heating, back in the bath, etc.

Finally, after 15 minutes of working on them, this guys starting to tear up realizing he probably killed the lot of them. I was able to sent him on his way and told him to let himself out. I was not trying to make him feel bad, but my priority were the animals at that point.

For the next two hours, I was able to revive 6 of them. After they started to respond and get come color back from their ghostly whiteness, I started to warm them from the inside with warm fluids through a feeding tube (possums don't suckle, they swallow the nipple so I put the tube into right below their rubs and put 2 cc into each of them), until I was able to finally upgrade their fluids to pedialyte.

It was a long night. I did not expect any of them to be alive in the morning.

Out of the lot, 6 made it and are doing great. We have a little bit of pneumonia, but nothing too bad so far. Here is the crazy part, 4 of the 6 are the meanest little buggers I have ever had in rehab. I wonder if this is what happens in cryogenics (spelling?)...freeze someone and thaw them out, second time around they are meaner than a snake?

All around 5 weeks old, feisty and cute as can be. Big ears, little bodies and black fur. Apparently they all have a strong will to live - good thing because they needed it!

As far as the guy...well I owe him a call back on the status of the animals. I know he's probably feeling pretty bad by now, but maybe I will let him stew for another few days (ops...did I really say that!).

All is good here in possumville!

Cedar Wax -what?

Ok...I don't do birds. I mean, I am not licenced to do them...plus I don' t have time. But when one of my neighbors calls me and asks me to help...well I can't resist. Besides I have been officially dubbed as the wildlife consultant for my city...so I have to respond. They said: "we have this georgous little bird that flew right into Jacks hand". Come to find out, it's a first year Cedar Waxwing, most likely intoxicated because it gourged itself on too many fermented berries during migration. Now, that's not to say that getting over toxic levels is not any better than head injury from a window impact. It's just very different to deal with. He's still a little wobbly, like drink a whole bottle of wine on his own...but more than a nasty hangover for the weekend, this is alcohol intoxication at it's best.

This little dude has been eating from the Nicholas fresh fruit bar now, and is being hand fed because he just can't seem to concentrate on what's on the cage floor...plus like any good patient, isn't it easier to be spoon fed when in intensive care? ON the menu today, blue berries, black berries, apples, raisins, cherries, apple and grape juice, and of course mealworms. I am hoping in the next few days he's going to be willing and able to fly...since there are still some of his kind hanging around, I would like for him to have some peeps to fly away with this spring.

About Cedar Waxwings: One of the most frugivorous birds in North America, also because of it's nomadic habits to its late breeding season, many believe it can be traced to its dependence upon fruit. The name "waxwing" comes from the waxy red appendages found in variable numbers on the tips of the secondaries of some birds. The exact function of these tips is not known, but they may serve a signaling function in mate selection. Cedar Waxwings with orange instead of yellow tail tips began appearing in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada beginning in the 1960s. The orange color is the result of a red pigment picked up from the berries of an introduced species of honeysuckle. If a waxwing eats the berries while it is growing a tail feather, the tip of the feather will be orange. Breeds in open woodland, old fields with shrubs and small trees, riparian areas, farms, and suburban gardens. Breeds from British Columbia across Canada, southward to northern California, northern Arkansas, and northern Georgia. listen to songs of this species

Eye spy with my irish eye

The top of the morning to you.....and to this little adorable bun. Isn't this the cutest little thing. Yes wildlife is coming in now that spring has sprung. I find myself constantly looking on the ground to spot some good nutritious food for the baby bunnies (dandelion, clover, wild carrots). It's like a sickness, when I am walking the dogs, my eye goes directly to the items on the ground and I look at them for their nutritional value. You know it's time to take a vacation! I did see somewhere on TV this weekend that if you are ever in trouble, and looking for something to eat in the wild, cat tail root is edible.

Happy St Patties Everyone....