This Week at Liberty 10/06/2008

Some interesting visitors this week, evidence of the ongoing migration, and a nice release on Sunday to top it off! 
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Juvenile Red Winged Blackbird

Not normally a bird we see in great numbers here most of the year, this little red winged blackbird arrived yesterday with a broken wing, and a case of avian pox.  Marion gently wrapped the wing and administered medicine in order to combat the infection.  

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"I am NOT a chew toy!"

A soothing betadyne bath

A tiny Sulcata tortoise was brought to the intake window recently.  The family dog brought it to the homeowners who brought it to Liberty with a badly damaged shell.  Since they are native to North Africa, this had obviously been somebody's pet that had been lost.  Rebecca treated him to a soothing bath of betadyne and began careful assessment prior to shell repair.  

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Beautiful Prairie Falcon

Displaying a wing

A gorgeous Prairie Falcon was admitted for rehab earlier last week.  No broken bones, but very thin, his treatment will begin with fluids and observation, along with plenty of food.  We'll monitor his weight and I'll try to get more pictures when he is moved outside to a flight cage.

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Carl holds while Megan and Jan check to confirm it's a Broad Winged Hawk.

A bad electrical injury

As always, fluids are a normal start to treatment.

A call came in last week from Melanie, one of our volunteers who works for AZGF, now on a project in the Kingman area.  Someone brought in a hawk that had what appeared to be electrical burns to its leg and wing.  Carl price, our "GO TO" rescue guy, drove to Kingman and brought the bird back.  After much discussion and bird ID book references, it was deteremined to be a broad-winged hawk, a very rare visitor in Arizona that Liberty has only seen once or twice before.  This visitor from back East is currently in an ICU cage and is being monitored closely.

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Carl is our snake expert, having the tools and the knowledge to do the job.

A little Tiger rattler

Not being injured, he's taken to a safer place and released in a good habitat.

In a more local rescue, Carl Price went out on a snake call a few days ago and caught, transported, and released a Tiger Rattlesnake.  Carl says this is one of the first of this species to be rescued and released in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix.  It's good to know that everybody doesn't just look for the nearest shovel when they encounter a snake in Arizona! 

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Congressman Mitchell releases a GHO while Jan and Megan watch.

Free to hunt the night at last!

On Sunday afternoon, Liberty Wildlife was present at an event attended by several local political personalities from both parties.  The event was to support the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and featured many liberty education birds and the release of a Great Horned Owl.  Launched at dusk by U.S. Congressman Harry Mitchell, the owl flew perfectly, disappearing into the darkening Arizona sky.