Sunday, December 21, 2008

This Week at Liberty 12/22/2008

For the "slow season", this week has been fairly busy, or at least studded with interesting items. We heard about a former patient of Liberty from 2006, the pelican was flown to San Diego (thank you, US Airways!!) and our charity event at the Phoenix Theatre was a big success.  So, for the last post before the big "C-Day," let's see what happened...  
06-0658 or, as she was called in 2006, "Bulldog."
In May of 2006, Az Game and Fish brought us a fledgling bald eagle that had prematurely left the nest at about 11 weeks of age. The "Bulldog" nest was inaccessible to humans but a helicopter flyover confirmed this eagle had a sibling that had died in the nest.  Upon testing by Liberty Wildlife, it was determined she had an appreciable amount of lead poisoning and was treated for the condition over the next few months. In June, she was fitted with both federal and state bands and fostered into the "Granite Reef" nest from which she fledged soon after. It was reported to us that on Dec.11th of this year, a birder spotted her near Buckeye at a canal pond! This means that she has survived over two years on her own in the wild! This is confirmation that the work we do at Liberty Wildlife does work and the animals we treat are able to survive and prosper after treatment! (look for an expanded article on "Bulldog" in an upcoming Nature News) 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jodi and Louise log in a Kestrel.
Yes, kestrels DO bite!
Two of our Rescue and Transport volunteers, Charles and Stewart, brought in a little male kestrel this week that had a close encounter with something immovable at a school on the west side. Showing scant appreciation for the care he was being given, Jodi and Louise used a small wooden dowel to ward off his beak during the exam.  Yes, falcons DO bite!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nina and Toba do "Vet Night."
Nina wraps a wing.

Jan checks the wrap and approves.
Say, "Ahhhhhh"...

An inca dove has its eye checked
Once a week, the Medical Services people do a check of all the animals under care for evaluation and treatment adjustment. It's called "vet Night" as it used to be the night when Dr. Orr or Dr. Wyman came over to look at the animals.  Now, when neither vet is available, Jan accomplishes this task and takes the opportunity to instruct new volunteers in the art of wildlife medical care.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blood in her eye...an indication of head trauma.
I actually got to do a rescue this week! A Harris' hawk was seen under a power pole and hadn't moved for a while so the people made a phone call via Carolee Bryan, our bookkeeper, and I went to get it.  It shows signs of head trauma and is now in the ICU.  This is the time of year that we see adult or nearly adult birds making mistakes and learning, hopefully, leassons that will keep them alive for years to come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's NOT the Burger King guy...
Two more Harris' hawks go free.
These two HaHas were released at the Phoenix Theatre event last Sunday. You can read more about it in Megan's column at the top of the blog. (There's also a video of the release!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now, another update on the tremendous progress being made by Joe Miller and Sonora, our new education bald eagle.

1 comment:

Dawnya said...

Terry and Joe
Thank you for sharing that training experience with us