Lots of wind lately, and the animals are taking the brunt of the storms. We're getting in lots of orphans, but the Orphan Care volunteers are doing a great job with the increased volume of arrivals. The Medical Services people are also doing well with the injured adult birds that still show up via the window and the R&T volunteers. We're getting birds in from all over the state...
The tiniest of baby bunnies.
Looks like a tray of Easter eggs...
The first baby quail of the season.
Connie feeds another gaper.
Alyssa tubes an orphan dove.
OK, let's start off with Orphan Care! Another tiny baby bunny arrived just before Easter, and after he was stabilized, he went to one of our bunny specialists. these little guys are very fragile and require unique handling skills. Speaking of Easter, after a recent nest move by the Research and Conservation crew, the trays of beautifully colored eggs filled our incubators. We got in our first baby quail who now has lots of company in his brooder, being fed, along with all the other orphans, by our dedicated and well trained staff of OC volunteers. You guys rock!!
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An orphan RTH regards a hand puppet feeder.
Just like human babies, feeding time often means messy faces.
The little red-tailed hawks that hatched in our incubator are growing fast and well. In just a short time, they will be outside with their new foster parents, learning what they are and how to act as fierce hunters in the Arizona wild. But for now, they're too cute for words...
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Joanie and Sam examine another neotropic cormorant.
Michelle and Lilly make an orthopedic "shoe" for a GBH.
Two more injured water birds are in our care this week. Lilly and Michelle took some time to fashion a foam "shoe" for a great blue heron who arrived with an injured foot. For a wading bird, this is a life-saving orthotic device. Meanwhile, Sam and Joanie did the initial exam on another neotropic cormorant. No one knows why, but all the rehab agencies have been taking in lots of these guys this year with various injuries.
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This little gila woodpecker was the victim of a cat.
The purple wrap goes well with his plumage.
Someone dropped a little gila woodpecker off at a local animal hospital, who then brought it to us. His presentation indicated an attack by a cat caused his injuries. Audubon estimates a billion birds a year are killed by house cats, so if you have cats as pets, please remember that they are hunters at heart and need to be supervised when outside.
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Name that bird...!
OK, just a quick quiz: this little bird was seen being hit by a motorcycle and suffered several injuries, most of which are not apparently life-threatening. Can you identify the species?
(See the bottom of the blog for the answer!)
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Another baby GHO...from Sierra Vista!
A lot of our birds need to be counting travel points for their trip to Liberty. This little GHO nestling-near-fledgling fell from his nest in the area of Sierra Vista. Long-time Liberty friend Christie Van Cleve drove him to the Picacho area and transfered him to Tony Sola, one of our super R&T volunteers, who drove down to get him. Tony also works a hotline shift!
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No plastic carrier for him - he rides under the dash!
Dr. Orr checks a broken wing.
A little food is good medicine!
Today, AZG&F brought us an injured nestling bald eagle from Cottonwood. He is a little guy who had just been banded about a week ago, and during the huge storm that raced through the state last Saturday, was blown from his nest and fell nearly seventy feet. Fortunately, a caring lady living nearby noticed him on the ground and called Game and Fish. He rode down under the dash of the truck and arrived late this afternoon. He has two broken wings, but since he is so young, there is a chance he can be repaired. I'll keep you posted!
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*****Quiz answer: It's a female red-winged blackbird.*****
1 comment:
Looking at these incredible creatures reminds me of Alyssa's dad's music about animal totems. Especially the red tail hawk and great blue heron.
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