Monday, December 21, 2009

This Week at Liberty 12/21/2009

Tonight is the longest night of the year (the winter solstice) and we've got four more days until Christmas. This update will be a little shorter than usual, but hey, it is a holiday week! I thought I'd show a couple of animal updates and then insert a poem that appears in Nature News this month.
Jan checks on a suture.
A GHO that came in recently had a cactus spine in his eye and was sent to the eye specialist for treatment. Surgery was performed which included some stitches. This week Jan checked the condition of the sutures and all looks good!
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A closer look is taken at a harris' hawk's wounded wing.
Jan extracts a lead pellet - this wasn't an accident.
The damaged wing is then wrapped.
A HaHa came in presenting what at first was thought to be an electrical injury. When Jan closely examined the bird more closely, she was able to extract a pellet from the wound. Obviously, this was not an accidental injury. The wing was then wrapped and the young hawk will go in for X-rays to determine if the wing can be repaired.
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Toba checks the foot of a harris' hawk as Kristine holds.
The bird had been caught in this netting above a gas station.
A sore foot is bandaged.
Tony recently rescued a harris' hawk from the roof of a filling station near Apache Junction. There had been some netting installed on the roof to keep birds away...obviously this didn't prove effective! The hawk had been there for several days, surviving on what his family provided and the pigeons that also had become ensnared. The hawk had lost circulation in one of his feet but was otherwise not seriously injured. Hopefully, his foot will recover well enough for him to be released.
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Do you think Kristine cares about the animals?
I rescued this owl from a PV home last week, and as he was assessed upon arrival, I took this photo showing the level of concern and caring exhibited by the volunteers of Liberty Wildlife.
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Dobbie, our Christmas elf...
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An Eagle’s Christmas

T’was the night before Christmas and all through the mews,

All the eagles were preening in moonlight diffuse.

The hour was late – Christmas morning was near -

They all hoped to be fed by a kind volunteer!

Libby turned slowly around on her perch,

Would she get food or be left in the lurch?

A large piece of catfish or maybe a trout,

A fresh head of salmon would make her cry out!

Apache was quiet, alone on the ground,

Waiting to hear some familiar sound

Of footsteps approaching the place where he sat.

“Will some one please bring me a mouse or a rat?”

Phoenix flew back and forth at his station,

Wondering if someone would bring him his ration:

Some elk or some chicken, or even a bunny –

Without food this Christmas would not be so sunny.

Sonora was pacing in anticipation,

Hoping the day wouldn’t end in frustration!

“I’ll fly for my food, if that’s what you say,

Just don’t forget me on this holiday!”

Then there was Chief, the new little guy,

Would the eagle crew stop, or merely pass by?

On days such as this, human beings had plans

Such as visiting grandma in Dodge mini-vans,

And parties and football and all sorts of things

That don’t include creatures who have broken wings…

Then just as their hopes of a Christmas feast died,

The front gate unlocked and swung open wide!

The volunteers came, the birds were not forgotten!

To leave them unfed would be strictly verboten!

The people at Liberty all have a calling

Not feeding on Christmas would to them be appalling.

They bring food to all, both rehab and Ed,

Their own plans on hold until all birds are fed!

As the handler approaches, Libby bugles delight,

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Merry Christmas to all!
from This Week at Liberty, and all of Liberty Wildlife!

2 comments:

Bethany F. said...

That picture of Kristine is so precious!! She is so great!!

zopeloti said...

Love the poem. It is so true. The pictures are great. Have a Merry Christmas