The intake total for the year is now at 3236.
This update will actually cover most of two weeks (since I did the Christmas video last week!) We did some work on the rehabbing golden eagle, and we took in several accipiters, and a number of falcons. All this on the week before Christmas which led Claudia to bring out a picnic for the volunteers.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas!
The golden eagle that has been with us for some time has suddenly developed a foot problem called "bumble foot." This infection is not uncommon in birds of prey, especially the larger, heavier ones like eagles. The onset in this case was somewhat sudden and is being treated aggressively. However, any time we work on the business end of an eagle, care must be taken and it was a three-person job to treat the big girl.
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The injury could be a gunshot wound.
A recent call brought me to south Phoenix to rescue a "hawk" that had been shot. When I got to the site, I found a very handsome peregrine falcon in a dog carrier. The wound seems to indicate the involvement of firearms, but X-rays will confirm this. This is a young bird who hopefully will be able to regain enough flight to be released. We'll keep you posted...
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Kurt License just got his Liberty badge on the 15th, the same day he brought in his first rescue. The little female kestrel was called in from the far southeast valley and has a wing injury of unknown cause. In any case, the bird was lucky Kurt was on the job. Rebecca performed the initial assessment of the break/dislocation.
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We got in a very dark merlin with a wing injury a few days ago. Unlike the 'prairie' merlins we usually see here (like our own Galahad) this little bird is very dark in color and according to Craig Fischer, is a black merlin, usually found more commonly in the Pacific northwest area.
Treatment continues...
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Several accipiters are now in our care. An older sharp-shinned hawk was brought in a couple weeks ago with an apparent head injury. Next was a couple of cooper's hawks of varying age with wing injuries. Accipiters are notorious for suffering collision injuries and these birds are no different. Especially when migrating, these avian specialists are usually chasing other birds and become single-minded in their pursuit. When traversing unfamiliar territory, they all-too frequently collide with objects like trees, wires and windows causing often serious damage.
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Note the labels: "Carnivore - Vegetarian - Vegan"
The Tuesday team leader, Claudia, brought out a feast for her team to be shared by all volunteers working Christmas week. Something for everyone, the dishes were labeled Carnivore, Vegetarian, or Vegan as appropriate. Only at Liberty would a crew of volunteers work gladly on Christmas week, and only at Liberty would they chow down on sandwiches, shrimp, and other picnic fare while dishing out mice, fish, and quail to hungry raptors.
Thank you, Claudia!
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Another year passes by and as we approach 2011, I'd like to thank all those who follow TW@L each week. Your comments and readership are appreciated more than you know.
Happy New Year to all!
1 comment:
I always enjoy your pictures and comments. It helps so much to know some specifics about the bird injuries coming into Liberty Wildlife throughout the year. Your reminder to be kind to the planet cannot be stated too often. Thanks much, Terry.
Jean
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