A sort of short update this week - I had a lot of projects to keep me from taking lots of pictures, and the intake level has ebbed - that's a good thing. We have a new system for recording volunteer's hours at Liberty, and a sad note to punctuate a very hot week, month, and year so far. Here we go...
"Badges? I guess we DO need stinking badges!"
Scanning in with the new bar code reader. For several years, we have had volunteers record their arrival and departure times by hand. the data is massive, but not really utile as it would have to be transcribed and tallied. Did you ever try to figure out how much time has elapsed between 9:13am and 2:37pm? For over three hundred volunteers? For several years? Now, John Glitsos has designed and written time tracking software for us to electronically record the coming and going of our volunteers. With new badges, the people "scan in" when they arrive, and "scan out" when they go home, using one of the new scanners donated by WASP, providers of bar coding hardware (thanks to Naomi!) The times are recorded in a new database that will allow us to apply for bigger and more prestigious grants, armed with the data on how much time people donate to Liberty! THANKS, John, Naomi, and WASP!!!
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A baby black-crowned night heron gets weighed.
Baby green herons are undeniably cute!
The great heron invasion is still going on. Whether it's a BCNH, a green heron, or another great blue heron, these wading birds are still bailing out of their nests early, probably due to the excessive heat of late. Sometimes it's not a problem, but sometimes they need our help. The volunteers are always ready to give a caring hand - and a handful of fish!
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A young RTH has electrical injuries.
Toba and Nina check a burned foot. A juvenile red-tailed hawk is still with us after some sort of encounter of the worst kind with some electricity. Electrical burns are usually quite nasty as the tissue can be burned from the inside and the damage is sometimes not apparent for days or even weeks after the incident. This little guy has some bad burns on one of his feet and we're watching him closely to see what else develops.
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Toba holds a GBH brought in by Tom.
Nina administers fluids while Toba holds on. Great blue herons are fabulous birds, majestic in flight and cool to watch as they fly, wade, and hunt near the shoreline. This guy came in with a wing injury and will join two others that are in the outside pen in a growing clutch of these gangly birds. It seems they enjoy the same kind of waterfront property that attracts people.
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Top billing for a great foster dad.
Hamlet (on the left) with Ophelia (center top).
Hamlet below 7 of his fosters - including "Frankie Blue-eyes"
On June 1, 2009.
In early 1992, a handsome GHO came to Liberty with a flight limiting wing injury. He was non-releasable but seemed to be agreeable so he was named "Hamlet" and joined the Education group. For eight years, he did lots of shows for the kids, displaying his adaptations and being a wonderful ambassador for his species. Then in 2000, he suffered an eye injury and could no longer perform the duties of educator, so he went through a second career change and became a foster dad for orphaned great horned owls. He fit very well in this role and along with Ophelia, fostered well over 150 baby and juvenile GHOs over the next 9 years. Just a couple of months ago, his good eye began to fail and he was diagnosed with glaucoma, a painful condition for which we had no real treatment. Sadly, after all the great work he did after losing his flight, his life was ended painlessly and with great care and dignity last week. We will not allow our birds to have diminished quality of life - we respect them too much to allow that.
Rest easy now, Hamlet. Thank you for all your years of gracious service. Your work is over.
