Intakes as of this afternoon: 278
After the furor of last week's massive cleaning, things have calmed down - a little! But the bell at the intake window is beginning to ring with regularity and baby bird season is upon us, both with passerines and raptors. There are still injuries occurring to adult birds and one notable patient is getting ready to return home...
There are a couple of berry baskets containing tiny baby birds now occupied in the OC (Orphan Care) room. We also have a new cadre of OC volunteers who recently were trained in the fine art of feeding and caring for these diminutive creatures of all species - in fact, some are so small they are difficult to identify until they grow a few weeks! From syringe-feeding the tiniest of hummingbirds to using a pen cap for small perching birds, the volunteers all carefully tend the growing flock. (Luckily, newly hatched hummers will actually gape!)
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Fortunately with raptors, we have several sets of the appropriate foster parents to raise orphans. Contrary to what you might see on YouTube, fostering with a different species will rarely be totally successful. Hogan, our master mom, is still patiently sitting on rescued GHO eggs, while our new foster mom, Sedona, is tending an orphan found at a local Country Club.
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A little flicker that came in recently is still in rehab. Arriving with unknown injuries, this little bird is being hand fed and cared for by the Med Services crew. His presentation suggests a collision, possibly with a window, which is an all too common accident in a world that mixes humans and avians in close proximity.
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Another bird that has a bad track record when it comes to close encounters with glass is this little sharp-shinned hawk. Rescued in the south-east valley late on Saturday night, she arrived presenting indications of both back and wing trauma. A wing wrap and some medicine were administered and now cage rest is in order.
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Yet another canada goose came in with a badly injured leg. A lot of these large birds have settled in the valley as they find the local weather conditions hospitable for a lot of the year. They are often the targets, both intentionally and by accident, of human activity. Unlike mallards, their lighter relatives, they can't live with one leg so treating this bird successfully will save it's life.
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No.33, the california condor that has been under treatment for lead poisoning at Liberty for several weeks now, is nearly well enough to go back to the Grand Canyon soon. Her crop is once again working and she will be transported up to the Vermillion Cliffs area and placed in a hack box for controlled release, probably next week. Since she has successfully raised her own wild chicks over the past dozen years or so, it's important to get her back into the gene pool as fast as possible.
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No eggs or tea parties for THIS white rabbit! (Photo by Dr. Kathy Orr)
A lighter-than-normal wild cotton-tail rabbit has been living out front of Liberty for a long time. Being almost white, the fact that she has evaded the large family of harris' hawks that live next door so long is surprising, but survive she has. She is certainly a harbinger of Easter and Springtime in the Valley! (Anyone seen Alice or the Mad Hatter...?)
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As a reminder, we'd ask everyone to go to www.azpbs.org and then select the Be More Awards 2010 under the Community/Families tab. There you can vote for Liberty Wildlife as your favorite organization!
HAPPY EASTER to ALL!
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