The total intake number so far this year is: 1117
This week the flood gates opened and a deluge of injured and orphaned birds and animals fell on us. We have rescue calls from all over the state and are still looking to dispatch our long-distance teams to some areas. Naturally, we also did some nearby rescues and the orphans dropped off at the intake window sometimes forma line in the parking lot. ("Take a number - now rehabbing number...1117!")
Not only are we caring for the myriad orphan bunnies, mockingbirds, hummers, and the like, but the R&C team did several nest removals for WAPA and brought in 11 nestlings and six eggs! They are scheduled to go out again this week and do five more nests.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few more baby raptors arrived as well, including a couple baby screech owls, too cute for words, and this baby kestrel. To prevent imprinting at this stage, feeding is done with clothing that disrupts the feeder's image as a human. Bee keeper's hoods and camo panchos work well for this operation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several (!) pre-fledgling GHOs came in last week. This little guy was examined, hydrated, and banded before he went out with his new foster parents. If they are big enough to place with adults, then the imprinting takes place naturally and on the correct species! Laura Hackett is a recent graduate of the Jan Miller Medical Services Training Institute and was assisted by Denise and Sarah as she evaluated and banded the bird before introducing him to his new family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People sometimes install black plastic netting around their gardens in hopes of preventing birds from eating seeds and things. We have taken in several birds that have been severely tangled in this mesh, but last week, I answered a call from a lady nearby Liberty who had a gopher snake hopelessly enmeshed in the netting. After first cutting him out of the net, the structure itself had to be carefully cut from his body - without causing more damage to him in the process. With the help of the garden owner (and a gentleman from Phoenix Herpetological Society), he was finally extricated from the "Gordian Knot" that was strangling him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He's in surprisingly good shape!
As I left Liberty last Wednesday, I met Tony Sola who told me about a great blue heron that reportedly was hanging 30 feet off the ground from a pine tree in Chandler. We both drove down and sure enough, this poor young bird was hanging from a pine tree near Ray and Kyrene. I contacted a nearby fire station who came over but had no ladder on their truck. They then called a unit of the Chandler Fire Dept. that had a big bucket/ladder truck which showed up soon thereafter. Tony was nice enough to let me go up on the ladder (every boy's dream?) and get the bird down. We all thought he was hanging from fishing line, but actually his lower beak was impaled on a short broken branch! Tony took him to Liberty straightaway and he is now doing very well and should be released soon. Gee I love happy endings to rescue stories!!
4 comments:
Yep, that snake is TOTALLY smiling. Poor Heron, that's terrible...yep made me cry :( Great rescue story though, you are such a blessing to the birds of AZ, Terry!
Unbelievable! Not sure if that is a really unlucky bird or a really lucky one?? both i guess.
Thanks, but I'm not the blessing, it's the whole of Liberty Wildlife- The Hotline, The Daily Care Team, Medical Services, Education, Orphan Care, Research & Conservation, and the rest of the Rescue/Transport Crew that make up the collective "blessing" for the birds and animals of AZ.
Terry - bless your heart for all you do and for saving that poor Heron - OMG.....can't wait to see the little guy tomorrow if he's there! Carol B
Post a Comment