Empty Nest

I can't remember the last time that I had no wild creatures to care for. Most years I'll have a couple of birds, maybe a squirrel or a bunny or something. This time of year what I get is either sick or injured in some way. Depending on the injury and the animal, most years I'll have something that I need to keep over the winter. But not this year. Not yet anyway. Absolutely nothing wild to care for right now. I keep thinking that there must be something that needs to be fed or a cage that needs cleaning. It is a strange feeling, this feeling of having extra time on my hands.

Well, I do have something occupying some of my free time. We had a litter of tiny kittens brought in to the clinic about 3 weeks ago. They were discovered under a building, thin and very hungry. I could sit and watch them play all day long. There is almost nothing cuter than a bunch of little kittens playing. Hopefully they will all get wonderful homes. And if they don't get adopted, no big deal I guess. But they are awful cute so I'm sure they will get homes.

The last couple of days have been beautiful fall days. I love the sound of people walking through the leaves. I love the sound of someone raking up the fallen leaves. I love listening to the crickets and the crisp, cool breeze coming in the open window. I love baking and the way an apple pie in the oven makes the whole house smell delicious. I love making homemade soup this time of year and have started making my own noodles.

Yes, I have re-discovered many other things I love during this reprieve from caring for wildlife. I am actually enjoying this break from the wild things. I am savoring this empty nest time. I know before long I will be caring for baby bunnies, squirrels and birds of all kinds. The nest is never empty for very long.

Release

I open the sliding door and step out onto the deck. I whisper, "Please give me a reason not to do this." I go down the steps and walk slowly across the yard. I feel like I'm walking in slow motion. I say, "Please miraculously say my name or 'hello' or 'pretty bird' or something, anything." But as I enter the flight cage there are no words, and I knew there wouldn't be. There are just the normal sounds of my beautiful crow, Stryder, acknowledging my presence.

I pick him up; he is not a tame bird and does not like to be handled. After a short while he calms down and I tell him I love him and that every thing is okay. I bring the syringe out of my pocket and tell Stryder he will be flying in heaven soon. He stares back at me and blinks. He's never had a reason to fear me and he doesn't fear me now. I hesitate. I say, "Maybe today isn't the day. Maybe if I wait a little longer things will change." But I know I would only be prolonging this heartbreaking act of love.

I insert the needle, pull back on the plunger. I have found the vein. I slowly inject the solution and Stryder's head falls to the side. Release. I sit with him for a few minutes and let the tears run down my face. My head knows this was the right thing to do. Stryder couldn't fly, could never have been released. Had he been in the wild he most surely would have met with a much worse fate. There are, after all, worse fates than death. But my heart has a difficult time with this type of situation.

When we speak about release we are usually talking about returning a wild creature to the wild. But there is this other type of release. Release from living a life of confinement when you should be soaring in the sunbeams. Release from living a lonely, solitary life when you should be with a community of your own kind, interacting and socializing.

I'm sad now, but I know I did the right thing. I'll miss you, my beautiful bird.

Be Watchful During Spring Clean-up

It's spring (I think!) and if you're like me you're anxious to get outside and clean up the yard, maybe start digging in the dirt and planting things. There are a few things you should be aware of before you start raking up those piles of old leaves that you didn't quite get to last fall.

Rabbits, mice and sometimes squirrels find those piles of old leaves perfect places for making nests. Please check these piles before you remove them. You may be removing someone's home. Old woodpiles are also great places for wild mothers to hide their young. Depending on where you live, you may even find that a red fox has decided to have her family there.

The grass is finally starting to grow, even time to mow in some places. Be on the lookout for rabbit nests in the grass. The nest isn't usually very deep and can easily be mown over if you aren't careful. If this should happen and the nest isn't completely destroyed, you can put it back together and place the babies back in the nest--as long as they aren't injured. Also, watch for any ground-nesting birds.

If you have red squirrels in your neighborhood and you have stored things like golf bags in your garage, you may want to check them before taking them to the golf course for the first time. The little red squirrels can be very destructive and often will find your golf bag, duffel bag, etc. very attractive when it comes time to look for a good nesting area.

Before you do any trimming or pruning of bushes and trees, make sure you aren't trimming away someone's nest. Birds are very busy right now building their nests and preparing for this year's family. Squirrels will also build nests in trees. Usually using lots and lots of leaves and twigs. They will also use the cavities of dead trees as nest sites, as will a variety of cavity dwelling birds. The little squirrels in the picture above were rescued when the tree their nest was in was cut down. I was told that the mother was frantically running back and forth along the downed tree, unsure of how to help her babies.

So before you begin your spring clean-up, take a look around your backyard. You may be surprised at who you're sharing it with.

Duck, Duck, Goose

In light of recent discussions involving the waterfowl at Canyon Lake, I feel like I need to voice a concern about a part of the issue that has received very little attention. And that is the releasing of domestic ducks and geese at the lake.

Every year about this time we start receiving calls from concerned citizens regarding ducklings at the lake. Many of these calls involve domestic ducklings that have been released there. Sometimes it's the family dog that discovers a lone duckling and presents it to the caller. Sometimes it's about a duckling that has obviously been someone's pet and is following the caller all over the park. These ducklings are frequently purchased at farm supply stores. Sometimes they are meant to be Easter presents. Sometimes they are purchased with the full intent of raising them to a certain age and then releasing them at the lake so the family can go visit them there. And sometimes they are purchased on a whim with little or no thought given to how they will be cared for and what will be done with them when they are no longer cute and only 3 inches tall. People quickly learn that all they do is eat and poop and it doesn't take most folks long to grow tired of cleaning up after them. So, they are released at Canyon Lake where they just add to the ever-growing population of waterfowl.

It seems to me that you can't really discuss the whole feeding of the waterfowl issue without also discussing the release of domestic waterfowl at the lake. If people are going to be fined for feeding the ducks and geese then I think people need to also be fined for releasing ducks and geese. It's difficult to find homes for these guys which is another reason that I think people choose to let them go at Canyon Lake. Fortunately, the three domestic ducklings we have received from the lake so far this year have gone to a wonderful new home. The duckling shown above is one of those lucky ducks.

I do understand how tempting it is to purchase these little guys. Is there anything cuter than a baby chick or a duckling? Before you buy, think about it. Think about the fact that these guys require constant clean-up. They grow quickly. Do you have proper facilities to keep them in? Are you going to be able to care for them once they reach adulthood? And remember this. Just because they are ducks does not mean they will all get along. Ducks and geese can be very brutal and will often kill young ducklings that are not their own. They will often be very aggressive toward adult newcomers as well. So before you dispose of those ducklings at Canyon Lake, those ducklings that just don't seem to be as cute as they used to be, please give it some thought. Better yet, don't purchase them in the first place if you don't intend to keep them and care for them properly.

It's Bunny Season!

Bunny season has arrived. I have received five baby bunnies in the last three days. Last year I was bombarded with baby bunnies and I hope this year the rabbits are a little bit less prolific.

Please remember that not all bunnies need rescuing. If they are about 4 inches long (about fist-sized), ears standing up, eyes open, hopping around, they most likely don't need rescuing. Bunnies are out on their own at a very early age. It is normal for them to stay still and motionless when they are frightened so often times if you approach one it will stay in place. Many times people think this means they need to intervene and "rescue" the bunny.

Also, mother rabbits are not like mother cats or dogs. They do not stay in the nest with their young for very long. They visit the nest to feed their babies once or twice a day. So if you find a nest of bunnies but you don't see the mother, it does not mean that they have been abandoned. The absolute best thing you can do is to leave the nest alone and watch for the mother to return to feed her babies. If that is not possible, you can check the nest the next day to see if the young appear to have been fed.

The bunnies pictured above were from one nest. There were 10 of them. The mother had been killed. These little ones didn't have their eyes open yet so they were less than 10 days old. In this case human intervention was required if these little ones were to survive. Please remember that the best thing for these babies is that they be raised by their mother. It is impossible to duplicate what wild mothers do for their young and they don't always survive under our care. No matter how hard we try.

Turtle vs. ????

Today we received the first turtle of the year from the Humane Society. As you can see in the photo, he has a pretty significant injury to his shell. There is also an injury on his left side. These guys are amazingly resilient and though it will probably take several months, we expect a full recovery.

Each year we receive a number of injured turtles. Many times the injuries are so severe that they do not recover. Turtles are frequently run over by automobiles as they are crossing the road. They are also often mauled by dogs who view them as play objects. And still others are injured by other predators.

This guy is one of the lucky ones. But he is not out of the woods. Even though he is very active and energetic, we need to prevent infection and continue daily care of the wounds. He also must eat, something that wild creatures are often hesitant to do in captivity. But we are hopeful and will continue to do what we can for him. Check back for updates on his progress.

Update On Chance

Today I unwrapped Chance's wing. The wound has healed, new feathers are growing in and the broken bone is healing nicely. As soon as the weather warms up (and it stops snowing) I will move him into a small cage outside so he can exercise his wing a little bit. After a couple of weeks of that I'll move him into the big cage for a couple of weeks and then I'll release him. He is a fiesty guy and slaps my hand with his good wing every time I reach in to clean his carrier or give him food. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! Yes, he does that, too.

So, Chance will join the ranks of other pigeons and songbirds that have been released in my backyard. He will most likely fly up into the big maple tree without hesitation, without a glance back at the big cage, without so much as a "thank you". And that's okay. That's the way it should be. It will be a good release.

Chance

Well, we had a big spring blizzard this week. Monday we closed the clinic at noon so we could all get home before it really hit. I, like so many others, had to make a stop at the grocery store. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to cook a nice evening meal and not feel rushed. The store was busy with people making last minute selections, trying to beat the worst of the storm. I left the store, made it home, did my evening chores early and then got busy with the cooking. I was at the kitchen sink and happened to look out the window into the backyard. I noticed a pigeon waddling down the alley dragging a wing. He disappeared behind my big flight cage. I waited for him to reappear but he never did. I thought, "Okay, I have to go check on this guy. I won't be able to sleep unless I do." So I got all bundled up again and went out to look for the pigeon.

I found his tracks in the alley and followed them up into the little area by the garage where I park my jeep. They went around the garbage can, along the wood pile, up into the wood pile and then just disappeared. I looked up into the tree, knowing he most likely wasn't up there; his tracks had not only included foot prints, but also the track of the wing dragging in the snow. He couldn't have flown up into the tree with a broken wing. I happened to look to my left and there he was, sitting in the wood pile all fluffed up and cold and tired looking. I picked him up and took him into the house. I wrapped his broken wing, placed him in a carrier and waited to see if he would eat. At first he just seemed very tired and wasn't really too interested in eating. But by later that night he was eating. So, after 10 to 14 days I will unwrap his wing and put him in a larger carrier to exercise a little bit. Then he will go into the flight cage and will eventually be released.

What I find so interesting is the series of events that took place that led to the discovery of the injured pigeon. What if I had left the grocery store later? What if I hadn't stopped at the store at all? What if I hadn't been at the kitchen sink preparing dinner at that exact moment? And what made the pigeon stop at my house? Why didn't he continue on down the alley? How far had he walked? Is all of this just chance?

So, I named him Chance.

Flyaway

I am reading the most wonderful book. About a month ago I had an email from a wildlife rehabilitator in New York. She had found my name in the NWRA member directory. I don't know how she chose the people she contacted, but I am so happy she chose me. She has written a book and it was released earlier this month. It is titled "Flyaway: How a Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings." Reading this book is like reading about my life. So many things she writes about also happen here. I laugh out loud, I cry and I remember so many of the little wild creatures I have been fortunate enough to help.

It is so wonderful when you meet someone so much like yourself. We have begun an email friendship. How curious it is the way some things happen. I don't know how or why she chose me as one of her contacts but maybe our guardian angels knew we would enjoy each other's email company. Perhaps some day down the road the reason our paths crossed will be made known to both of us. Perhaps one day we will actually get to meet each other.

It is so nice to know that mine is not the only home where you may find various food items (like bugs) meant for the birds in your refrigerator, or the frozen rat (another menu item for the birds) thawing in the pan of warm water, or the gull or grebe or other waterfowl spending time in the bathtub. I frequently find myself just shaking my head and saying, "This is my life."

I would recommend this book to anyone who shares a love of the winged creatures. You will be entertained and may come away with a greater appreciation for them and for those who care for them.

I Am An Animal Rescuer

I received this wonderful poem from our receptionist, Madonna. Her daughter had sent it to her. I would like to share it here with all of you. This is for all of those who have ever taken the time out of their busy schedules to lend a helping hand to a fellow living creature in need. Whether it was to help a nestling bird who had fallen from the nest, to save a nest of baby bunnies at a construction site, or to give a home to a litter of orphaned kittens--you are an animal rescuer.


I Am An Animal Rescuer

My job is to assist God's creatures.
I was born with the drive to fulfill their needs.
I take in helpless, unwanted, homeless creatures
without planning or selection.
I have bought cat food with my last dime.
I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand.
I have hugged someone vicious and afraid.
I have fallen in love a thousand times.
And I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body
too many times to count.
I have Animal Friends and friends who have animal friends.
I don't often use the word "pet".
I notice those lost at the road side and my heart aches.
I will hand raise a field mouse
and make friends with a vulture.
I know of no creature unworthy of my time.
I want to live forever if there aren't animals in Heaven,
but I believe there are.
Why would God make something so perfect
and leave it behind?
Some may think we are masters of the animals,
but the animals have mastered themselves...
something people still haven't learned.
War and abuse make me hurt for the world,
but a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind.
We are a quiet but determined army
and we are making a difference every day.
There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan,
nothing more rewarding than saving a life,
no higher recognition than watching them thrive.
There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play
who, only days ago, was too weak to eat.
By the love of those who I've been privileged to rescue,
I have been rescued.
I know what true unconditional love really is,
for I've seen it shining in the eyes of so many,
so grateful for so little.
I am an Animal Rescuer.
My work is never done.
My home is never quiet.
My wallet is always empty,
but my heart is always full.

Where it Begins

Now 70 more horses have been rescued from a barren pasture on reservation land. The article stated that conditions were so bad that all they had to eat was their own manure. I've been reading the comments in the RC Journal that people have posted online regarding these two stories. A good number of those commenting feel that the reason this type of thing happens is because people no longer have the option of taking their unwanted horses to slaughter. A few people commented on the stallion being adopted to a family who plans to use him for breeding purposes. And a few people commented on the REAL problem, where it all begins. THE CONTINUOUS, IRRESPONSIBLE BREEDING OF HORSES. Two comments stand out in my mind. One from "Horsewoman in IL" and one from "gentlereins". Gentlereins makes the comparison to a manufacturing plant. If you are producing a product that no one is buying do you continue to produce that product?

Those in favor of the slaughter houses opening back up blame Congress, PETA, animal activists for the overabundance of horses. They don't seem to place any of the responsibility on those individuals breeding all of these horses that no one is buying. The truth is that years ago when slaughter houses were still in operation the problems of abuse and neglect were still present. There were still cases like these two most recent ones. But now that the slaughter houses have been closed it's easier to place the blame on the parties responsible for their closure rather than where it really belongs--THE IRRESPONSIBLE BREEDERS.

We have humane societies and animal shelters available to absorb the overflow of puppies, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, rats, etc. Some are equipped to care for horses as well. Many of these animals are the result of people not spaying or neutering their pets and then allowing them to reproduce. Again IRRESPONSIBLE BREEDING. Many of them are the result of puppy and kitten mills. Again IRRESPONSIBLE BREEDING AND HUMAN GREED. The solution to these problems? Do not allow your pets to reproduce. It's your responsibility. Why do people see it any differently for horse owners?

There is a wonderful quote by Gandhi:"THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND ITS MORAL PROGRESS CAN BE JUDGED BY THE WAY ITS ANIMALS ARE TREATED."

I think it's great the way people came forward, let their compassionate spirits soar and made homes for the horses surrendered to the local humane society. But if you look at the big picture. If you think about all the puppy mills, kitten mills, backyard breeders, animals kept in barren enclosures trying to scrape a life out of the dry soil, animals that are literally bones with skin covering them, how do you honestly think our nation would be judged? Would our good deeds and acts of kindness outweigh the bad? Think about it.

Things to Ponder

So, eighteen horses were recently surrendered to the Humane Society by a man who, by his own admission, could not physically or financially care for them any longer. An article in today's paper said that 16 of the 18 had already been adopted. The remaining yearling filly and an 18 year old stallion are in a foster home. The family that adopted the other stallion thought he would "make a nice addition to their herd". They are hoping he will produce offspring that will be more compact. My first question is this--Why was he not gelded before he was adopted out? Had these been dogs or cats they all would have been spayed or neutered prior to going to their new homes. Seems to me that the responsible thing would have been to geld him or to at least have a no breeding agreement in the adoption contract to help prevent more horses from being produced. I believe the HSUS has a no breeding agreement as part of their standards. My next question is this--What kind of requirements did these adoptive families have to meet in order to qualify as an adoptive family? Did they have to meet certain standards as far as housing? shelter from nasty weather? proper feed? vet care? What requirements had to be met in order to ensure that these horses went to loving homes where they will never be cold, hungry, neglected? The two young men who arrived to pick up the adopted stallion had to bring along another guy because they have trouble loading horses. What?? Why do they think that breeding more horses is a good idea if they aren't capable of doing something as basic as loading them into trailers? Are they lacking in other areas of horse handling abilities? I know that even the most skilled horseman/horsewoman can have trouble loading a horse that doesn't want to load. But it just makes a person wonder. And what about the man who was responsible for the horses in the first place? Sure, he surrendered them of his own accord. But some of them were thin and under nourished. Some had injuries. What part of all this was he held responsible for? Just makes me wonder. And if people don't wonder about things, don't question things, nothing will ever change. Don't get me wrong. I think it is wonderful that people stepped up to help these horses and I really hope they all went to homes where they will be loved and never be hungry again. That they will be warm on these sub-zero nights and that they will have shelter from the sun on days when the thermometer reads 100+. But, this is just one story. This type of situation is happening more and more. Breeding more horses is not going to help the problem. There is a quote that goes something like this-'We are responsible for that which we have tamed.' Some horse breeding facilities are no different from the puppy mills we hear about. But, unfortunately, horses do not receive the same protection (in our state anyway) that other companion animals receive. These beautiful, proud creatures deserve better. It's time to take responsibility "for that which we have tamed". Just some things to ponder.