Poor fox kit Todd has been through a lot, although you can barely tell by looking at his stitches. Commuters Heather and her fiance James witnessed Todd get hit by a car in Wheatridge. Although the car that hit him didn’t stop, Heather did and James picked him up, even though he was flea-infested and injured. Heather and James started calling for help around 10:30 pm that night and finally got in touch with EWRC rehabber Kris. The only vet clinic who was open was Animal ER of Littleton, who agreed to provide emergency care. Heather drove almost an hour-and-a-half from Wheatridge to Littleton to ensure he got care that night. Dr. E. took x-rays, and she determined he had head trama and a pretty severely broken leg. He was transferred to Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Littleton the following morning. Deer Creek orthopedic specialist Dr. Dan Brod decided to perform surgery to repair the leg. The surgery took almost 5 hours and was quite complicated; we hope the leg heals successfully. Again we give sincere thanks to concerned citizens like Heather and James, and to caring and competent veterinarians who work hard and donate their time and services to wildlife, like Dr. E. and Dr. Brod. Wildlife rehab is truly a community effort!
Fox kits of various ages and sizes have been coming here to rehab over the past few weeks, from as far away as Boulder. Mothers and kits alike are having accidents. Here they will be properly cared for, sociazlized, and prepared for success upon release back to the wild in several weeks’ or months’ time.
It costs approximately $8 per day to feed one of these foxes and we are currently caring for many. As we are funded by nobody, we appreciate your kind donations to help with their feeding and care.
Bobby the red-tailed hawk was found under some power lines at Fort Carson. This situation will be very touch-and-go, as the bird is not in good body condition and has suffered obvious injuries. Please wish him well!
Good thing Kim, who was at work at Schriever AFB late Sunday afternoon, noticed this young male great horned owl, who apparently had smacked into some glass windows, suffering a pretty major head trauma. Kim’s son chose a name for the owl-Ace. The bird is blind, and we hope this is only temporary. Thank you to volunteers Phil and Cheryl, who went and picked up the owl, and brought him to rehab.
Look at Scooter! Standing up on his own 2 feet, flying and landing, making progress!
It’s been a busy intake time, and baby season’s not even here! The weather has been decent but the critters are still running into problems. On a good note, Scooter red-tailed hawk is making good, steady progress and has graduated to an outdoor flight; quite a big deal for a bird that came without use of his legs!
Released March 10 at Fountain Creek Nature Center.
Redhead duck pitter-pattered across the surface of the water at Fountain Creek Nature Center before being joined by a group of mallards. We hiked up to the observation tower and looked through the viewer, and watched the happy duck splash and swim contentedly for quite some time before moving out of sight.
Phil releases the duck into the water.
The other day Susan’s kids were outside playing in her central Colorado Springs back yard when they noticed the dog was chewing on something. Upon closer inspection they noticed it was a duck. They went in and got Susan, who picked up the bird and noticed a bloody wing and LOTS of bugs. She eventually came into contact with Animal Emergency Care Center South, where she brought the duck for treatment. A thorough exam revealed no fractures; just a wing bite from the dog and LOTS of bugs. Volunteer Tom picked up the redhead duck to come to EWRC for rehab. My guess is that redhead duck became very tired while on his way to where he wanted to be, and just landed where he could. Redhead duck was treated for stress, (thank you Alison,) and bugs, the wing bite doesn’t seem too major, and we hope for a speedy recovery and release.
Coco and Chica were abandoned after Easter; Chica to the Humane Society and Coco left all alone to wander the neighborhood before being attacked by a raccoon, leaving her partially paralyzed.
Like so many hundreds of others each year, these babies were dumped at a local park after Easter, left totally unprepared to fend for themselves. They were ultimately picked up after chasing people around, begging for food.
Personally, I feel that at Easter time baby bunnies, ducklings, and chicks should be hidden in basements at the retailers rather than offered up in cardboard boxes at the cash register for impulse buyers like the living, breathing sacrifices they are, with the downy fluff of chicks sometimes dyed ridiculous colors to attract buyers.
Easter is coming, and I think we can all agree there’s nothing cuter than a downy chick or a fluffy little bunny. These critters can be found just about everywhere this time of year and it’s hard to resist the appeal of one of these babies, so people often pick them up as an impulse Easter gift. However, in my experience, after several hours or days the reality sets in that these animals require lots of care and aren’t as interactive as many other types of animals can be. Chicks and ducklings have special heat and food, not to mention socialization needs. Ducklings dropped into a tub of water are likely to either drown or freeze to death, as downy feathers aren’t properly oiled. and water- and weather-proofed yet. A rabbit confined in a hutch for the rest of its life, I think, is a very sad bunny. Bunnies need space to run, jump, and play. Rabbits are sensitive, inquisitive, interactive creatures that make wonderful pets, given the time, space, understanding of physical needs and maintenance, and supervision they need, as rabbits have a need to chew constantly to keep their teeth trimmed and healthy and therefore will chew on anything and everything, and not necessarily the chew toys you provide for them. I question the quality of life of a rabbit kept in a small hutch outside in the yard, victim of weather, predators, and loneliness. Another thing to keep in mind is veterinary care. Does your vet treat rabbits? Is your vet experienced in rabbit care, anesthesia, and spay/neuter of rabbits? Is the pet recipient allergic to birds and/or bunnies? Shortly after Easter my phone starts to ring with calls from people that no longer wish to keep these animals. The kids have long since tired of the animals and the adults are relegated to cleaning up after them. Often these unprepared babies are dumped at local parks to fend for themselves. People will call us wanting to know if we’ll keep their now unwanted pets. Ours is a wildlife care facility and we don’t take unwanted pets. I’ve come home from work and found cardboard boxes on the porch; God only knows how long they’ve been sitting there in the heat, with live animals in them that people will just leave here. Other times these animals will be dumped in a park someplace, having no survival skills whatsoever, or taken to the shelter once the initial appeal wears off. So we ask you, please REALLY stop and think before bringing one of these critters home. Think of a pet as a lifelong commitment, not a disposable commodity. Perhaps a plush stuffed animal is a better choice for everyone?
The cottontails outside are busily preparing for babies!
Today we get to enjoy a 1-day “miracle;” temperatures up to 60 degrees! It’s been a long arctic-feeling winter. A day like today means the EWRC outdoor water pumps are thawed out, allowing us to catch up on cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. Chipping ice out of water dishes and hauling water from the house is no fun at all. Max, Buddy, and Daffy’s pool has been frozen solid and welded to the ground by ice. Today I rolled the ice out, like a great big yukky donut, and cleaned and filled the pool-several times! The birds are enjoying water sports and splash all the water out. I see the first robin of spring today. Laurie in Falcon says she saw her first bluebird just the other day. The sparrows are flying grass and other nest-building items about. I know that soon the 3 downy woodpeckers and chickadees that spend the winters here will be moving on. The great-horned owls are making a commotion each evening. Soon the Swainson’s hawks will make an incredibly long journey back from Argentina, their wintering grounds, and I’ll look for them up on the utility poles, ready to release some that I’ve wintered over. We received our first baby squirrel call of the season last week. Alas, tomorrow is expected to be cold and snowy again. We must enjoy the sunshine and warmth while we can. But I do believe Spring is on its way!
Update 03/30-Scooter has graduated to an outdoor flight enclosure! Although his legs are a little bit wobbly still, Scooter is making good progress. He is flying and landing, and enjoying being outside.
Update 02/28-the hawk can now get himself up and vertical, is able to take 2 or 3 steps. That’s progress!
Currently the hawk is unable to feed himself but seems to be getting a little stronger each day.
A few days ago Carolyn and Rusty from Colorado Springs came home to find a young red-tailed hawk sitting in a snow bank in their yard near Woodmen Road. They glanced up and saw a hawk-sized smudge on the window up above and it was pretty clear what had happened. They carefully picked up the bird and called for help. Volunteer Chuck took him to the emergency vet clinic, where Dr. Arviso did some imaging studies and determined there were no broken bones. She treated the bird medically, then the next morning volunteer Dave took the bird over to Belcrest Animal Clinic, where Dr. Eggleston did some more treatment. Volunteer Louise picked up the bird from Dave, then the bird came to EWRC. We’re not sure how he’s going to do, since he is partially paralyzed. He is processing food and fluids, and today we got a pellet! Let’s wish this dark hawk the best.
We are currently working on updating our web site to reflect changes in EWRC educational programs. In addition to working on the expansion of wildlife edu programs, we’re also working on a web page for kids; a page we hope will be fun and educational at the same time. Currently Volunteer Match volunteers are building Power Points geared to the younger aged kids. As always, we’re learning, too, and we welcome input from educators, parents, kids, and others! Please visit the Education page on our website to learn how to book a program.
Educational Programs with Native Colorado Birds of Prey
Program Topics
- What Is Wildlife Rehab? An introduction to the work we do at EWRC.
- What to do if I Find a Baby Bird or Mammal? Do you know what to do if the child/pet/car has a wildlife encounter?
- Raptor Adaptations. What physical characteristics enable birds of prey to be successful in the wild?
- Colorado Owls. Meet an interesting variety of owls native to our area.
- Creatures of the Night. Do you know what creatures are lurking about your neighborhood while you’re sleeping? What are they and why are they beneficial?
- Feathers and Fur. General discussion of predatory birds and mammals. Program presented with Indigo Mountain Nature Center, live raptor and live mammal. Program fees double.
- Balance of Nature (for ages 12 through adult.) Overview of balance of nature and ecosystem, with Indigo Mountain Nature Center. Live raptor and live mammal. Program fees double.
These programs typically begin with a Power Point presentation. Please let us know if Power Point is appropriate for your group. Please let us know if you provide the laptop and projector or if you need help with that.
We are committed to bringing quality educational programs to our communities. Please let us know if you would like us to build a program around another topic or group; with enough notice, we’d be happy to do so.
Programs of 30-45 minutes consisting of 50 or fewer audience members are $75 for approximately 30-45 minutes. Programs with audiences of greater than 50 participants are $100. There is an additional $25 fee for programs after 5 p.m. and an additional $25 fee for programs outside of Colorado Springs. Please write or e-mail us for details on where we are able to conduct programs. Please remember that audiences must remain seated and quiet or the birds cannot come out.
Remember the EWRC Scholarship Program. If your organization budget doesn’t accommodate programs, please send us a letter via e-mail or snail mail detailing a range of dates and the type of program you’re interested in, along with your request for the Scholarship Program.
Meet the EWRC Educational Ambassadors
Hootie, Great Horned Owl.
Handsome, American Kestrel.
Apache, Red-Tailed Hawk.
Nadine, Northern Saw-Whet Owl.
Nate, Red-Tailed Hawk.
Coming soon: Kickstand the Great-Horned Owl.
Remember, all program requests MUST be made in writing and no program is booked until you have received the Program Confirmation form.
Although we do our best to bring the bird you request, we make no guarantees, due to time of year and disposition of the birds.
Science teacher Diana Biggs is subpermitteed to handle the birds, including Handsome the American Kestrel, and reviews the falcon’s physical characteristics.
Red-Tailed hawk Nate was on his very best behavior during the programs.
Yesterday was a big day for Hootie, Handsome, and Nate. We visited with over 100 students during several sessions at the middle school to talk about what physical characteristics make raptors successful in the wild, as well as how these birds benefit the environment. The students were very sharp and already knew quite a bit about birds of prey. Several of the students had already dissected owl pellets and were familiar with natural diet, hunting “tools” of the birds, etc.
Meagan and several neighbors observed this Canada goose sitting at the roadside in Peyton for several days. The bird didn’t appear to be injured; just didn’t seem inclined to go anywhere. Finally one day Meagan couldn’t stand it anymore, concerned for the goose’s safety because of coyotes during the nighttime and free-roaming dogs during the daytime, not to mention traffic. She was able to easily coax the goose into a large kennel. The goose appears to be pretty healthy and not at all tame, so we’re not exactly sure what to make of his situation. Currently he’s enjoying quality time outside in a large enclosure, eating goose food and taking baths. We’ll release him with other geese when he’s ready to go.
This is Carlos’ Great Horned Owl. Carlos and a co-worker were working outside at Falcon High School when they saw this unfortunate bird out during daylight hours (to be expected-it’s GHO breeding season!) and the owl was being mobbed by smaller birds (also to be expected.) The owl appeared to have grabbed at a bird, tried to fly to the light pole, missed, and collided with the side of the school on his way down, damaging his cere and abrading his wings. Hooter can’t maintain a standing position for more than a few minutes but can finally feed himself. Keep your fingers crossed for a successful rehab and release back to the high school! Thank you to Carlos for taking the time to help.
Mike K. is a very dedicated and long-standing volunteer of the DOW. Yesterday morning he was out walking his dogs in Monument and found this feisty long-eared owl sitting calmly on the path. Mike went home to put the dogs away, find a container for the bird, and he and Kelly picked the bird up and drove to Colorado Springs to volunteer Diana, who cared for the bird until volunteer Cheryl picked him up to bring to Ellicott. You see, it really does take a community and a lot of dedicated people to help each and every one of these critters. This owl seems to have suffered some soft tissue damage to his wing, so wish him luck and speedy healing!
We’re on day 2 of the New Year and it’s been pretty busy around here. Bad weather creates problems for any variety of critters and hopefully the (semi) warm weather we’re expecting the next few days will give everyone some relief!
(Sorry about the eyes!) Jeromy had to go and release a fox from a fence. The fox was caught by the leg between fence planks. Fox is looking good, other than a leg laceration, and will be released very soon.
Becky’s teal was released back to Memorial Park by volunteer Diana. There was a very happy teal reunion!
Melissa found this little horned lark with a broken wing. We’ll see how that heals.
I’ve published another book due to the frequency of phone calls here from people interested in becoming licensed wildlife rehabbers. This is a very subjective view-just my experience-and I hope it will help potential rehabbers understand what we do and make the decision of whether or not this kind of work is what they want to do, as well as how home-based wildlife rehab impacts rehabber quality of life. Available at Barnes & Noble, iUniverse, and Amazon.
We’ve been keeping pretty busy around here, with more intakes and more releases, and yep, the year-end paperwork is about to begin! Thank you to all of you that have helped make the year 2007 a year of growth and success!
The great-horned owls enjoy some shade created by the snow.
Nate and Apache can still see outside, since the snow is stuck on top.
Gone are the balmy days of sunshine and temps in the 70s of the last few weeks! The dusting of snow gives us a little bit of much-needed moisture and changes the dry, brown landscape to white and glittery, just in time for the holidays! The ski resorts are finally getting snow (2 feet of it yesterday!) With more snow coming tomorrow, we might just have to postpone some releases that were scheduled for tomorrow. But this is Colorado so who knows? We might have that balmy weather back by the end of the week!
Update 11/28. Grebe seems healthy and waterproof, enjoying fish, clams, and other grebe food, and Amy and Brian from AFA released the grebe today, on a pond at the Air Force Academy.
Amy shares her picture of the grebe’s happy release.
Amy found a pied billed grebe in an odd spot on the Air Force Academy grounds; sitting on the Santa Fe Trail. She picked the bird up and took it to a veterinarian in Monument, then called Academy wildlife officer, Brian. Brian determined the grebe needed some time and assessment, so Amy took the grebe to Dr. Eggleston, who determined the bird was in good condition and needed just a little bit of rest. The bird came here via volunteer Diana, and indeed is a very spunky water bird who appears to be in good condition.
Catherine found a poor, injured woodpecker in her window well. The bird had been attacked by a cat and had suffered a wing fracture. Dr. Germeroth does an excellent job with broken bones in birds, and knew exactly what to do. She performed a very delicate surgery with pinning on a fragile wing. The flicker came here via volunteer Alison. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for these birds’ success!
Released 12/17/2007.
Update 11/29/2007-Grill is feeling much better and is able to feed herself fabulously! So today she was moved to an outdoor enclosure where we will monitor her progress to ensure that she continues to do well.
I can only imagine what went through veterinarian Dr. Arviso’s mind Saturday night when she had a most unusual request at Animal Emergency Care Center North. A man came into the clinic and said he needed some help outside. When Dr. Arviso and AECCN staff went outside, they just couldn’t have been prepared for the sight that awaited them-an owl plastered across the front of a car grill, head-first. You see, Johnathan had been driving on I-25 when the large bird swooped down and smacked into the front of his car. John pulled over and found the owl had hit with so much force that her head had actually gone through the grill, as had her wings. We’ve had to peel birds off of grills before and usually they’re DOA and if not, have sustained such severe injuries they’ve had to be put down to put them out of their pain. Well, Johnathan called the Colorado Springs Police Department, who referred him to the Division of Wildlife, who referred him to the AECCN. When Dr. Arviso came outside she had a big unpleasant task ahead of her; gently and very, very carefully extracting the bird’s head and wings from the car grill. She accomplished this and amazingly, the bird appeared to have suffered no bone fractures and wasn’t exhibiting the telltale signs of internal bleeding. She treated the owl for pain and then placed her in a dark, quiet holding room so the bird could de-stress. Upon shift change, when Dr. Sides came in, she checked in on the bird to find it standing up and full of attitude! Volunteer Diana picked the owl up for transport here to begin the process of rehab. The owl has obviously sustained a pretty major head trauma and we’ll have to wait and see how she does. Once again, I just have to mention how grateful we are for the caring doctors and staff, and the excellent care given by the Animal Emergency Care Centers to treat wildlife by donating their time and services. We appreciate you!
Former Littleton wildlife rehabber Peggy found herself with this unusual waterbird found in Bailey, finding out it is an Ancient Murrelet. This poor, skinny seabird is on the wrong side of the mountains, belonging on the west coast, where he will go shortly, thanks to a donated airplane ticket to get him there!
This cottontail came all the way from Ridgeway, then to Kathy in Larkspur, and now here, where she is ready for release!
This little chickadee came from Castle Pines, where distraught homeowners gently removed him from a glue trap on the roof of their home. They were very, very unhappy with the advice they were given to place those glue traps, not having been informed of how devastating they can be to birds. This bird was very carefully cared for by the homeowners, and then Kris, who carefully cleaned and trimmed the sticky feathers.
This is the time of year when we rehabbers start looking forward to a little bit of a break from animal care. Now that busy baby season is over we try to get caught up with other things, like paperwork, phone calls, cage maintenance, and other chores. This time last year we’d already survived blizzards. Because of the wild weather last fall and winter we never had a break, because the weather created problems for the wildlife. This fall, although it is sunny and 70s, we’re still not getting any kind of a break. More animals are coming almost every day, and releases are happening almost daily for us as well. So here we are again, wondering when we’re going to get all caught up!
The coyote appeared to have given up on life, lying exposed by the fence.
Phil picked her up and placed her in the kennel.
Dr. Sides gives Scout a very gentle yet detailed exam.
Now she gets x-rays, where a pelvic fracture is found.
Krista prepares the coyote for her IV and then de-louses her before sending her back to rehab.
Update 12/23/2007. Release day for Scout! Volunteer Cheryl took her back to the ranch where Jennifer and family were waiting, then drove to the bluffs, set the kennel down and after a few moments’ hesitation, out bounced Scout, free again!
Update 11/10/2007. Scout appears to be doing okay so far. She has dug every inch of dirt in her enclosure and has rearranged her furniture in there as well as has dismantled her logs. She’s eating well-thank you, Phil and Cheryl C., and Tom O. for the food-and we’ll keep you posted of her progress. PS Cindy-no, she isn’t ferocious or trying to attack us! Maybe it’s luck or the fact they always come to rehab in such bad shape, but I’ve never, ever, ever had an aggressive coyote in rehab. They always do their best to avoid us people while they’re here.
Late yesterday afternoon Ellicott resident Jennifer heard her dogs making a commotion outside. She went to the back door to check and saw a coyote drinking out of the dogs’ water dish. Jennifer has grown up on a ranch and knows to be wary of coyotes, and wondered if she needed to do anything other than observe the animal. She watched as the coyote drank alot of water and expected it to head back toward the bluffs behind the ranch. But instead the animal crawled under the fence, curled up into a ball, and went to sleep. Jennifer knows this isn’t the behavior of a healthy coyote and came inside to call us, knowing we help wild animals because she used to volunteer here. We drove to Jennifer’s and found what she had observed-a coyote curled up by her fence, seemingly oblivious to us and everything else. This isn’t a good sign as it appeared the animal had simply given up. Phil picked up the coyote and placed her in a kennel, then we came home to call the vet and make sure she had time to see the animal, as the vet clinic is a very busy place in the evening. Krista let us know they had time to see her, so into town we went. We arrived at Animal Emergency Care Center South, where Dr. Sides, Beth, and Krista gave the coyote the VIP (Very Injured Predator) treatment. Dr. Sides gave the critter a very gentle yet thorough exam and was concerned that although the coyote could stand, she was knuckling; usually a sign of spinal trauma. So the ladies brought the coyote over to the x-ray area, where they gave her a very complete and detailed set of spinal and pelvic x-rays. They found the problem on x-ray; the coyote had suffered a fractured pelvis. Usually a pelvic fracture in these animals happens after getting hit by a car and almost always the pelvis is completely shattered, and the animal is put down. However, in Scout’s case, the pelvis wasn’t shattered and there wasn’t any joint involvement, and her birthing canal didn’t appear affected-something that must be taken into consideration in a young female. So Dr. Sides decided Scout coyote should come here to rehab and be on rest for several weeks to allow that fracture to heal, and we will see how she does. After the x-rays, the ladies treated the coyote for pain, gave her fluid therapy, and then took care of her fleas. As always, the veterinarian and staff at the Animal Emergency Care Center South gave fantastic care in their donation of time and services, and we appreciate them!
Update 11/08. The divider is mostly down now so the owls are flying the full 100-foot length. The expansion part is almost done now, except for the “furniture” and dividing door need to be built. Then phase 2-the plumbing for the misting system-will begin, hopefully in the next few weeks, if the weather stays warm.
We’re very fortunate to have these mild fall days so we can keep working on the expansion project. The metal support beam is in both sections of the cage, the floors, sides, bottom, and top are secured, the plywood is up, and the door is on. Next we’ll be working on (any Scouts need a project?) building the perches, platforms, and ladders for the enclosure. Hopefully next workday we can take that wall out that currently divides the structure in half, and then the entire enclosure will be open it’s entire 100-foot length! We’re working on the divider doors that will allow the enclosure to be either two 50-foot enclosures or one 100-foot enclosure, depending on who’s in there at any given time. With weather allowing we hope to install the plumbing soon as well.
The gull looked a lot different at release than when he came to rehab after blowing around a Rush field like a tumbleweed! The soft tissue wing injury healed just fine and Sabin became very active, very noisy, and flying beautifully in an outdoor flight. Apparently these birds have been found in Colorado from time to time over the last few years. Thanks to help from Gail, the DOW, and the CoBirds people, we learned where to find these gulls in our state this time of year, on their migration route. So yesterday Phil took the bird out there for release. Sabin’s gull stepped out of his kennel on little webby feet, did a stretch routine, zipped along the water’s edge for a few minutes, and then into the shallows for a while before heading out to deeper waters, where Phil watched him splash and swim until leaving for work.
Last evening we took Hootie over to the Renaissance Academy for a wonderful evening of fun! The theme for the event was Harry Potter and the Academy was decorated to the hilt, upon entering the front door and thru’ the halls as well. Most everyone was dressed up and festitivy was in the air. Some of the classrooms were set up as teaching “dungeons.” Lauren and everybody had done a great job planning and decorating, and the evening was just plain fun! As the classroom groups came into our Owlery Dungeon we talked about adaptations that make Great Horned Owls successful in the wild and we talked about why they’re beneficial, how they improve our quality of life. We talked about other kinds of Colorado owls and answered questions from the audiences. We shared stories with the youngsters about their own owl and wildlife experiences as well. Hootie held up pretty well for the long program and the big audiences.