This youngster and her brother survived the Windsor tornado and are doing very well, will be released back home when they’re fully grown and prepared to live back in the wild. Update-released back home!
Toto came as a one-pounder, having been found lying in a ditch up north of Denver, dehydrated, emaciated, covered in fleas, and was not expected to survive the transport, which he did. Toto required critical care and was pretty iffy for several days. I’m happy to report that although Toto is under-sized for his age, I suspect having missed a few meals, he is eating well and I think he’s going to make it! Update-Toto grew nicely and was released!
Can you identify this baby? I bet not! Clue: It’s a bird.
Now do you recognize the baby?
Little Wally screech owl was found sitting in the middle of the road at Palmer Park in the early evening hours by Allen and his family. They picked up the bird and called for help. Wally arrived cold, skinny, lethargic, and weak, with problems. Wally is improving a little bit day by day and we wish him a speedy and successful rehab!
I think it’s safe to say we’ve hit peak baby wildlife season! With babies arriving daily, it’s a bit of a challenge keeping up, what with working regular full-time jobs as well as caring for the many critters that continue to need help. Resources are very limited so we ask again that when bringing animals to rehab or dropping off at the vet, please remember to leave a donation if you can to help care for these animals. Without donations we have to stop accepting critters into rehab. Donations can be cash or check, Paypal via our web site, paper towels, bird seed, fresh produce items, chicken meat, and more as per our wish list at http://www.ellicottwildlife.com/
When the vet called asking me to pick up a couple of baby birds, I was figuring finches. I was pretty surprised when Diana showed up with 3 baby woodpeckers, I’m guessing downies. Apparently somebody cut down a tree in their yard and out fell the babies. This is the reason why we recommend trimming trees either in early spring or late fall, before or after the babies. The woodpeckers are very noisy and rambunctious, and I’m hoping will do well in rehab until ready to be released.
Karen shares the pictures she took of the newborn with the zoom from her camera. This is the baby’s face.
Another of Karen’s pictures of the baby. She was amazed at how small they are when babies.
Karen called me the other day for advice. She was driving home when she spotted a pronghorn in the ditch very near the road. Concerned, she slowly drove closer to see if there was a problem when to her surprise she saw the pronghorn appeared to have just delivered a baby. The mother nuzzled her baby for a few minutes and then ran off. Karen thought the mother had just abandoned the baby and was concerned because the baby was all alone in the ditch and it would be dark soon. Karen did EXACTLY the right things-she didn’t approach the baby at all and stayed a good distance away while using her cell phone to find help, wondering if the baby needed to be picked up and brought somewhere-NO!!! I explained to Karen about the mother’s having a scent and the babies not having a scent, and therefore the mother will remain nearby and watch her baby but not stay too close, which might attract a predator to her baby. We talked about how very soon the mother would come and move her baby, and how the ditch is a safe place for the baby temporarily. I told Karen if she wanted to she could drive by the next day and probably the baby would be gone, which is exactly what happened.
Karen did what everyone who finds a baby should do-she left it alone, didn’t approach it or carry it away, and called for help. This time of year people will begin finding fawns in their yards, on their porches, and places where in their minds baby deer shouldn’t be. However, the mother places her fawns in places that SHE thinks are ideal, and she comes back to care for them, and when they’re ready to move she’ll relocate them. Please leave these babies ALONE. An orphaned fawn will be up and walking around, calling for its mother. Possessing wildlife without permits is illegal, and this goes for the baby bunny the cat brought in to the baby bird out of the nest in the yard to the fawn near the road. If you want to help these babies, keep the dogs and people away from the baby and let the natural process happen. If you have a truly orphaned baby, please call for help. Big game rehabbers are very few and far between, and fawns can’t be moved all over the State for care. If you see someone harassing the babies, or any wildife, please call us or call the Division of Wildlife at 719-227-5200.
A couple of nights ago lightning strikes caused several small grass fires in our area that were quickly doused by the fire departments. We are so fortunate to have such quick responses from the volunteer and other fire departments in our areas. The next morning Patricia walked outside to survey the scorch in her pasture and found a coyote pup out in the burn area, all alone. She picked him up and brought him in, offered water for the parched pup, and called us for help. She named her pup Wiley and sent here for rehab. Currently Wiley is outside, in seemingly decent health, sharing a large enclosure with the other pups. The pups, when grown, properly socialized to coyotes and behaving like coyotes, and finding appropriate natural coyote food, will be released in early fall.
Corinne, Bill, and Phil place the ceiling support poles.
Su, Tyler, and Ray cut poles in preparation for placement.
Diana, Gina, Corinne, and Michelle discuss the project while German Shepherd Archie supervises.
Michelle, Mike, Ray, and Tyler drill the poles and place the screws for support.
Yesterday we got an early start to build a cage with panels donated by ACE Hardware Astrozon. Within no time at all it was scorching and we had to call it a day. We got the hard part done-thank you to the hard-working volunteers who drove all the way out to work-and we’ll continue working on it until finished, but in the evenings when it’s cooler!