This rufous hummingbird was driven all the way from Granby to the vet in Colorado Springs because of an injured wing. The little bird hit the window pretty hard, so Rita and her husband drove him to the vet for treatment from over 150 miles away! His demeanor is pretty mellow and low-key for a rufous (probably because he gets the food all to himself!) Wish the little hummer speedy healing!
Baby killdeer are very, very fragile and quite a challenge in rehab.
Western Bluebird (thanks, Gail!)
We are in the peak of baby season at EWRC! Babies are arriving from everywhere around the State; babies that are injured and orphaned, as well as the usual number of injured and sick adults. Ducklings, killdeer, bluebirds, jays, meadowlarks, hawks, falcons, cottontails, jackrabbits, and a variety of migratory birds are coming to rehab every day.
When Ellicott Springs resident Danny found this baby barn owl in the middle of the road in Ellicott, he knew the baby needed help right away. Since there was no outbuilding or likely nest spot nearby, we can only guess the owl was an unwitting stowaway on farm equipment or some other moving vehicle, probably having fallen off and into the road. The baby is healthy and so typically of barn owls, he is exceedingly vocal and LOUD, and a great consumer of several mice each night! Since we currently have no other barn owls at EWRC he will soon be joining a couple of other baby barn owls at the Raptor Center of Pueblo, since the best situation for him is to be with others just like him.
Released by volunteer Tammy, back to home, where he was immediately joined by 3 other prairie falcons; we like to think his mate and his 2 youngsters?
Lydia found this unfortunate prairie falcon in her barn a few days ago. She thought he got himself accidentally trapped in there and moved him outside, where he proceeded to toodle over to the side of the barn and just sit. Night was falling and Lydia knew that a grounded bird would have big problems during the night, so she called us and brought the bird to EWRC for rehab. The falcon has suffered a fracture of the wing, which isn’t new, and has already begun to callus. We’ll see how it goes.
Elliott was enjoying the early evening at Schook Park in Colorado Springs over the 4th of July weekend. He was surprised to find a large, fluffy, blue-eyed baby underneath a very tall tree, apparently having fallen out of its nest. Elliott made the bird comfortable and proceeded to call for help. Volunteer Ray went and picked up the baby to bring for rehab. The young Cooper’s hawk seems so far to have suffered no ill effects from his accident.
This young eagle had a very serious run-in with a fence.
Christy’s blue jay squeezes into Darren’s blue jay’s nest with Darren’s jay for comfort.
Phil and Phil replace the twisted, warped wooden beam with a new steel support beam.
DOW volunteer Rose and DOW intern Michele volunteered cleaning cages and re-doing Nadine saw whet owl’s quarters.
Uh-oh, deja vu!! This youngster was observed by several people sitting on the Pine Creek Golf Course for about 2 days, not moving and not being tended to by the parents. The bird was in bad shape, and the Connors took him to Animal Emergency Care Center North, where Dr. Long administered fluid rehydration therapy. The bird is perking up, eating and processing appropriate hawk food, and let’s wish him a speedy recovery. Remember, last summer the 3 baby red-tails came to rehab from Pine Creek and were released back home in September.
Britney found this young American kestrel sitting alone on the grass where she works. The skinny little falcon is full of spirit!
Baby season is here, rehabbers are tired and cranky, and we ask once again that you PLEASE don’t be a baby-napper! Just because you can pick up an animal doesn’t mean that you should. Birds with short to no tails found hopping on the ground are fledglings, being cared for by their parents. These babies should absolutely not be picked up unless they’re injured or in the street, or other dangerous situations. Fawns should never, ever, EVER be picked up unless you see a dead mother deer or an obvious injury. Picking up fawns almost always ends badly for them, so if you care LEAVE IT THERE!! Also, as we rehabbers in Colorado are funded by nobody, we ask that if you’re able to, please leave a donation at the vet or rehabber when bringing an animal for rehab. Without your help, we can’t take animals. You can donate cash, bird seed or formula, paper towels, high-quality kitten food, and other items per the wish list at http://www.ellicottwildlife.com/ and remember, your donation is tax-deductible.