My calls last week have included birds that won’t surprise you, trumpeter swans, geese, and ducks. You won’t believe the fifth animal, though, bats. Yes, bats. One day I received seven calls from Menomonie alone about bats. Many of the callers were as perplexed as you may be. Bats in the winter, really? Some wondered […]
Yesterday I went out to feed the critters, and, for the first time ever, each one came to me to take its food from my hand. I walked from cage to cage and had the same experience. I felt they had collectively decided to give me a heartfelt thank you. As we head into this […]
A couple weeks ago, a warden brought me a Barred Owl with a damaged wing. Yesterday the owl seemed to be improving so I decided to put it out in a cage with another Barred. The two immediately jockeyed for domination. I stayed in the cage ready to protect or separate as needed. They seemed […]
I had a call the other day that I think you’d enjoy. A guy had caught a crow that he thought needed help. Shortly thereafter he had to leave and asked his sister to watch it. The crow got away from her, and, although it couldn’t fly, did a high hop into a tree. The […]
Through the years I have found that having at least two animals of the same species rehabbing together helps each individual heal and the pair have fun. I was reminded of this yesterday when I watched the two remaining raccoons play. The smaller one jumped at the larger one, and soon they were tussling, having […]
Every day I handle many telephone calls from people who have come across a critter they believe is in distress. On a light day I have twenty-some calls. An average day I handle thirty to forty, and during baby season last summer I had a high of sixty-three. In these calls I lead the caller […]
I frequently am asked how I learned about animals. My best and favorite way is to observe them. A relaxing break in my day is to sit and watch their movements, antics, and habits. Each one is an individual, just like us. Their personalities are distinctive. After getting to know them, I sum them up […]
A couple weeks ago about 7:00 one evening, Alice, Elizabeth’s neighbor, called and urged her to come over. “One of the great-horned owls Patti released is here,” she shared. “Hurry.” Elizabeth immediately drove over, but when she arrived, the owl had moved. Several crows had been making quite a disturbance around the owl, and it […]
Yesterday we released a merlin that we have been rehabbing for several weeks. Watching her fly off was pure joy. Shortly after, we let a ring-billed gull go. He had come in with a bad wing. The last couple of days he was telling me off each time I fed him. The last time he […]
I have been receiving over forty calls per day, mostly about fledglings. When birds fledge, they spend a few days on the ground running around since they are not sure what to do with their feet and wings. The parents stay close by to feed and watch over them. Many callers catch the birds and […]
