One of my biggest rewards with rehabilitating animals is enjoying their antics. I love to watch the young sandhill crane get excited when I give her worms to eat. Yesterday she tossed one into her water dish, just to observe it moving and thrust her beak in the water to retrieve it. Worms are absolutely her favorite food.
The three owls that came separately but about the same time this spring are doing well. I call them Huey, Duey, and Luey. When I approach them with their daily frozen rat, Huey is waiting for me, talking the entire time I am in the pen. Duey has decided he wants to take the rat from my hand, which I do not want him to do. At his next feeding, I plan to toss the rat in the air and see if he can catch it.
The last starling I released comes back every day to let me know he’s okay. I released a red squirrel and a gray squirrel about the same time. The noisy red squirrel enjoys chasing the gray one around my deck.
The little turtle that is about the size of quarter isn’t active like the birds and squirrels, but he can be a challenge to find. He enjoys hiding underneath a piece of fern. Every feeding I peek into his area, searching for his current hiding spot.
These wonderful critters make each day a new experience for me.
Thank you for caring about them,
Patti