Vet Check

   We referred a young Broadwing Hawk to the clinic (Animal Medical Center) for a checkup.  He was not yet able to fly, but was otherwise in good health.  The parents continue to feed these juvenile birds after they jump from the nest, so this one was fed a good meal, and returned to the area from which he came.

   Dr. White checks the young Broadwing Hawk for injuries.  Photo by Kristy Morris.

Kestrel Release!

   Four American Kestrels are released in prime habitat at Little Swamp Sanctuary after recovering from minor injuries.  They spent several weeks in a 36 foot long  flight cage learning to hunt prior to release.  Here they will catch the many grasshoppers and dragonflies that inhabitat the swamp.

   Joanne Williams prepares the first young bird for release.

   Audrey Diadiun prepares another........

   Kathleen Bennett prepares a kestrel for release.  (Jimmy watches from below.)
  

   Kristy Morris releases one of the kestrels  (Jimmy thinks he is helping)......

   Everyone shares photos.  Left to Right:  Joanne Williams, Audrey Diadiun, Barb Rogers, Kathleen Bennett, Kristy Morris.

   The kestrels enjoy the day more than anyone!
  

New Raptors in Need of Care.....

Just an update on some of the nestling owls:  The young barred owl being fostered by adult barred owls is being fed through the window by the adults.  Early one morning before the sun was up, I heard the adults calling with different vocalizations to the nestling; they seem to be teaching him different calls.  We also occasionally hear wild barred owls calling to the youngster in the cage.

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   Young screech owls are doing well.  One that was in very poor condition from incorrect food has recovered, and all are retaining their fear of humans.

Photo by Kristy Morris

It helps to have a friend...........

Photo by Krisy Morris

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We received young kestrels from several locations; most were in the process of fledging.  One was in the road, some were being attacked by feral cats.  They all were fed by hand for one day before being placed in the larger pen.  Below, Barb Rogers feeds the young kestrel held by summer intern, Kathleen Bennett.

Photo by by Kristy Morris

 They stayed only briefly in a nest box, then exploded out of the box and are learning from an adult female foster parent.  The foster parent is on the far left.  She was observed by intern, Kathleen Bennett, as she fed one of the fledglings.

                                     Photo by Kristy Morris

They become very possessive of their food.  They are fed mice, and have already started to hunt crickets.

Photo by Kathleen Bennett

In order to keep these young birds from becoming too habituated to people, they are fed through a feeding flap, and all photos are taken through this viewing window.  Here, Krisy Morris, one of our summer interns, photographs the young kestrels.

Photo by Kathleen Bennett

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A Great Horned Owl is rescued from a likely death.  This owl was emaciated, but is now growing stronger with daily care.  She was named "Chance" by her finders.

Photo by Kathleen Bennett

Keeping the "wild" in Wildlife

Five young owls were received in the past week for rehabilitation.  A few of these juvenile owls were injured or sick; others may have been pushed out of the nest early.  The challenge of raising these young owls, is to keep them from becoming habituated to people, and to help them retain their fear of humans, dogs, and predators.  They will need to learn to hunt for their food, choose the right habitat, communitcate with their own species, and display correct behavior for their species.  Much of this is made easier through the use of foster parents.  Adult owls of the same species will help to raise the young.

This young Barred Owl was given a partial nest box.  He hides behind the wall when people approach.  We are able to gain access if needed but otherwise, he is left to associate with his own species.  The foster parent is in a cage on the left.

From this view, you can see the foster parent (Wilma), and the juvenile in the background (Willie).  When the youngster can fly, both owls will live in a flight cage as the young owl learns hunting techniques from the adult owl.

Into the Mist

A Short-eared owl was turned in to us by an Isabella County Sherrif Deputy last fall.  Short-eared Owls are rare in Michigan, and are one of the most beautiful owls that exist.  Photographs do not do them justice.

Above, Barb Rogers (left) and Joanne Williams (right) examine the owl's injuries.  A fracture in the radius/ulna had rendered her unable to fly.  However, Dr. White was able to splint the wing, and she slowly healed over the winter and exercised in one of our large outdoor flight cages.

Short-eared Owls nest in the far North in open fields on the ground.  Although they sometimes nest in Michigan, they are extremely rare.  Great Horned Owls, also an open country owl, would drive them away, if found in the same territory.  For this reason, we released her in the Upper Peninsula, on one of our trips north to monitor peregrine falcons in early spring.  The release area has been known to have no Great Horned Owls.

She flew into the wind in the mist from the top of the cliff at Lake of the Clouds.  From there, she could locate the valley where the habitat was right for her.

By the next day, the mist had cleared and the ice had melted away.  The east end of  Lake of the Clouds, a remote valley at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park may be her new home.

Heading Home!

One of several Rough-legged Hawks was released recently.  Kathleen Bennett from Northern Michigan University assisted with Earth Day programs, and received the honor of releasing on of these magnificent hawks.

Note the very light head of this particular Rough-legged Hawk.  Their color varies from dark chocolate brown to almost white.

Kathleen's family gathers to view the event............

 Joe gives a brief talk on arctic birds...............

Kathleen very carefully positions the hawk for release.

 And she's off!  She will fly home to her arctic territory in a matter of days.  Her mate is likely already there.

From Ontario..........

Ellie Maxwell, entomologist at Dow Gardens in Midland, found this Red-tailed Hawk down in a gulley and unable to fly.  She (the hawk) was sore and bruised and did not respond to treatment for many days.  After a  long stay in our outdoor cages, her health began to improve.

Note the USFWS band on her left leg.  This allowed us to trace her origin to a nest in Ontario.  She hatched from an egg in 2009, and was banded by Mr. Claude Radley. 

Joe hands her to Ellie for the release............................

And she' off .............in time to find a mate and nest.  It is unlikely she was on territory when found, so she could be on her way back to Canada, or if Michigan suits her, perhaps she'll stay.

A Rough-legged Hawk is Released!

Wildlife Recovery Association received four rough-legged hawks over the winter, two of which were identified by the finders as immature eagles.  Rough-legged hawks are an incredible bird in their own way, with huge wing span, feathered feet to their toes and a variety of colors and markings from white and buff to mottled browns and almost black.  "Peaches" was so named by Susan Dalgarn for the beautiful peach color on some of her feathers.

A small group of biologists, photographers, and the family who saved the bird gathered to see her release.

The hand-off.......

On release, she flew over the Gazebo to perch momentarily on a tall aspen.  Look in the center and above the roof line to see her flight.

And she' off!  Check out her peach colored feathers on her underside.  A beautiful day and a beautiful bird!

A Rough-legged Hawk is Rescued

A phone call on a large hawk down in the field led to  this rough-legged hawk rescue on a snowy day in February.  He was immediately bandaged and offered mice to feast on.

Photos by Joanne Williams

Red-tailed Hawk Release

Dodger, a red-tailed hawk who was found on the side of the road, was released by his finder, Mark Ciaravino.  When Mark first saw the hawk, he was on his motorcycle, and did not have the means to transport him.  He went home, brought back another vehicle, and scooped up the hawk in a towel.
   Dodger suffered a severe scrape on the top of the head and a concussion.  He could not balance to perch for many days.  Finally, he stood up, and began to fly, and was on his way to recovery...........

Soar on, Dodger.........

A Cooper's Hawk is Released

   This Cooper's Hawk was with us for only a few days while we evaluated her ability to fly.

   We gave the privelege of release to Susan Dalgarn, currently residing at Little Swamp Sanctuary.  Susan will be teaching environmental science at Northwood University winter semester. 

Joanne Williams photographs the event.

  Look closely, just to the right of center, and you will see the Cooper's Hawk as she takes flight.  These accipiters are swift, deep woods hawks, and are extremely agile in the air.

Eagle Release

   This mature male bald eagle came from Harrison and was dropped off at Guys and Dolls Photography in Clare.  Bob and Linda Guiliani, who run the photo shop, are long time members, and often help with incoming injured birds.
    This eagle was near death.  He could not lift his head and could barely open his eyes.  It was difficult to even detect breathing.  However, through gentle and intensive care, he was nursed back to health, and is once again a free-flying bird. 

Because this eagle was extremely wild, he was too sensitive to transport back to the original location.  He was released here at Little Swamp Sanctuary, where he can rest and fly on to his home territory when ready.

   You can read more about "Harry" and other birds that have been rehabilitated, and get current news about Wildlife Recovery Association by subscribing to our newsletter.  Check out our web site at wildliferecovery.org to become a member!

Net Cutting and Networking

   It took all three volunteers to remove this great horned owl from a soccer net.  Associated with a humane organization for the placement of domestic animals, these three women worked hard to cut the net away from the young owl without damaging feathers. 

   Late summer and early fall is typical of such accidents.  The young owls and hawks are trying to fend for themselsves without the help of their parents, and very like human teenagers, they often find themselves in troubled situations.

   Amazingly enough, this owl suffered very little feather damage.  He was, however, bruised and sore, so we allowed him several weeks in large outdoor pens, and two weeks in 50 and 100 foot long flight pens to regain his strength.  We chose Jessica Jackson (look at that smile!) to release the owl as a thank you to her for saving the owl and for her willingness to network with Wildlife Recovery Association.
   As is typical, this owl flew to the nearest perch tree just after the release, and paused for ten minutes to re-orient himself before flying on.  He was released on home territory just before sundown.  After he caught his breath, he made the most elegant flight along the nearby woods for about 600 yards.  Sorry, we did not catch this on videotape.  Perhaps next time.

Crowd Pleasers

   We recently released two broad-winged hawks at the Chippewa Nature Center with a group of over ninety people.  One of these hawks came from the Cadillac area; the other from Northwood Institute in Midland.  Both hawks were badly bruised and one suffered a concussion.  They kept each other company through the final stages of recovery, and were released together during peak migration for broad-wing hawks.

   To share the excitement, we selected two of the nature center staff to participate in the release.  What a beautiful day!