The babies are growing already; I look at them today and see changes even from the video I put on YouTube yesterday. I’m growing more suspicious that the “robins” are grackles, and not robins at all. The story that came with them was that a “crow” was keeping a mother robin away from her nest, and she was unable to feed the babies, so a good samaritan took the nestlings to the local animal hospital. As I watch these nestlings look more and more like grackles every day a possible story is growing in my mind. I suspect that the person mistook a mother grackle for a “crow” (it certainly would not be the first time), and saw her defending her own nest territory from the robin. A robin is not going to raid a nest, but if one was trying to build in the same bush or tree, a grackle parent certainly would try to drive it away. Our well intended animal lover then, if the guess is correct, abducted the wrong babies. The thought of what the mother grackle must have gone through, in that case, brings tears to my eyes. I promise to take good care of her young for her, and do my best to raise them to a safe release age.

They certainly are eating like healthy babies.

And then again, they could totally be fooling me and turn into robins after all. But I don’t think so….

If you look at the pictures of the babies from last year, the grackle then was a bit older than these are, but the similarities are too strong to ignore. Still, though, I’m reserving a definite ID till they get more feathers and start looking, well, a bit more…gracklish.

I wrote a post last season about how amazingly fast the babies grow. I’ll attempt to keep up with a photo journal this year as well, in hopes that readers will enjoy watching the birds’ progress.

Today several of the “probably grackles” are climbing out of the nest and waddling about the cage. Before long, they’ll all be impossible to keep in their little plastic nest containers, and I’ll just remove those and start chasing them around the cage at feeding time. Not long after that, they’ll find their wings, and life will become a fruitless endeavor to prevent them from escaping every time they want to eat.

Good thing the laundry room has solid doors and is nice and secure.

And it’s feeding time once again. Amazing how fast a half hour goes when you’re feeding baby birds.

Related posts:

1. Baby Bird Season, ’010 (And Then There Were Ten)
2. Starling Sixpack, and Baby Season
3. Baby Birds Grow So Fast!

I’m glad I thought to wash the covers and frames of my empty reptariums the beginning of the month.  A reptarium is actually a reptile enclosure, or that’s what it was invented for, but it makes  great lightweight temporary housing for baby songbirds, too.  I have four of them for my rehab babies — however two are still housing two unreleasable birds (a house sparrow and (don’t be surprised, now) a starling) from last season.  Those, once I can finally get my den aviary built (I’ve been saying that for over a year now), will move into the house-proper and free their “temporary homes” for more babies.

This morning, since the starlings and robins are basically the same size (almost), and eat pretty much the same diet, I set up the larger of the two empty cages.  In gathering supplies, I realized that several of my ceramic dishes are missing, and I was down to one little feeding syringe (for the rare baby who refuses to open up for my preferred makeshift drinking straw spoon technique).  So, I placed my first order of ’11 with Chris’s Squirrels and More.

What does this all have to do with mysteries?

The second book of my Junior Handler Mystery Series will soon be out.  The release date is tentatively August, 2011.  And what does that have to do with baby songbirds?

Nothing, but it does have a great deal to do with wildlife rehabilitation!

American Kestrel

Wild Wings of Danger, the second book in the series, introduces the readers to wildlife, a wildlife rescue center, birds of prey, and many of the ins and outs of wild animal care.  Of course, the dog show scene still figures prominently in the story, as well–our heroes are junior handlers, after all.  In “Wings“, the kids’ education, and their world of adventure, branches out in a new direction.  There is a great deal for them, and the reader, to learn, and (thanks, of course, to Merlin) the kids do a lot of that learning the hard way! As with all of the Junior Handler Mysteries, however, never fear–that learning process will certainly not be a boring one.

Some questions readers will have answered while reading “Wings“:

• What animal is considered one of the most “commonly dangerous” animals wildlife rehabbers have to care for?
• What does “rabies vector species” mean?
• Do some wild animals have different laws governing their care than others?
• What is a “raptor” (besides that really cool little man-eating dinosaur in Jurassic Park, that is?)

Of course it is Merlin who leads the kids to these questions, and many more, and who helps them discover the answers.  And of course they’ll be solving a major crime in the process!

Once again, the wonderful artist Jenny Hawkyard has agreed to do the cover art for Wild Wings of Danger.  She did such a beautiful cover for The Corpse That Wasn’t There; I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for “Wings”!

So, “watch this space”, as they say, for updates and information as Wild Wings of Danger‘s release date approaches.  In the meanwhile, if you haven’t yet read it, you can pick up a copy of “Corpse” here in your favorite format:

• Paperback on Amazon.com
• For the Amazon Kindle
• For the Barnes and Noble Nook
• For all other e-book readers

In addition, if you have read and enjoyed “Corpse” and would like to leave a review on any of the above sites, I would be incredibly grateful!  Thank you!

Starlings, yes, but I'm not so sure these are Robins.

Related posts:

1. Wildlife: Rule Number One
2. NY Wildlife Rescue Center’s Open House
3. Wild Wing’s Author’s Copies

You can read that previous post here….

I’ve been back and forth to the center numerous times since, of course, and always look for Firenze among the group.  Until recently, the llamas had limited freedom, as illnesses and problems were being treated.  Most of them are doing well, though, and recently they’ve been allowed into the larger front pasture.  They’re ecstatic about all the room, the browse and grazing, and the ability to really stretch out and soak up the sun.

I’ve had the chance to stop by a few times in the past week, as I’ve been helping Wes to hunt down mealworms to feed several recently rescued bats.  On Tuesday, when I dropped off the first batch of mealworms, I said hello to the llamas, who were enjoying the sunshine.  As my son and I left the center and came around the farm road, we passed a group of llamas lying in the sun, among whom was Firenze.

Stopping the car, I called his name through the open passenger side window.  Of all the llamas in the group, only he responded.  His head came up, his ears went up, and he stared right at me.  I greeted him, and he watched the entire time as my son and I sat there, and as we drove away.

Today, more mealworms in hand, I stopped back in.  After putting the buggies in the ‘fridge, I walked around the kennel building to see Firenze, with deliberation, coming from the rear of the pasture toward me.  He came right up to the fence, the only llama of the large group to even acknowledge my presence, and stood watching me with interest all the while I was saying hello.  After several minutes, another llama became curious about the attention I was giving Firenze, and wandered over.  Firenze flattened his ears and walked away, heading down the hill away from me.

I assumed he’d just had enough chat, or that he didn’t want the other llama encroaching upon his space.

I got in my car, pulled out, and drove down the road.  As I came to the bottom corner of the lower pasture, however, I was greeted by the sight in the picture (which was snapped with my cellphone, so I apologize for the awful quality, or lack thereof).

Firenze, completely alone, no other llamas in sight, was standing at the bottom corner of the pasture.  His head was up, neck stretched high, ears pricked up in obvious attentive concentration.

He looked for all the world as if he was waiting for me.

Nearly a hundred llamas, and I’ve spoken at length to only one, was gifted by only one with the permission to give him a name.  And that llama, out of the entire group, appears to have decided I’m worthy of his personal notice.

Coincidence?  I know what I think about that…how about you?

And yes, I am extremely honored.

Related posts:

1. Communication With A Llama: Firenze
2. The Montana “New York 100″ Llamas Arrive at NELR
3. Llama Sanctuary Crisis

"Firenze"

When I first reached for the llama with the white neck and black head, he didn’t recognize my introduction. I then showed him an image of myself in front of the squeeze chute, on “Cornell Day”, taking photos. I received a noncommittal recognition then, “Oh, yeah.”

He then explains that his association with the memory is minimal, because he was upset and distracted. He wants to know what that indignity was all about, why did we force them into that contraption, poke and prod, and insult them like that?

I explain how the vets were checking them for health issues, giving them injected medications to try to improve and protect their physical well-being. I apologize for the indignity of it all, and for the upset and sometimes fear they were experiencing. I show them it was necessary to our continued care of them.

I also try to explain how a very important part of the procedure was to give each individual animal an identity (scanning the microchips, taking photos to match). He seems to see this as rather silly, says that they each have identities, whether or not the humans recognize them. I acknowledge that this is true, but we humans who care deeply for their welfare needed something that *we* could relate to, so that we might honor that individuality.

He thinks about this for a moment and thanks me. He shows me a new feeling of respect. He does not recall anyone human treating him as an indivual before. This seems foreign but pleasant to him.

He says that “maybe he likes me now”. I feel very honored by this, and tell him that I like him very much, too.

He’d like to know what the plan is now. He says he likes the food, though the quarters are a bit close. He hasn’t known this much free choice food in a long time. This is good.

I let him know that the plans are, once the weather allows for it, to expand their place so that they have lots of room to roam and stretch. We need to make sure their vaccinations and worming are current, though, and keep an eye on them for serious health issues to develop. I ask if he understands how debilitated some of his companions are.

He says I have no idea the extent of it. Several of his friends out in the big place with no food died in front of him.

I show him how, by keeping them all in a smaller area for the time being, we can get to them more easily if someone needs medical attention. The idea of humans actually giving attention, trying to fix what’s wrong, treating illness rather than just allowing the bodies to die, is foreign to him. He says he believes he respects this concept, but he must really think about it, to allow himself to understand.

He wants to know why we care. He’s not used to humans who care, though he does have vague memories of times before he arrived at the big place with all the animals, where people would stroke him and talk to him. He didn’t pay attention then, he didn’t really appreciate it, he was a llama and only really concerned about other llamas.

Now, however, he’s seeing caring, after a long time where no one cared. This is different, it means something now, he’s acknowledging it as a good thing.

I let him know that once everyone is stable, and the weather kinder, we plan to allow them more room to roam, to stretch, to browse. He’d like this, and says that he does think he understands why we need to wait a while.

I then tell him that, once everyone is in decent health, they will once again go to different homes. This will only be allowed to people who truly care about their welfare and are dedicated to giving them life long comfort and care. These people will be carefully screened to make sure their intentions are the very best. We brought them all here, to make sure they have healthy, secure, safe lives from now on.

He replies that it’s a very foreign concept to him, that humans would go to all this trouble. He’d begun to see humans as something very separate from animals, something that did not even wander the same level of awareness. All of the recent attention, even the stuff that has been upsetting (like being forced through that metal contraption and poked with needles), now is showing him that humans might actually pay attention to others. This is strange to him, but he says he is willing to consider it as a good thing, to open up to the connections.

He seems startled at that thought, and I ask him why. He says that it made him realize that he has in fact just opened up to a connection… to me. Not something he has ever experienced before. He has begun to look upon those caring for him now as good humans, which is strange enough to him, for they show an awareness of him and his companions, and give him positive attention. Even then, he had not considered actually communicating with one … though as he reaches around, several others of his llama companions indicate that they’ve also been surprised by being touched by human minds in an understanding way.

I express to him that I hope, from now on, all of his human connections are positive and pleasant ones.

He seems surprised that I have that level of compassion. He likes this, and issues me a quiet, gentle praise.

I thank him sincerely. I then ask him if he has a name, remembers having ever been called anything unique by other humans in his past.

He does not remember … recent events, and negative associations what they are, he thinks that, if ever he was given a name by a human, it has been erased.

I tell him that when I look at him, I see a highly intelligent being within a handsome form. I think of creatures which we humans consider magical, and show him the character from the Harry Potter stories, the centaur Firenze, who was a star gazer and yet willing to make connections with the humans around him in a way that his kind usually did not acknowledge. Since he has spoken to me in this way, so generously, I ask if he would mind if I think of him as Firenze.

He says it’s a very human thing, he supposes, to want to attach “names” like this. He knows who he is by feel, by inner knowing, and doesn’t need a “word” the way humans seem to name things. However, he now thinks of me kindly, and if this is something I wish to do, he does not mind. He respects “Firenze” and understands the connection.

So, in my mind, my new friend (he thinks about this as I share it with him, and approves of “friend”) is Firenze.

Related posts:

1. Friend Firenze
2. Llama Sanctuary Crisis

If you’d like to see a few photos and two videos, one of the trailer
arriving, and one of llamas being offloaded into the smaller transport
trailer (there was no way that enormous semi-hauled thing was getting up
NELR’s farm road, especially after the snow), please visit here:

http://nywildliferescue.blogspot.com/2011/01/montana-llamas-are-here.html

And please do continue to forward the information to those whom you
think might be interested in supporting these animals’ recovery. Though
they made the trip surprisingly well, thanks to the WONDERFUL driver, Al
(can’t say enough, the man’s a miracle worker!), the llamas are in
pretty sad condition. They’ve suffered from exposure and malnutrition
for far too long, and have a long road ahead of them to health and recovery.

Related posts:

1. Llama Sanctuary Crisis
2. Friend Firenze
3. Creature Thoughts February 2011

The easy answer is: when you have more animals than you can care for.

This is what happened to a huge Montana sanctuary.  The owners began with the best of intentions, and things got out of hand.  Way out of hand.  Big time out of hand.  The sanctuary can no longer afford to stay in operation.  Animals are crowded chest to tail and ribcage to ribcage in pens, in the weather, without adequate shelter or food to keep them alive.  Rescue groups have been winging food to this area for months now, to try to prevent starvation.  And now, it’s come down to true crisis.

Over six hundred llamas.  Can you imagine the magnitude of trying to move them out of Montana … and in the middle of the winter, no less?  I have been doing animal rescue for decades, and even I have a hard time wrapping my mind around this enormous task.

Many organizations are jumping to the front lines here, a testimony to the huge number of good hearts out there.  One of those groups is the one I’m most familiar with, donate much of my time to aid in my own small way.  Northeast Llama Rescue was founded, and is run by one of my closest friends Wes Laraway.  For weeks now, he’s been one of the people attempting to organize the rescue, trying to save as many of the animals as he can.  NELR itself will be taking fifty of them.

The crisis is so overwhelming, that the people scrabbling and scraping to save the ones they can, cannot even think about what will happen if they can’t save them all….

Fifty, however, will have a good place to recover.  They will get good food, good care, and everything they need to be returned to health.  They will then be adopted out to loving, caring, carefully screened homes.  They will have a life, a future.

Wes just has to get them from Montana … to upstate New York!

Not only are the logistical details of this endeavor overwhelming, the cost is going to be astronomical.  That’s where you can help.

Please visit NELR/NYWRC’s website at:

http://www.redmaplefarm.net

There, you will see a PayPal link to donate to the cause.

We may not be able to save all of these animals, but as many as we can get to safety will be helped.  When I say “we”, I am including “you” … you can be a part of the future for these llamas.

And I thank you with all my heart.

More on this Situation:

• Wes’s blog post describing the crisis
• Northeast Llama Rescue Website
• Southeast Llama Rescue Website (who are partnering with NELR to help organize the rescue and they are also taking a number of the llamas)

Related posts:

1. Communication With A Llama: Firenze

That's Stripes looking at the camera

Quite a few friends have asked me to try to catch some updated chatter from the Starlings, Stars and Stripes.  Last time I managed to acclimate them to the little mini cassette recorder on their cage, it was Stars who went into chat-box mode.  Today, Stripes stepped up to the mic.  I had close to an hour of sounds, much of which was just whistling and “squirking” (a noise that is just a plain old Starling noise).  There was a lot of French Fry yelling at the Starlings, too, which sounds just like an angry sparrow for some odd reason.  ::grins::  I didn’t include those.  Instead, I went through the tape with good old Audacity (free sound editing software for Windows) and picked out some of Stripes’ clearest talking.  You’ll note there’s some repetition here (he was in “Where’s Mommy” mode today, but I only included two of about two dozen of those).

And now, for your listening pleasure, without further ado, and all that jazz….

Stripes the Talking Starling!

WhosABabyBirdie1.mp3 – He’s actually saying this, and variations, a couple times.  Listen for the “Who’s a (something) baby birdie” bit.  Would love to hear comments below on what you think he’s managed to fill that blank in with.  You’ll also hear some whistling and “Pptt” — or however you spell it.  A lovely sound my husband taught them.

WhosMommysBabyBirdie.mp3 – He starts out with “Sweet baby”, which always lures me right in, so you’ll hear me sounding very silly as I interact with him.  They know where to hit me every time.  Then he gets me with “Who’s mommy’s baby birdie” and I can’t help the giggle.  Sorry, I’m a sucker for cuteness, what can I say.  That is Stars whistling over him at the start.

WhosAPrayBeeBirdie.mp3 – In my recent book review of Temple Grandin’s “Animals in Translation”, I mentioned how Stars and Stripes combined “Baby” and “Pretty” to create “PrayBee”.  You can hear that here fairly clearly.

WhosABabyWhosAPrettyBird.mp3 – The beginning isn’t terribly clear, but I think what I initially tagged as “Who’s a Baby” is actually “Sweet Baby”.  At the end he starts a “Who’s a–” but cuts it short.

WhosABabyBird(various)Chirpy.mp3 – Okay, he’s on a tear here.  “Chirpy” is my husband, Joe, for some Starling Only Knows reason.  He tosses in a “Kiss Mommy” and a “Where’s Mommy” at least once, a Chirp and a “Pptt” and … well, you figure it out. 

WheresMommy(x2).mp3 – A pair of “Where’s Mommies” and a “Pptt”.

WheresMommy(short).mp3 – Quick, but clear.

Sneeze.mp3 – Making fun of the human condition.  Yeah, they do sound-effects, too.  ::snort::

KisstheKittyKitty.mp3 – And he closes out with a nice wolf whistle.

HelloKittyKittyKitty.mp3 – I’m not sure why kitties always seem to elicit that wolf whistle … taunting destiny, maybe?  Flirting with Danger?  “Hello”, even though it always seems to be the thing most people try to teach their birds first, came very late (despite us sitting like fools repeating it endlessly in front of them) in the Starlings’ vocabulary.  It’s a bit slurred when they say it, but I think you can hear it.

Related posts:

1. My Starlings Talking
2. Starling Sixpack, and Baby Season
3. RAOKA’n Robins. Er, Starlings.

No related posts.

Completed Aviary

Although the door no longer sports the historical “Chicken Little Lanai” sign, said sign is actually mounted on the side of the aviary, and the restoration work is done.  Note the inventive sliding glass door … an old window my husband found in the shed and recycled.  The entire inside of the aviary is secured with 1/4″ hardware cloth, bungee cords and branches are strung and scattered about for perches, a neat table/shelf is set up for food and water dishes, and the Starlings and Grackle have taken up residence.

The birds have been outside for about a week now, and are doing extremely well.  Birdies and home have stood up nicely to several rather raucous thunder storms without any problems.  In fact, one storm hit in the middle of the night, and I stood for some time, with rain pouring down and lightning flashing around me, under the car port in my jammies just making sure the birds were safe.

They slept through the storm.

At first, we tried putting the three little House Finches in with the others.  However, after an hour or so, one Finch had lost several tail feathers to the naughty Starlings.  I sent my six-foot-three inch son, who despite the added height still bends better than his old mother does, in to rescue the little ones.  The Finches are now spending days in their reptarium out on our front deck under the shade awning, and I’m searching for additional ideas for a safe release for them.  Fortunately, we have House Finches coming to the feeders out front, so they’re becoming acquainted with others of their species.

Several of the Starlings

The six Starlings are overjoyed by their new location.  They have lots of room to stretch their wings, and took right away to the feeding station and perches.  There are ledges, front and back, up under the roof where it’s most sheltered, and they seem to like to roost there at night, while the Grackle takes the x-shaped bungee cord perch in the enclosed corner of the cage.

Today, for the first time that I was able to observe, I sat for a while beside the aviary and watched the Starlings drop to the floor of the cage.  They were wandering about in shavings, prying with their beaks as “real Starlings” do in the grass, cleaning up cat food crumbles and dried mealworms that had been dropped from the feeding station.  I even watched one find himself a real live beetle of some sort, beat it against the floor, and then manage to lose it again before he ate it.  He’ll learn, though.  They’re really coming along beautifully!

Kelly, the federal migratory bird rescuer whom I apprentice with, stopped by (with a baby Eastern Phoebe, who is still in my laundry room with the Barn Swallow who came for a visit last month and stayed) the day I’d put the birds outside.  She said they all looked very happy, and I must agree.  They’d truly outgrown the indoor quarters, and they really are enjoying the chance to be birds in a safe environment, learning the ins and outs of being, well, out instead of in!

My Grackle Friend

The Grackle is also doing very well.  I was a wee bit concerned about him, actually, as he is a strange little fellow who seemed alternately to hate me and depend on me.  However, he’s taken to the outdoor digs in a great way, holds his own against those rowdy Starlings, and seems to be having a grand old time.  Four times a day, when I bring out fresh food and water, he is the first to hit the dishes and fill up on mealworms, sift through his favorite seed mix for peanuts, and drink the fresh, clean water before the Starlings have a chance to bathe in it.  He’s such a funny bird, curious and comical, and I enjoy watching his antics as he explores perches, sifts through the cat food looking for mealworms, and stands with his head upside down to get a better view of the surface of the water in the big dish.

Although it took a while, and I got the birds outdoors much later than I’d hoped to do, they’ve adjusted just fine.  I don’t think they’ll have any problem at all when time comes to release them.  I’ll be setting up feeding stations outside the cage before that happens, in addition to the ones out front that are already frequented by the wild birds.  The rescues will have a continual supply of fresh water, and all the foods they’re used to eating, as they spread their wings and learn to find goodies in the wild.  I’m seeing wild Grackles, Starlings and House Finches all over the area, so I don’t think they’ll have any problem at all locating their own kind, and integrating.

Life’s good, when you’re a bird at the top of Gridley Hill.

Related posts:

1. Baby Birdie Leaps and Bounds
2. Baby Bird Season, ’010 (And Then There Were Ten)
3. Baby Birds Grow So Fast!