A slow Sunday means time to update..............

What a gray dreary day. It's been raining like crazy for the last week. I hear this is the wettest June in a LONG time. Feels like Seattle....
Well, today I've included release photo's of the Red tree squirrels. I took a lot of pic's but trying to take a picture of a living squirrel is, well, like trying to keep up with any other rodent on the move!
We also took in 2 more orphaned rock squirrels, but these little guys are so much smaller than the others, so they can't be together. We were not sure if they were going to make it. They are in bad shape, but just last night, they started eating much better and are becoming more active. They came in at about 57 grams in weight. The others were 68 grams when they came in and are now around 240 grams. I'm already dreading the day they are to be released. I've become very attached to them. I'll be very happy for them, being free at last, but it's sad when they're gone for good. This is one of the struggles a wildlife rehabilitator has to deal with every day. Still, I'm glad to have been a part of their lives. That experience is mine and will always be with me. I'm very lucky!

Ivy went to the vet's last week and had her pins removed only to have to have others put back in. She has now gone through five surgeries. The two broken ends of the ulna have not yet fused as they should. These new pins should be able to come out in about 8 weeks. This bird is just amazing. All she has been through and to keep fighting.
I'll be taking Zuma back in to the vet's in the next week or two. He has fluid building up in his wing below the break. This edema hasn't eased up like it should have, so we need Jay to look at it and determine what's causing it and if it is anything to be concerned over.
Diane released two of our orphaned robins as they were ready to be on their own. She did a great job with them, teaching them to eat worms, fruit and all kinds of robin favorites. I've also included a photo from our Meadowlark's release at Desert Lake in Emery county.

We got in a new golden eagle this last week. This one went through the windshield of a jeep on highway 10 near Hiawatha, still in Carbon county. Amazingly, this bird appears to have no broken bones. Also, she has one of my bands on her. She has been in rehab before, here with us around 3 years ago from the West Nile virus. The area where she was hit is close to where she was found the first time, back in 2006. This is one tough girl. She's about 4 years old now.
I am going to have her eye's looked at by a specialist in Salt Lake who donates her services to us. With an impact like that, she may have a detached retina or two. That appointment will be later on.
Everyone else is doing great as well.
Until next time,
Debbie......................

FINALLY SOME TIME FOR AN UPDATE..........

Well, today is a little slower so I have time to post.
Orphan season is still in full swing. We have released several robins, our Meadowlark, the Red tree squirrels, Starlings, House finches and I'm sure I've missed something on the list!
It's pretty much all a blur without looking at records.
We now have 2 new hawks in our care, both of which were seized by the state of Utah, Department of Wildlife Resources. They had belonged to a local falconer that is pretty scary. One is a female Prairie falcon, the other is a male Harris hawk. My job is to evaluate them both and notify the state of my opinion. Hopefully we can get them both back into the wild where they belong!
Ivy, the female golden eagle, goes for surgery tomorrow. Her pins will be removed and then we can truly learn if she will be releasable, which of course, is our goal. This will be her third surgery.
Both the boys, Zuma and Fremont are still doing well, healing and hanging out together.
We now have two Magpie's in rehab. They are getting along great! I believe we have both a male and a female. The smaller of the two, which I believe is female, has an injury to her right hip area. The bones are not involved, but the is a huge hole looking down into her body. We're treating her for infection and trying to get that hole to close up. At least she has a buddy which is very important for any of the corvid family. They do not do well alone.
We also have a litter of orphaned Rock squirrels. They came in at deaths door. In fact, I'd bet the lady that brought them in to us probably thinks they have died. This little guy has no shame. How adorable!
They have done very well and look wonderful. They still have a couple of weeks in rehab to bulk up and then they will be released together, just like the tree squirrels.
I had some people from the states' wildlife department come to meet me and get my thoughts on rehabilitation here in Utah and what my concerns were.
Hopefully it wasn't just lip service, but supposedly things are suppose to get a little better, cooperation wise, between we rehabilitators and the DWR (wildlife department). I'll believe it when I see it. I know how these different offices work. They are all DWR, but you'd never know it. They all do whatever they want, enforce the laws they want, not enforce the laws they want and so on. It's ridiculous.
I'll include some squirrel pics's today, but the release pics, well, I'll save those for next time. I will include Bubble's release pic's today from Desert Lake in Emery County, Utah.
Thanks for checking in,
Debbie

It's sure busy around here.........

Sorry for the delay in posting, but it's spring and that means baby season. We have a lot of little orphans of many species, such as magpie's, squirrels, prairie dogs, finches, starlings, robins and more. This post will show a lot of those babies and Diane, one of my volunteers, feeding many of those babies. Diane is living on coffee right now!
The newest golden eagle has been named Zuma. He has quickly gotten his strength back and is now in the flight with Ivy and Fremont. Hopefully Ivy will be having surgery sometime in the next week or so. Right now due to how busy we are, scheduling surgery will be difficult. Once her pins are out, we can determine more about her prognosis.
We were finally able to get Glory transferred to the Zuni people. I've included pictures of that transfer. Nelson Luna, with Zuni Fish and Wildlife, New Mexico, met us in Moab, Utah for the transfer. It went great and I'll be checking in with Nelson in a few days to see how Glory is adjusting. I hope she'll be happy in her new home.
We also got our little duck, Bubbles, released. After a lot of sub-cutaneous fluids and Dawn bubble baths, she finally got her strength back in her legs and became waterproof again and floated like a duck should float. I was glad we could help her get through this. It was a lot of work, but well worth it. Her release pictures will be in the next blog.
Last, but not least, a raven that was found by Diane that should have still been in his nest, was rescued and brought here. There was no way to put him back into the nest, so we brought him here and cared for him. Diane had mentioned that she thought she knew where the nest was, so she and I took a drive and indeed, a large raven nest was near where Diane first saw the baby. I decided to go back in the evening as the parents may return to the nest area to roost and after a little wait, there they were, so Connie went and picked up the baby and when she arrived, our raven started calling and the parents flew towards us. I told Connie to toss him and as she did, he joined his parents, flying and calling back and forth. It was wonderful. You could hear the joy and excitement between them. After awhile, they flew back to the cliff area near the nest and I sat and watched and listened to the exchanges between them. As I drove away, you could still hear the cawing back and forth; a family reunited. I love it when things work out like that!
Well, I'll get to the photo's. I will soon have to feed babies again!
Debbie