We admitted our 7,000th animal of the year this afternoon! It was an infant mouse! Last year we admitted #7,000 on August 24th. Are we looking to have a record-breaking year?? We will see!!

I learned yesterday that we’ve admitted nearly 2,000 animals in June alone!!! That’s our busiest June in history, and our 2nd busiest month in history!! We’ve already surpassed 5,000 animals so far for the year! I wonder if this will be our record-breaking year for admits!?

A mother Hoary Bat was found on the ground with 2 (large!) babies clinging to her.  In the picture above, I’m holding up her wing so you can see one of the babies clinging to her underside.

The client brought them to us because after monitoring them for a day,  they hadn’t left the site on the ground where the person found them.  I examined the bats and found the mother slightly dehydrated, but otherwise physical examination was normal.

Likely the mother had become grounded and b/c her babies are so large, was not able to take off/find a nearby tree to climb.  We gave her some fluids under her skin then put her on a tree on the preserve, so she could climb back up to safety.

We were honored that Sen. Amy Klobuchar contacted us earlier in the week and asked WRC to host a panel discussion regarding potential impacts of the Gulf oil spill on Minnesota’s migratory bird population.

Yesterday at WRC, Sen. Klobuchar met with a group of wildlife officials including me and John Christian, Assistant Regional Director for Migratory Birds, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Region 3; Carrol Henderson, Director, Non-Game Wildlife Program, Minnesota DNR; Ryan Heiniger, Director of Conservation Programs in MN and IA, Ducks Unlimited; Dr. Julia Ponder, Executive Director, The Raptor Center; and Mark Martell, Director of Bird Conservation, Audubon Minnesota.

The meeting was well-covered by the media.  Sen. Klobuchar made it very clear that the fate of these migratory birds is one of her highest priorities and she stressed that officials needed to create a plan to respond if necessary.  Of course at WRC we are very concerned about the conditions in the Gulf.  We currently have admitted more than 2,000 waterfowl, shorebirds and songbird species that will migrate to or through the Gulf this fall.

We’re grateful Sen. Klobuchar is focusing on the upcoming migrations amidst all the other issues surrounding the spill.

It’s my hope that we act on this opportunity to channel public outrage about the spill into a long-range commitment to wildlife and wildlife habitats here in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.

The media glare will soon fade and eventually the spill damages will be repaired.  But we can’t let that diminish our ongoing focus of healthy habitats here and in the Gulf Region.  Even before this spill, there was a dead zone the size of New Jersey in the Gulf where the Mississippi flows into it. The recent StarTribune series on the health of Minnesota lakes should be a wake-up call to conditions in our own backyard.

As Jay Holcombe, executive Director of the International Bird Rescue and Research Center, which is working with Tri-State to clean oiled birds, says, “A pelican is a pelican whether is it tangled in fishing tackle or oiled.”  As we know only too well, a Trumpeter Swan with lead poisoning is still an injured bird.  A loon too ill to migrate and trapped in the ice on Lake Bemidji is as threatened as the loons in the Gulf.

Yes we worry, as we should, by what happens when “our” loons and other birds return to the Gulf.  But we should be equally worried about what happens when they RETURN HERE.  We shouldn’t wait for the next disaster but do all we can to protect our birds and their habitats now and in the future.

Today when I launched my internet browser I, and several other million people around the world, was greeted by a photo of a bird covered in oil.  It’s heart wrenching to see these photos of dead and dying oil-covered animals. 

It’s understandable to ask “How Can I Help?” 

Then, earlier this afternoon WCCO contacted me to find out what was being done locally to respond the growing crisis in the Gulf. 

And, on NPR’s All Things Considered, Jay Holcomb of International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) and Carrol Henderson (MN DNR Director of Non-Game Programs and Loon Expert), talked about the devastating effects the oil has on waterbirds; even those that may seem safe up here in Minnesota but will migrate to the Gulf in the fall.  Their interview can be heard here.  (actually, Carrol’s didn’t make the archives, but we’ll post a link to it as soon as we can find a copy.)

Rehabilitation of oiled wildlife is a complex, crisis-oriented endeavor.  Unlike natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes more volunteers can cause more harm than good.  And be wary of organizations asking for money to help the injured animals.  All of the clean-up costs will be covered by the responsible parties.  Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research from Delaware, who we’ve worked with in the past, has been contracted to manage the response for animals affected by the spill. 

Tri-State is a rehabilitation center much like WRC; annually they treat approximately 3,000 birds.  Started in 1976 in response to an oil tanker spill in the Delaware River, Tri-State specializes in oil spill response.  Over the years WRC staff have trained at Tri-State and Tri-State people have been to WRC.  Personally and professionally, I’m reassured to know that the very best people have been called upon to help the Gulf Coast wildlife.

Tri-State has information on their Web site devoted to the spill.  IBRRC also has information on their site.  Note that on both their sites they clearly state that BP is covering all their costs.  There are many organizations “soliciting” funds to help with wildlife.  Beware of these requests. 

How will WRC help?  That remains to be seen, but no matter how the drama unfolds we’ll do whatever we can to assist Tri-State, IBRRC, the DNR and the FWS.

Happy to return to its migration along Lake Superior, this Red-necked Grebe’s paddling take-off was captured on film by Jeff Moen.  Many thanks to Jeff and CVT Katie for taking the grebe back up to Duluth and releasing it!  Learn more about Red-necked Grebes.

We received several phone calls this afternoon about a female Canada Goose who chose to nest and lay eggs in an odd location…in a commercial parking lot in Golden Valley. A local news station took photos and video of the goose and posted them on their website this afternoon, prompting many concerned calls to WRC. Many questions were posed about whether she should be relocated or left alone.

The best thing to do in this case is to leave her be. She chose to nest there for a reason, and disturbing her could cause the loss of her eggs, and would also stress her out greatly since she is very defensive at this time. Employees at the business where she layed her eggs have placed orange cones around her to prevent cars from parking next to her, and will be watching her closely over the next few weeks. They even placed potted plants around her to give her a bit more privacy. The Minnesota DNR has been contacted and they made the same recommendation; to leave her alone and let her carry on with her motherly duties.

The incubation period for Canada goslings is about 28 days. The goslings are born precocial, which means they are feathered, eyes open, and able to walk, eat/drink on their own, etc. When all the eggs are hatched, they will instinctively follow mom to water. Both parents will stay with the goslings until they migrate this fall.

Sometimes it’s best to just let nature take its course. We wish this momma the best of luck and hope that she can sucessfully incubate her young.

As we start to see signs of spring, snow melting away, birds on the move, and of course, our first baby squirrel admit, the WRC staff prepares for the influx of thousands of animals.  Right now, we are making improvements to our flight rooms, which are used to house hundreds of migratory and resident adult songbirds, as well as orphaned songbirds that are raised in our avian nursery. 

Flight rooms are, for most of our wild bird patients, the last stage of rehabilitation.  Once the birds recover from illness or injury, or have learned to fly, they are placed in flight cages to gain the strength and endurance needed to survive in the wild.  In these cages we provide various forms of enrichment and food sources to prepare the birds for release.  Natural perching, various types of bird feeders, as well as natural food sources, such as mealworms and fruits, encourage foraging behaviors.

After many years of use, our current flight cages need to be rebuilt.  With the help of long-time volunteer Steve K., we have found a plan that will provide us with two additional flight areas taking us from 4 flight cages to 6 flight cages.  This may seem like a small increase to most, but for us it’s huge.  A lot of little songbirds will fit into these two additional cages.  We are finalizing plans and beginning to look at the materials we will need and hope to begin construction soon.  

Support our baby or adult wild birds!

Goose bumps.  I guess I just never realized what an appropriate term that is for us at WRC.  Until last night. 

This winter WRC volunteer Jen Thomas, a teacher at Jackson Elementary School in St Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood, organized a special program emphasizing environmental awareness.  As part of the campaign the students decided to raise money for WRC.  Last night, at the culmination of a terrific musical performance, the students presented WRC with a check for $250!  This school is in one of St Paul’s most economically distressed neighborhoods with many of the children coming from low income families.  You wouldn’t have known it last night.  I’ve seldom been more moved and inspired than by the generosity of these young people.  My skin tingled as they presented us with an oversized check.  

We’ve all experienced goose bumps.  Technically, they are bumps on your skin that form at the base of body hairs; they’re usually an involuntarily response to cold or strong emotions.  I certainly wasn’t cold, but I was filled with strong emotion - a sense of awe and gratitude. 

My job is filled with special moments; leading a talented staff, working with wonderful volunteers and meeting so many people who share in the value of our mission.  While every day is special, some are just plain goose bump days.  The staff, and especially the students, at Jackson Elementary created one of those days while teaching us all about generosity and compassion.

On a cold day last November, a baby eastern garter snake was brought into WRC.

It was found hibernating in an Arden Hills basement. This tiny snake was smaller than a pencil when it was brought in.

Females do not lay eggs like a lot of snakes do, they give birth to live young. The young are small, defenseless and have many predators. This baby found what it thought was a good hibernation spot. Usually these snakes hibernate in large groups under rocks or the abandoned dens of other animals. They emerge in early spring and make useful yard-mates because they eat slugs, and other pest insects. They are not venomous but will bite if you handle them improperly. The baby garter snake at WRC is fed grubs, minnows and crickets while it is in the hospital. It is doing very well and sheds its skin as it grows. It weighed 4 grams when it arrived and now weighs 8.6 grams. It will be released early this spring into a good habitat where it can find plenty of cover. Eastern garter snakes can live to be around 10 years old. 

 Late last October, a hatchling common snapping turtle presented to WRC very weak and non alert. The turtle was found on a path heading away from the lake it had no doubt hatched near. The baby snapping turtle we have been rehabilitating may live to be near 100 years old if everything goes well for it. The common snapping turtle is a really interesting animal. The tiny quarter size hatchling’s are mostly eaten by predators.

During the summer months many large adult snapping turtles present to WRC due to being hit by cars while trying to get to their preferred breeding or hibernating spots. Many are released after a couple months of cage rest, pain medication, and anti-biotic treatment for the large wounds in their carapaces. It is important to release snapping turtles near the water where they are found because they will travel to get to a preferred location and risk crossing roads to get there. A snapping turtle will not begin to reproduce until it is around 10 years old. The death of one large, older turtle could make a sizable loss in population for that area because they are so slow to reach reproductive age.