Four Lakes Wildlife Center

New Year Release

2012-02-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

Some bird lovers are sure songbirds can express emotions. If this is true, two northern cardinals near Mt. Horeb are surely enjoying the mild Wisconsin winter after their successful release in late January. Both birds had short recuperative stays at FLWC after arriving under similar circumstances.

The cardinals, a male and female, were admitted to FLWC after window collisions. The female (see previous post below for more info on patient 18-1174) had head trauma and a broken scapula. Chuck and Judy Igl rescued the female from their property. Alerted by a loud window thud, they spied the stunned bird on the ground below the window and became concerned it was hurt. When they were sure it needed help, Chuck was able to capture the bird in a stand of evergreens. Chuck explained the cardinal was lively and difficult to catch, but clearly injured. The male, found near Merrimac, also was diagnosed with head trauma as a result of a window collision. The birds responded quickly to FLWC's initial treatment, and before long they were enjoying each other's company in the small outdoor flight pen, where they continued to eat well and recover their flight skills.

FLWC's Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator, Brooke Lewis, contacted Chuck and Judy to facilitate the release. FLWC volunteers Sandy Schwab and Joe Brady delivered the two healthy birds on a blustery winter morning. Close to trees and bird feeders, Judy carefully opened the box and watched the birds quickly fly to a nearby hardwood. The cardinals perched together for only a few minutes before seeking refuge farther away in a stand of spruce trees. Patient 11-1874, called "Ruby" by Chuck and Judy, was the last patient admitted to FLWC in 2011 and now is one of our first 2012 successes!

Chuck and Judy Igl releasing female cardinal 11-1874.

FLWC cares for many birds who have suffered trauma after hitting windows. Birds of all sizes can be injured, from small finches to large hawks. Researchers estimate at least 50% of birds who collide with buildings suffer head injuries and ultimately death. Birds collide with windows either because they see the reflections of the landscape in the window, or they see two windows lined up on opposite sides of a room and believe they can fly all the way through the passage. There are several things you can do to help prevent window collisions at your home or business:

Attach to your windows specially made decals that reflect ultraviolet light to alert birds of the danger ahead.
Use exterior screens on your windows. The screens help break up the reflections, and the couple inches of space between the screen and window provide a cushion in the case of a collision, hopefully preventing serious injury to the bird.
Keep bird feeders either very close to windows (within 3 feet) or more than 30 feet away.
When windows line up across a room, keep blinds closed on one of the windows.

It is estimated that up to one billion birds die annually in North America after striking buildings, primarily windows. By following some of these simple ideas, we can each do our part to help reduce this number. Additional information can be found at http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/collisionsbirds.htm .

A red-tailed hawk admitted on January 19th due to injuries from a window collision.

Post: Joe Brady, FLWC volunteer

Photos: Sandy Fuller, FLWC volunteer and Brooke Lewis, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator

The Highlights of 2011

2012-01-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

Winter has finally arrived in Wisconsin! On this snowy night, what a better time tosit by the fireplace and update everyone about what has been going on at DaneCounty Humane Society’s Four Lakes Wildlife Center (FLWC).

2011 was another record setting year for FLWC. We ended the year at 1,874 patients,exceeding the 2010 total by over 150 patients! 2012 marks our 10^th year of operation and each year we seetremendous growth. Over our 10 years, we have movedfrom a couple hundred patients in 2002 to nearly 2,000 in 2011. We continue to be very grateful for theendless hours generously donated by our faithful volunteers….FLWC wouldn’t exist withouttheir help! The community continues tosupport our mission through generous donations that are essential for us tocontinue to keep up with the increasing need for our services.

We had several firsts in 2011. We admitted not only one, but three AmericanWhite Pelicans. The first pelican had visionloss in one eye making her non-releasable. We were fortunate to be able to place her permanently with Brookfield Zoo where she joined their flock of captive pelicans. The other 2 pelicans were suffering frombroken wings. We were able to help oneof the birds heal and with the help of Fellow Mortals, he is doing well andwill be traveling to Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Florida to finish his recovery. Unfortunately the third pelican's injuries were too severe for us to repair.

Another first for FLWC was an adult beaver that came to us in October. He wassuffering from a large, infected flesh wound on his hip with associated nervedamage causing a reduction in the function of his rear legs.

One of the patients that drew the most attention was a snowyowl that came to us a few weeks ago. He was featured in an article in the Wisconsin State Journal. Hehad an old wing fracture that had healed but likely attributed to his leanbody weight upon arrival at FLWC. His recovery is goingsmoothly and we expect him to be released in the near future.

We wrapped up our year with patient 11-1874, a female cardinalthat had flown into a window. This is anall to often reason for admission to our center. As a result of the impact, she fractured herscapula (aka shoulder blade) leaving her unable to fly. With several weeks of cage rest, we arehoping for a full recovery.

Our first patient of 2012 was a female grey squirrel showingneurologic symptoms of unknown origin. In these cases, administration of anti inflammatory medication, supportivecare and time is the treatment.

The early part of 2012 has been relatively slow which wecertainly welcome. We count on this‘slow’ time of year to prepare for the rush of spring babies that will be uponbefore we know it.

Thank you for your support in 2011 and we are looking forward to a great year in 2012!

Post and photos: Brooke Lewis, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator

What's Ahead for 2011

2011-02-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

2011 is going to be another busy year at the Wildlife Center. With all the publicity the Center has been getting, I’m sure we will be even busier than last year. It is important that everyone complete their availability forms and gets them back as soon as possible. If anyone would like to become a new volunteer, you can send an E-Mail to: pwatson@giveshelter.org . It takes many volunteers to cover the shifts, and we want to be sure we are ready. Spring will be here before we know it!

We are already starting to plan our fundraising events. As the Center continues to grow, more funding will be needed. These events must be well planned and staffed, to be successful. All you Volunteers have done a great job at these events in the past! We really appreciate it!!

Currently we are re-establishing our Wildlife Education Program. Part of the Center’s mission is to educate the public about wildlife. The program has been dormant for awhile, so we are redeveloping it. When it is completed, we will take it out to schools and other public venues. It will also be part of our fundraising events. Once the proper licenses are obtained, we hope to start training animals to use in the program. It will be awhile before that can happen though. It takes time to get the licenses and to be sure the animals are ready to be out in public.

We have a lot to look forward to this year. It will be great to see everyone in the spring!

Post by: Bill Wright

2011-01-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

The Noise in the Chimney

2010-09-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

On July 21, three baby chimney swifts were brought to FLWC after being removed from an apartment office chimney in Madison. The admit form reads, “We just heard them so I took them out of there.” Unfortunately for the population of swifts, this happens far too often.

As a first year volunteer at FLWC, I have enjoyed learning to care for baby ducklings, orphaned and injured songbirds, and just being part of a very busy wildlife rehab center. When I arrived for my volunteer shift on July 22^nd and peeked into a cloth-lined ‘critter keeper,’ I was not prepared for what it contained. Three dark little bodies clung to the cloth, looking somewhat bat-like and vaguely pre-historic. Although I had watched chimney swifts in graceful flight high in the sky, I had no idea that this is how they started out in life.

The nestlings were estimated to be about 10 days old, and looked a little spooky with their unopened eyes, long claws that held tightly to the cloth on the side of the critter keeper, and stubby, bristly tail feathers that supported their vertical posture. I soon learned what “high maintenance" meant in the rehab world! Since swifts normally feed 'on the wing', catching insects in flight, we can't easily replicate that in captivity. Their high metabolism requires feeding every 15 minute feedings, most of which are force-fed. Within a week, their feathers grew in, their eyes opened, and they became downright cute. Soon their quiet chattering at feeding times turned into a loud noise similar to a mechanical wind-up toy or a cheap noisemaker used on New Year’s Eve. It was a sound that could wake you up from a deep sleep. Despite all the diligent care given by FLWC staff and volunteers, only one swift lived to be released. Swifts are very challenging to raise in a rehab setting, and their unique characteristics require care far exceeding the needs of most of our patients.

I was intrigued and had to learn more about these remarkable little birds. They are members of the bird order Apodiformes, which also includes hummingbirds. Swifts are sometimes called “flying cigars,” referring to their short 5-inch bodies with long wings and short bristly tail feathers. They have weak feet, and do not perch. Their life is spent on the wing, and almost all activities, including eating, drinking, and bathing occur in flight. They roost only to build their nests and to take care of their young. Swifts can fly up to 500 miles per day looking for food. And lucky for us living in Wisconsin, as insectivores, swifts are a natural form of mosquito control. A swift can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes a day! Nest building consists of snapping off twigs in flight, and using their saliva to glue the sticks together to form a small cup-shaped nest, usually on the inside of a masonry chimney. And therein lies the problem. Homeowners such as the person bringing the baby swifts to FLWC will hear a noise in the chimney and remove the babies, because they are a ‘nuisance’ or perhaps because they are concerned that the birds are trapped and can’t escape from the chimney. Many people do not realize that it is normal for swifts to be in their chimneys, and that their presence is only seasonal. The young make the most noise from about 2 weeks of age until they leave for their first flight, at about 30 days of age, so there is only about two weeks before the chimney returns to relative quiet. Proper maintenance of the chimney at the correct time of year will assure that the chimney is safe for swifts and for the winter fires of homeowners. Since swifts are in North America only during the warmest time of year, there is rarely a conflict over sharing the chimney.

Swifts are in decline because of smaller numbers of nesting sites, caused by removal of old chimneys and structures, and the capping of masonry chimneys. To increase the number of nesting sites, ‘swift towers’ can be provided, and various plans for the towers are available on the internet. Education can be effective in helping people understand the importance of these fascinating birds and how we can help them to complete their seasonal cycle before they migrate to Peru and the Amazon River Basin. Chimney swifts, their nests and their young are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Handling, disturbing or molesting migratory birds is a violation of federal and state laws. Swifts are very beneficial to us, both in their mosquito control and in their acrobatic and graceful flight.

To learn more about swifts, go to http://www.chimneyswifts.org/ , which shares information from decades of swift rehab by Georgean and Paul Kyle of Driftwood Wildlife Association in Austin, TX. You may also want to participate in “A Swift Night Out,” which is a continent-wide effort to raise awareness about swifts. As the summer comes to a close and the swifts have finished raising their young, they begin to congregate at communal roosts before their fall migration. Perhaps you have watched swifts feeding at dusk earlier this summer. They will probably go to roost in a nearby tall chimney or other masonry structure. If you can identify the roost in your area, you can do a swift count on a night during the weekend of September 10, 11, or 12. (The other dates for the swift count already occurred in August, but you can see the results on the website.) Observe the roost about 30 minutes before dark and estimate the number of swifts, then email this number and a few other details listed on the website to DWA@austin.rr.com. I’ve noticed that there are two reports of previous counts from Wisconsin, but none from the Madison area. Let’s get on the map!

You can also check out YouTube for various videos of swifts roosting. In some areas, it’s an evening event and people bring lawn chairs and blankets to observe this amazing behavior.

Post: Sandy Fuller

Photos: Brooke Lewis and Lauren Schneider

Cedar Waxwings - A Volunteer Favorite

2010-08-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

I suppose it’s not uncommon for a volunteer at the Four Lakes Wildlife Center to have a favorite bird. I have many, but have always particularly been attracted to cedar waxwings.

Cedar waxwings have a distinctive, dramatic black mask over their eyes, outlined in white. The have a patch of red on their wing, and a splash of yellow on their tail, all in all a very handsome bird. They like to travel in groups, eating berries or sitting on phone lines. They have a very quiet, gentle call.

Our patient, a fledgling, was brought to the center July 7 by a man from Waunakee. He and his wife had found the bird in their backyard, which is frequented by a dog. The man said his wife knew about FLWC, so he brought it in along with a donation to help support the center.

I was pleased to be able to take care of the bird the day he was admitted. At first, he refused the passerine I offered him, but an hour later, he must have been hungry because he got the hang of it. The photo shows him on that first day.

Volunteers at FLWC work in different areas from week to week. So one week you might be taking care of ducklings, the next – baby birds in the incubators. I didn’t take care of the waxwing again until July 19. He had grown significantly and seemed to be doing well.

On my shift July 29, he had been moved into a new cage and is now rooming with two other waxwings. I will continue to monitor his care, though I hope he may be ready for release in the not-too-distant future!

Post and photo: Ruth Purcell

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Progress

2010-07-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we received one of our smallest admits ever: a young Ruby-throated Hummingbird. This bird had been taken to the Exceptional Care for Animals Clinic because it could not fly. It was found on Crawford Drive in Madison in an individual’s backyard. As seen in the accompanying photo the bird was missing primary and secondary feathers on the right wing. They placed the bird in an incubator to warm up, and fed it water and nectar.

Upon admission to FLWC on July 15 the bird was placed in a 'critter keeper'. The bird was bright, alert and responsive but could not fly. When received, the bird weighed 3 grams, equal to about 1/10 of an ounce. As you can imagine this patient has special needs. It requires nectar (we use Perky Pet brand) mixed with 20 ground up wax worms, served from a hummingbird feeder. Special care must be taken to make sure the feathers do not get sticky with nectar. If the feathers get sticky the bird must be gently washed.

What made me so interested in this bird is that I enjoy watching hummingbirds out in the wild because their habits are so different than other birds. They can hover in one place, fly backwards and reach speeds over 50 miles per hour. They are very small yet will get very close to humans.

I must relate a story of an incident that happened to me a few years ago. Each year at our cottage we put out a hummingbird feeder at the end of the overhang by the front of the cottage. We enjoy the hummingbirds drinking the sugar water or nectar from a feeder right above our heads. We also enjoy their acrobatic flight and territoriality. Apparently they can even fly upside down.

About four years ago in late April I heard a loud humming, like a giant bee, coming from the hummingbird feeder area. When I looked there was a hummingbird hovering in the area of our feeder. It came back numerous times looking for something to drink. What surprised me was that we had not put out the feeder yet that year. Apparently that bird had visited that same feeder, probably the year before, and had decided to try it again. To me this is so remarkable that a bird that weighs just a fraction of an ounce, that migrated probably all the way from here across the Gulf of Mexico to Central America or Mexico and back could find a feeder in the middle of a forested area months later. Quite remarkable for a bird that weighs just a fraction of one ounce.

Apparently the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most common species of hummingbird in the eastern half of North America. They are easily attracted to a feeder where they may aggressively defend their territory. The female raise the young after building a walnut-sized nest. The eggs are about the size of a pea and are incubated for 12-16 days. The average weight of this type of bird is 1/8 ounce. The heart rate is about 250 beats per minute but can go to 1,200 beats per minute. For fascinating information on hummingbirds go to Hummingbirds.net or All About Birds.

Our hummingbird is probably a juvenile male. It is speculated that this bird could have been attacked by a predator and therefore lost feathers on the right wing. Unfortunately, this bird must lose all its old feathers and grow new ones before it can be released into the wild. The bird will require much diligent care before it can be released and it will take some months for this to happen. Hopefully this will occur before the time to migrate.

Keep posted for updates; admit number 10-1146.

Post: Al Greene

Photos: Lauren Schneider

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Making a Good Comeback

2010-07-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

This young Cooper's Hawk was brought into the wildlife center in very poor condition in the afternoon on Friday, July 2nd. He was found at a residence in Bristol along with another one that was already deceased.

This guy was very emaciated. As a result his gastrointestinal tract was weak and damaged and his electrolytes (salts and ion ratios of the blood and body) were unbalanced. Treating an emaciated animal takes patience. If you try to feed an emaciated animal immediately it could die because its body cannot handle the stress of digesting complex nutrients. The food could also sit in its crop and release bacterial toxins into the bloodstream.

So at first we had to tube (gavage) feed with a fluid of pure electrolytes, and then gradually added simple foods. Gavage is done by attaching a rubber tube to a large syringe used for fluid therapy and carefully pushing the tube about half way down the bird's chest to its proventriculus. After completion of tube feeding we fed him small pieces of skinned food soaked in electrolytes with tweezers and gradually he ate small pieces of food with the skin and fur still on. I am happy to say he is now eating cut-up pieces of food all on his own. The next phase will be exactly what he will eat in the wild: whole mice!

He had another complication as well: When he was brought in his toes were all curled up and he could not open them. But he needs them for hunting and grasping prey. So boots were put on his feet to keep his toes open. That was successful and the toes stayed open, although one of the toes was damaged and was surgically removed. In the photo you can see the boot on the foot that had the surgery.

This young hawk is an amazing bird. In spite of all it has been through, it is continuing to eat on its own and appears to be doing well. It has a strong desire to live and get back into the wild. The staff and volunteers at the wildlife center are doing everything possible to try and make that happen!

Post and photo: William Wright

Diary of a Foster Mom

2010-06-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

If anyone has considered fostering orphaned squirrels or rabbits but hasn't brought a box of fur-children home yet, I want to offer forth some words of encouragement, with the hope that it engages the gentle reader to act.

It is the first time in over a week-and-a-half, that I have a few moments to do any activity other than feeding five hungry infant squirrels. A few weeks back, I agreed to take on baby squirrels for fostering because the spring nursery season was getting off to an early start. The FLWC was overflowing with fur and feathered orphans and needed folks to raise the endless procession of squirrels and rabbits arriving at the wildlife center. I took home my large clan, rationalizing that I would be able to keep up with the demands of their rigorous feeding schedule. WHAT was I thinking??!!! Five squirrels. FIVE squirrels! Five wriggling, hungry baby squirrels. Yes, this is crazy-demanding, but it's only for a few weeks. Soon, I will only have to feed them three times a day. That indeed, would be a luxury!

This would be my second time raising squirrels, having successfully cared for a group of adorable-yet rebellious, flea-covered, near juveniles the previous fall. Throughout that summer, I was reticent to take on fostering duties. I sat on the fence, as orphans came in and pleas for foster parents were met by other volunteers. "Too much pressure and responsibility," I thought.

When a construction worker came to the wildlife center with a shoe box of four, chipmunk-sized, bright-eyed babies, and the sad story of their mother being hit by a car, I finally made the decision to be a foster parent. I was apprehensive, but the need was great. Every other foster parent had their hands full, and I realized that it was my time to lend a hand. That night, I drove home with a bag of powdered formula, syringes, instructions on raising squirrels, a heating pad, and a box of sleeping kids that needed me. I managed to turn a corner, and I became a foster mom. It was challenging, but I quickly fell into the duties of feeding and became immersed with raising my rambunctious gang of four. I can say with great satisfaction, that my foursome survived to become healthy adults, and were eventually released back outside. That first season was a tremendous learning experience. It also boosted my confidence to resume fostering this spring, and helped give me perspective to withstand the loss of the first squirrel I took home this season. Now, here I was again, nursing five baby squirrels, reminding myself that, with larger numbers, there would be the possibility that one ( or two ) in the group would not survive. I remained hopeful, convincing myself that all of my kids would make it.

My group of five babies was approximately three weeks old, with the females outnumbering the males. They were such a precious bunch to behold, since a thin veneer of fur had just started to cover everything except their bellies, making them appear sleek and velvety. Their eyes were tightly closed, but despite their tender age, lower incisors were already making an appearance. During feeding, I couldn't help laughing at the Spotless Girl, whose legs would flail wildly, her tail spinning like a propeller when she would drink from the syringe.

Four of the squirrels were sporting nail polish spots on the back of their heads so that I could tell them apart during feedings. The babies were so identical-looking, that, were it not for this visual cue and their genitals to distinguish them, I would have struggled to gauge which was which. Although I was initially reluctant to name them, I decided to do just that, basing their names on the colors they received. There was Greenie and Spotless Girl, each weighing 53 grams--the heaviest of the bunch. Red Man came in second at 52g, with Yellowman and Purple Girl weighing the least at 50g and 48g respectively. My job was to make sure that everyone received the right amount of formula five times daily, and that they were kept warm, clean and dry. I was eager to take on the task of caring for them but must admit, as the days passed, the relentless feeding schedule started to take its toll. For a while, my schedule did not mesh with theirs and I felt that I was failing the babies when I was only capable of feeding them four times a day. I was experiencing a mother's guilt—and boy, did I stew in it! Fortunately, the lack of a fifth feeding session seemed to have no effect on the fact that the babies were healthy and gaining weight dramatically. Once their eyes began to open, I felt that I was doing the right thing and began to make peace with the grueling feeding timetable. It would only be a couple of weeks time before the babies would reach juvenile stage and then a few weeks more when they are weaned off formula. The number of daily feedings would diminish! Life would soon return to normal, so I tried to embrace the demands of feeding and looked forward to charting the progress of each baby as they passed the squirrel milestones into maturity.

Stay Tuned for the next installment: The Babies' Progress.
Post and photos: Christina Ciano, FLWC Level 2 Volunteer

Are You Interested in Raising Baby Squirrels?

2010-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last week the annual session in squirrel foster training was held by Four Lakes Wildlife Center in the large meeting room of the Dane County Humane Society — and not a moment too soon! The unseasonably warm and sunny days of late March and April ushered forth a baby boom of considerable proportions, putting the volunteers of FLWC on notice: the orphans are arriving!

Because FLWC is looking for interested people to nurture the newborns and youngsters that arrive daily, they offer training on how to care for them, presenting basic techniques on feeding, selecting proper bedding, and what to look for each week as the babies mature.

The age of the babies that come in range from newly born (which is rare), to on the cusp of weaning (8-10 weeks). The youngest appear pink because they have no fur and their skin is transparent. Their eyes are tightly closed and remain that way until approximately the 4th week (27-32 days old), with lower incisors appearing at about three weeks. The feeding sessions can be extremely demanding, with the tiniest newborns requiring formula six to eight times a day. Fortunately, as the infants continue to gain weight, the number of feedings reduce until they are able to eat solid food and are ready to be weaned.

Just about every day a new bunch of wild baby squirrels (and rabbits) are brought to the FLWC, which then sends out all points e-mail bulletins calling for foster parents to raise these tiny orphans. The need for additional people to nurse squirrels is tremendous! If you think that you might like to learn more about fostering orphaned squirrels or rabbits please contact Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator Brooke Lewis at blewis@giveshelter.org.

Post and photos: Christina Ciano

Spring Baby Boom and Garage Sale Results

2010-04-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

The wildlife center has been very busy receiving orphaned squirrels and bunnies. Brooke says we have received four times the number this year vs. last year (100 versus 25), and isn't certain why we're experiencing the large increase but suspects that the warm, early spring might have something to do with it. These babies are now in the homes of trained fosters.

Training and refreshers for volunteers of all levels are off to a roaring start as well. The FLWC 2010 season officially opens with a full volunteer staff on Monday, May 17th but Brooke is hoping to have some volunteers there the two weeks before that due to the quantity of patients we are receiving.

Our annual garage sale last weekend yielded $2,633! Thanks to everyone who donated items, we had everything you could dream of: furniture, books, DVDs and videos, pet supplies, household and kitchen décor and utilitarian items, office supplies, lawn ornaments and furniture, adult and children's clothing, bicycles, toys, plus cool vintage items from holiday decorations and books to 33-rpm records (I wonder who snapped up Alvin and the Chipmunks?) to Pez dispensers.

Thanks go to everyone who helped move all these items from our garage into the saleroom, the people who helped to price everything, the people who baked goodies for the concurrent bake sale, the people who assisted on the "sales floor" Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and to those who helped move any unsold items to Goodwill. Finally thanks to Terri and George Bass. Brooke says that without all of their prep work, the sale wouldn't have been possible. Kudos to all!

Post: Lori Conner
Photo: Peggy Popp

Road Trip to Raptor Education Group, Inc.

2010-04-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Last month I took a road trip up to Raptor Education Group, Inc. (REGI) in Antigo, Wisconsin. Executive Director Marge Gibson invited me to come to learn her raptor handling techniques. It was dark and chilly when I left Madison at 5:30 in the morning but it was great to watch the sunrise as I headed north. When I arrived at 8:30 Marge invited me inside for coffee and to talk about the requirements and dedication it takes to be a good wildlife rehabilitator. She is a great educator as well as a rehabilitator.

The warm sun was beginning to take the chill out of the air, and it was time for a tour of the facility. It is huge! The clinic is very similar to what you would see when you bring a pet to a veterinary clinic. REGI and Marge are very capable of handling most injuries and illnesses. There are indoor pens for the patients when they first arrive and numerous pens outside for when they are ready for the next phase of recovery. The Eagle flight aviary is one of the largest in the world. As we continued the tour Marge decided it was time for the Sandhill cranes to go outside. They are huge birds and I had never been that close to them. I also saw almost every type of owl including Snowy Owls which are beautiful birds! There are also hawks, falcons, merlins, Bald eagles and Turkey vultures. Some of the birds are used for education because they didn’t fully recover from illnesses or injuries and couldn’t be returned back to the wild. Teaching the public to respect and care about wildlife is an important mission of REGI.

In 1989 Marge brought back a huge Bald eagle from Alaska after the Valdez oil tanker ran aground and created a huge oil spill. Marge was one of only six people in the world qualified to help rescue and clean up all of the birds that were effected by the spill. The eagle never fully recovered and couldn’t be returned to the wild and I learned that they sometimes live to be 50 years old.

It was now time to start learning raptor handling techniques. Marge taught me how to capture them in large flight aviaries which I had never done before. I first started with a Great Horned owl. Marge said I did good with the owl so she asked, Are you ready for an eagle? Handling an eagle is a lot different then an owl or a hawk. They are so much bigger and their wingspan is about seven and a half feet! That was an experience I will never forget, even if I never handle another one. It is good to know I could do it if I had to again. We ended my training handling a Red-tailed hawk, which seemed small after the Eagle.

Marge is one of the best raptor rehabilitators in the world and it was a real privilege to learn from her. The three-hour trip home seemed short as I was thinking about the wonderful day and the great experiences I had.

REGI has a blog called Taking Flight and it can be found on our blog under Blogroll. Just click on the Taking Flight link. There are some remarkable stories on there!

Story: Bill Wright, FLWC Lead volunteer

Photos: REGI

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny Recap!

2010-04-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Children of all ages got a chance to appreciate the Easter Bunny in a whole new light when Four Lakes Wildlife Center, the wildlife branch of the Dane County Humane Society, hosted its first annual breakfast fundraiser to generate financing that sustains the rehabilitation of injured wildlife.

The beloved cottontail of holiday lore the Easter Bunny was instrumental in drumming up support for its wild, furry colleagues, as an endless stream of children frolicked and dined in the fuzzy bunny's presence.

The empty dining room was quickly filled by dozens of families enjoying breakfasts of scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and pancakes.

Despite the fact that over one hundred people attended the breakfast the staff of enthusiastic volunteers worked non-stop in the kitchen, flapping jacks and brewing coffee while friendly servers doled out hot entrees and kept the beverages flowing. The Easter Bunny did his part by dancing and cavorting with any child who sought his attention, prancing and capering non-stop throughout the entire event.

Many families lingered after their meals, anticipating the big Easter egg hunt, which took place both indoors and outside as the weather began to improve. As they waited, children spent some quality time with the Easter Bunny while other youngsters fashioned colorful containers to collect their holiday loot at a nearby craft table.

Kids could also get in the mood by having their faces painted with springtime images of eggs and bunnies, or to resemble their favorite animal.

For many children and parents alike the most popular activity was spending time with the baby chicks and ducklings provided by a FLWC volunteer's farm. The chance to sit and hold these adorable babies covered in downy peach-fuzz, was too much for kids of any age to resist.

I would have cuddled with the hatchlings myself, if there weren't so many children eagerly waiting to cozy up to the fluffy fledglings. Parents gathered close by with their cameras, looking to capture their son or daughter in a perfect bonding moment with these endearing creatures. Although they're considered domesticated livestock, often produced to end up on our dinner table, our instinctive affection for them demonstrates the significant effect all animals have on us humans. Our fondness and curiosity even extends to their counterparts in the wild — and rightly so. In this age of human encroachment on animal habitat, the natural world depends on us more than ever to sustain itself. Thanks to the Four Lakes Wildlife Center injured hawks and owls are being treated and rehabilitated back to the wild. Scores of orphaned baby birds, squirrels and rabbits are raised to be healthy so that they can survive on their own, once they are released back into the great outdoors.

The organization has been in existence since 2002 and relies upon donations to keep its barn doors open. It's the only major group that exclusively cares for wildlife in the southeastern Wisconsin area. Last year, the center cared for 1,300 wild animals, and with the recent warm, spring temperatures that we've experienced in Madison, nursery season is getting off to an early start. Therefore it's very crucial that the public continue to support the wildlife center by attending fund-raising events such these.

It gives me extreme pleasure to note that the event turned out to be a great success, raising almost $1,100 for the center.

The breakfast drummed up attention from the local television stations as well. The three major channels: 3, 15 and 27, all stopped by to cover the festivities, demonstrating that many Dane County families are eager to do their part in protecting area wildlife.

Post and photos: Christina Ciano, FLWC General Volunteer

An Unpleasant Outcome

2010-03-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last October we received a coyote that had been hit by a car near Portage, captured, and taken to the Emergency Clinic for Animals for treatment. He was diagnosed with a broken right rear leg. A pin was placed in the leg to stabilize the break and he was then brought to the FLWC for rehab.

He was placed in the duck coop and provided a doghouse-like shelter for a place to hide. While there many of us provided him with rats, dog food, fruits, vegetables and water. Yet it was very difficult to see this patient of ours! When he heard people coming he would almost always hide in the house. After approximately five months the animal was taken to the ECA to see the progress of the broken leg, and the x-ray and examination showed that the leg had healed well. With this good news the coyote could be placed into the large raptor pen so it could move around more and gain some weight (it was found to be somewhat underweight).

About the beginning of March he was placed in the large raptor pen. There he was fed normally and seemed healthy. Patrick and I observed that he was using the broken leg normally and that he wanted to leave the large enclosure.

Unfortunately things took a turn for the worst on Tuesday, March 16. Brooke found him covered in mud and staggering around the cage. The coyote was covered with mud because it was having seizures. She notified our Lead Rehabilitator Patrick and both of them working together managed to clean the animal up. Then, while resting in a cage, he began to have more frequent seizures. After consulting with a veterinarian it was determined that euthanasia was the humane alternative to a slow and increasingly uncomfortable demise.

Possibilities for the cause of this situation include rabies, distemper or a worm that travels to the brain. The 'good news' is that the results of the rabies test came back negative. The bad news is that it had a disease or disorder that we cannot pinpoint. This raises many questions. Among them are: Could we have prevented this outcome? If so how? Was there some way to determine that the coyote was sick or getting sick well before it had seizures? What would have been the cost to control or cure this? Or could it be cured or controlled by any means? Should some of our animals be routinely examined and put though that stress to determine if they are healthy — even though they show no signs of illness? I am sure you can think of many other questions.

If we are to learn one thing from this unfortunate incident it is, I believe, that we must be prepared for disappointment, though it is very difficult, even if we do our very best. We must continue to give our animals the best that we can but must balance this disappointing outcome against the good we do for many, many other animals.

If you have any other comments about this please post.

Post and photos: Al Greene

The 1st Annual Wildlife Baby Shower was a Great Success

2010-03-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we hosted our 1st Annual Wildlife Baby Shower and it was a great success! Hundreds of people showed up to support us in our mission to care for the ill, injured and orphaned wildlife in south central Wisconsin. This event helped us collect the supplies we need to be prepared for the rush of spring babies that will come through our doors in the upcoming weeks. More than half of our patients each year are babies. Of our 1,130 wild patients last year, nearly of 700 of them were babies. The baby shower had lots of fun to offer all those who attended. A baby shower would not be complete with out a great cake - and we had two! The guests enjoyed some of the fabulously decorated cakes - one donated by Craig's Cake Shop and the other by Sherie Rakow (in photo).

The baby chicks and ducklings were a hit with both the kids and adults! Everyone had the opportunity to pet and hold these little critters - definitely the highlight of the event for many!

Speedskating Olympic Gold Medalist, Casey FitzRandolph was there to autograph photo postcards for the attendees from 2 to 3 pm. He is an avid outdoorsman, and was happy to help out to show his support for our mission.

The kids were entertained with face painting, free paper crafts and carnival games. Lots of little prizes went home with all the kids.

The business community stepped up to donate many items for our silent auction.

WISC-TV Channel 3 and WKOW Channel 27 both showed up to get some footage for the evening news. Click HERE to view the WKOW Channel 27 News clip.

As you can see by the large pile of donations we received, this years babies will be off to a great start thanks to the generosity of our supporters! We thank you all, and hope to see you back next year for the 2nd Annual Wildlife Baby Shower!

Post and photos: Brooke Lewis, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator

2010 National Wildlife Rehabilitator's Symposium

2010-03-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

The National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association 2010 Symposium was held last week in Bellevue, Washington. Bellevue is just to the east of Seattle and surrounded by the Cascade mountain range – a beautiful setting for this conference! PAWS Wildlife Center was the host of the symposium. (FLWC alumna Raina Domek now spends her time working with this center.) A few other FLWC volunteers made the trek out to the symposium too including Lindsey Boland and Tom and Cathy Manley.

On day one I attended the pre-conference full-day workshop entitled “Patient Evaluation and Stabilization” taught by Dr. Erica Miller of International Bird Rescue Research Center. The day consisted of a mix of lecture followed by hands-on opportunities to try the techniques covered including physical exams, radiographic positioning, blood collection and bandaging. At the end of the day we had opportunity to perform necropsy to see if we could determine cause of death. My subject was an adult male opossum with a severe humeral (upper arm) fracture.

Each day there were four major topics to choose from for each of three daily sessions. There was never a shortage of pertinent lectures and other sessions to attend, dedicated to raptors, mammals, birds, water birds, administration, veterinary topics, pharmacology and more.

Along with the standard conference-style lectures many workshops were offered throughout the course of the week. I attended three including pediatric mammal critical care, wound management and pre-release assessment. I found wound management to be very interesting and came away with the names of several new products: Tegaderm, Duoderm and Nu-gel, which would be great to help us in managing the wounds of patients at FLWC.

Exotic animal feed company Mazuri debuted a new nestling songbird diet at the symposium. The powder mixes with water to make the diet for nestling passerine birds. A paper presented at the symposium tested the FoNS diet (currently used at FLWC) versus this new diet, and found them to achieve the same results statistically. A diet such as Mazuri's would simplify our work at FLWC, so unless it is cost prohibitive I hope to be able to give it a try this season.

The conference wrapped up with a Friday banquet. We were served a great meal and were entertained by conference speakers including PAWS' wildlife veterinarian Dr. John Huckabee. Perhaps one of the most valuable things gained from the symposium were the connections made with other rehabilitators across the country who will serve as sources of advice in the future.

Being my first time in the Pacific Northwest I couldn’t travel all the way out to Washington without taking some time to see some sights. Highlights included a whale watching tour to see Gray whales migrating through Puget Sound and a quick trip to Mount Rainier National Park. We arrived at the park with just enough time to see Mount Rainier before dark — a pretty amazing sight!

I would encourage all FLWC volunteers, and anyone with interest in wildlife rehabilitation, to consider attending the 2011 Symposium. The location is yet to be announced but it is guaranteed to be a great learning experience!

Post and photos: Brooke Lewis, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator

Wood duck with Bad Wing Gets Permanent Home

2010-03-12T07:04:00.000-08:00

Last week Brooke Lewis and three other FLWC volunteers including myself drove to the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay to release our Wood duck. As detailed in an earlier post she lost part of her wing and would not be able to fly, making release into the wild out of the question.

The sanctuary's Curator Mike Reed met with us and explained that their duck enclosure has only one other Wood duck — a male. This male would be caught and placed inside of a separate enclosure along with our female for a day or two so that they could bond. Then they would be brought back to their more permanent home that is shared with a variety of other duck species.

The outdoor enclosed area had a pool and running water much like a small stream. The public is able to enter this area to identify and observe the numerous duck species there.

We had a great behind the scenes look at a place that is very similar to a zoo in that it keeps some animals — but it also releases many animals when they are capable of surviving in the wild.

Admission to the The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is free. For anyone who loves animals it is a great place to visit!

Post and photos: Al Greene

Eastern Screech Owl Mystery

2010-03-09T07:06:00.000-08:00

We recently admitted an adult Eastern Screech owl that spent two days in a Belleview family’s farm shed. It didn’t resist being moved by the residents and presented no obvious injuries or problems other than slight ataxia, a lack of coordination in muscle movements. We are holding the owl for observation and it has been doing well and gaining weight.

Eastern Screech owls are just one of 21 known species of Screech owl, and new species are discovered regularly. These nocturnal birds nest solitarily in excavated tree trunks in deciduous and mixed forests of eastern North America. They are quite common in residential areas and will sometimes live in nest boxes put out by humans!

Post: Allison Barnard

Volunteer with us this Season!

2010-03-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Everyone gets involved with the wildlife center for different reasons. Here is just my story.

I missed my sister's hobby farm when she moved, the animals to the smell of the hay. I remembered seeing a big red barn next to the Dane County Humane Society and found out that's where volunteers rehabilitate birds, raptors and mammals. I used to do a lot of volunteer work and was ready for some again, so I signed up for the 2009 season. Then, just several weeks before the season started, my beloved 19+ year-old cat Zoe passed away. Despite her age, it was unexpected and fairly traumatic since she'd been with me almost half of my life. My heart was broken. It wasn't a happy spring, until one day I woke up smiling from a dream where I was hand feeding those birds. They are so innocent and utterly appreciative — and they had put a smile back on my face! That season I also met many other volunteers many of whom I now consider friends.

If you are considering volunteering with us and are curious about what is entailed, here is a very brief breakdown of the levels of volunteers that we need every day at the center during the spring, summer and early autumn:

Level 1: Basic care and feeding of nestling songbirds, ducklings and adult ducks.

Level 2: Basic care and feeding of fledgling songbirds, adult (weaned) rabbits and squirrels, assisting with level 1 duties as needed.

Level 3: Care and feeding of raptors, unusual waterfowl species and other special needs species; physical exams; new admissions; mentoring new volunteers; assisting with level 1 & 2 duties as needed.

Level 4: Rabies pre-exposure vaccinations required: basic care and feeding of rabies vector species (coyote, fox, badger, etc); assisting with level 1, 2 & 3 duties as needed.

Do you have a story to share about how you got involved in volunteering with the wildlife center? Please use the Comment section below to tell us about it!

Post: Lori Conner

Prevent Migrating Songbird Deaths with WindowAlerts — Free Through April 2010

2010-03-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

You probably already know that birders look forward to spring as hundreds of different songbirds migrate through our area returning to their summer homes from their winter homes in South America. But did you know that scientists estimate that every year up to a billion songbirds are killed in North America by flying into windows because they mistake the transparacy of glass or reflections of foliage for a flight route or place to rest?

Milwaukee is in the center of the migration flyway and every morning a team from the Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center's Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds (WINGS) goes into the urban "field" to do search and rescue. They collect the birds, monitoring the casualties and rehabilitating those that can be healed.

Right now WINGS is offering eight free WindowAlerts including free shipping and handling! Help protect birds from collisions with windows at your home or office this spring and order now. This offer is in effect now through April 30th, 2010.

Their website also guides you to other window cling designs, and includes many more ideas for reducing bird collisions at home and work.

After April 30th the standard $2.50 for shipping will apply. This generous offer is made possible by a grant from the Jeff Rusinow Family Foundation.

Also of interest:

Wisconsin Bird Watching Hot Spots

Wisconsin Public Television on WINGS: Part 1 | Part 2

Post: Lori Conner

Sneak Preview: FLWC Renovations

2010-02-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Over the winter the wildlife center has received some nice renovations and interior organizational improvements. John Kraack continues to repair our raptor flight pen that caved in due to the enormous snowfall we had earlier this winter (no raptors or people were injured) and is just about done (see photos above and below).

Next John will fix the duck pen that also was damaged by snow and ice, and be building a large area for carnivorous mammals so they can hunt for their meals — a skill that they'll need to demonstrate before they can be released back into the wild.

Al Greene donated his old kitchen cabinets which were installed by Brooke's father George Bowman and her husband Jon Lewis. Brooke has been busy organizing supplies to improve workflow in the kitchen area. Al also did all the priming and painting of the new wall between the barn and kitchen that will protect the new refrigerator from cold weather throughout the year. Owner of All American Electrical in Oregon Bob Dorman is doing all of the new interior electrical work. During her live interview with WKOW-TV last fall Brooke said that we really needed licensed electricians and plumbers and Bob called to volunteer and help us. Now he is also interested in  animal care and may be doing rehabilitation with us this spring!

Thank you all for your hard work — the 2010 season is sure shaping up to be a good one!

Story and photos: Lori Conner

That's No Rattlesnake — It's an Eastern Milk Snake

2010-02-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

Dane County Animal Control received a call from a Mt. Horeb resident that there was a rattlesnake in the unfinished basement of their older farm home. When they arrived at the residence they found that the snake was not a rattlesnake at all, but an Eastern Milk snake which was caught and taken to the Four Lakes Wildlife Center. Upon arrival the snake was found to be suffering from dehydration and a mouth infection so severe it would not eat on its own. Because of the dehydration, the snake could not shed its skin. To help alleviate this problem the snake was placed in water for about one hour. From my observation, the snake did all it could to avoid the water but the water was necessary so that its skin could absorb some moisture and allow it to drink more easily. This would also help the snake shed its skin, some of which was covering one eye.

The infection on the lip and mouth was probably mouth rot, a disease that affects reptiles and causes the snake not to eat. TMS, trimethoprim sulfa, a liquid, was place down its throat with a syringe. It is hoped that this will clear up the mouth rot. Since the snake would not eat it was fed with a tube. The food is Carnivore Care, which is high in calories and protein, which is placed in the tube and down past the snake’s throat so that it is not regurgitated. Check back for updates!

The name Milk snake apparently comes from an old folk tale about a snake supposedly suckling milk from a cow. According to the Wisconsin Natural Resources web site, Milk snakes are common in the southern two-thirds of Wisconsin. They can reach a length of 3 ½ feet and like to frequent buildings and rubbish heaps including farmyards and buildings where they hunt for rodents which are their primary diet. Occasionally they will also eat small snakes, lizards, birds and eggs.

Story and photos: Al Greene

Admit number: 10-0010

Update on the Great Horned Owl

2010-02-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago, our Great Horned owl with the foot abscess went in to Exceptional Care for Animals for another recheck on her foot. Dr. Mark Koeppl, the veterinarian that has been treating her from the beginning had given her a guarded prognosis from the start. He wasn’t sure that she would ever be able to use this foot because of ligament damage due to the extent of this infection. When her bandage was removed, the wound looked good and it appeared that the infection was gone. He sutured the wound that was left, and she came back to us on antibiotics for another ten days to be sure the healing stayed on the right path. She had her last dose of antibiotics this Monday, and by Thursday, there was a fluid filled swelling on that leg again. Aspiration of the fluid with a syringe revealed that her wound was again infected. Despite her set-back, her attitude and general health is still great. She is back on another course of antibiotics, and will be returning to see Dr. Koeppl again on Sunday for more treatment.

Story and photo: Brooke Lewis, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator
Admit number: 09-1251

Japanese Veterinarian Students Tour FLWC

2010-02-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

Last Friday two veterinarian students toured our wildlife center, accompanied by Makoto Asano, D.V.M, Ph.D. of Gifu University, Gifu Japan, who also performs wildlife rehabilitation. The students are being hosted by the Wisconsin DNR’s Wildlife Health section and are interested in learning about the role of veterinarians in the field of wildlife health in America. WDNR Wildlife Rehabilitation Liaison Jennifer Haverty thought that it would be helpful to expose them to various types of wildlife health professions including education at UW-Stevens Point and wildlife rehabilitation such as our operation here at FLWC.

After the tour Asono told us about the state of wildlife rehab in Japan. He said it is not as regulated with license requirements, etc. as it is here in the U.S., and that they perform rehab there not as much to release individuals but to protect biological diversity. Our wildlife coordinator Brooke asked if the practice of wildlife rehab was growing in Japan and he replied that donations are not as popular in Japan, and that they would have trouble getting the funds to build facilities such as ours, to support a program.

Shoki Yamazaki shared how he has been working to create an education bird out of a Goshawk back in Japan, and Keiko Ogawa told us about a study she has been working on where she is collecting fecal samples from rehabbed animals and wild free-roaming wildlife to compare the bacteria found in the samples. She was able to isolate antibiotic resistant bacteria in the fecal sample of rehabbed birds that she was not able to find in wild mammals but so far can't make conclusions since she has not been able to collect wild bird samples to try to isolate the resistant bacteria.

Jennifer added that there has been discussion about this in our country too, but no studies yet to see if the rehabbed animals are bringing diseases they may pick up in rehab out to the regular population.

Photo, left to right: Jennifer Haverty, Shoki Yamazaki, Keiko Ogawa, UW-Stevens Point wildlife disease grad student Mandie Cyr, Makato Asano and Brooke Lewis.

Thank you WDNR and Raptor Education Group, Inc. for referring this group to our wildlife center!

Story: Lori Conner and Brooke Lewis
Photo: Lori Conner

Rehabbed Bald Eagles Released!

2010-02-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday FLWC Head volunteer Bill Wright and I took a road trip to Prairie du Sac (Sauk City) to watch raptor rehabilitator Marge Gibson release three healthy patients back into the wild and document the experience with photographs and a video now available on YouTube.

We arrived at the VFW Park boat landing at 11:15 am to record some footage before the noon releases. The weather was bright and sunny and we had no idea that over the next 45 minutes about 150 more people would be joining us on this cold, blustery day — many with cameras in hand (as you will hear on the video). As a thick cloud blanket started moving in, Gibson arrived in a van with a mature male bald eagle in her lap — no cage. She proceeded to walk around the crowd so that everyone got to share a moment with the magnificent creature. She followed this procedure with each eagle, showing great professionalism, sensitivity and camaraderie with the eagles as well as the crowd, and in her video interview with us she explains why she feels that this is such an important part of the release process.

As one of the world's preeminent wildlife rehabilitators Gibson has been interviewed by dozens of media outlets through the years including Wisconsin Public Television. She co-founded the Raptor Education Group, Inc. in Antigo, Wisconsin in 1990 with her husband Don, who is a retired medical doctor. They and their staff and volunteers focus as much on educating the public about raptors as they do rehabilitating them.

If you would like to follow the adventures of this organization and its amazing patients on a daily basis you can follow their blog. The public is also invited to visit REGI; its 2010 tour schedule will be announced this spring.

Story: Lori Conner
Photos: Bill Wright
Video: Lori Conner
Video Commentator: Bill Wright

Becoming a Licensed Rehabber: Peggy Popp's Story

2010-01-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

Peggy, when did you start rehabbing wild animals? The first year I was "officially" rehabbing was 1986. I had been "rescuing" babies since I was about 8 (OK, in retrospect some were kidnapped babies) but in '85 or '86 I was volunteering at the Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) and was on hand when some newborn squirrel babies came in. They went home with me, and thus started a whole new adventure. I started doing orphan care under the DCHS license, and then obtained my own the next year. It was through the Humane Society that I learned about species-specific formulas and care, and it was about that time the National Wildlife Rehabilitator's Association had their annual meeting in Madison, on the UW Campus. I just happened upon it, and went in to learn about some of the wonderful resources available.

What are your current credentials related to wildlife? I have a Masters license with the Wisconsin DNR, and memberships in the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association, Wisconsin Wildlife Rehabilitator's Association and (off and on) with the Minnesota Wildlife Assistance Cooperative. MWAC regularly puts on wonderful workshops and seminars, usually in the Twin Cities area. I've been a member of International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council in the past.

What birds and other animals have you fostered over the years? My home is best suited for small animal care, since I live 'in town'. I've had multitudes of bunnies and grey squirrels, of course, but also a pair of new fawns stranded by flood waters, woodchucks, fox squirrels, a black squirrel, flying squirrels, white-footed field mice (so hard to feed! Their mouths are so tiny it is hard to find a way to get formula into them), 13-line ground squirrels, chipmunks, pine squirrels, raccoons and opossums. My daughter keeps hoping a porcupine baby will make its way to our home someday. I've had the care and keeping of various small birds over the years, but decided not to pursue a federal license and so transfer them to a licensed rehabilitator when they show up on my doorstep.

What are the differences between rehabbing different types of animals? The different categories of wildlife all have very different needs for food, housing, and care schedules. Baby songbirds need to be fed constantly, sunrise to sunset, and should have exposure to the outside sky and adults of their species. Very young mammals need to have a carefully controlled environment and round the clock feeding, and preferably a limited number of caretakers. Predators and Raptors require the opportunity and space to learn hunting skills. Prey species cannot be habituated to anything that will eat them — dogs, cats, people. Small species babies generally need to be fed more often than large ones. The more intelligent the species (raccoons come to mind) the more likely it will need to be educated in survival skills, rather than rely on instinct to kick in. Reptiles require an entirely different set of skills and knowledge to be successfully rehabilitated since they are cold blooded ... the list goes on.

In addition to Peggy's story we hope to interview other licensed rehabbers in the future and tell their stories too. People get into rehabilitating wildlife for many different reasons and in many different ways, but in our state to legally harbor wildlife over 24 hours all require a wildlife rehabber's license from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Click here to go the DNR's website and learn more about obtaining this license.

Interview: Lori Conner, FLWC General volunteer
Photos: Peggy Popp

Broken Wing; Observing Wood Ducks in the Wild

2010-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

If you have been to the wildlife center recently you have noticed a bird that is unusual to see this time of the year — a Wood duck. A repair was attempted on her badly broken wing to give her a chance at being releasable into the wild but inadequate blood supply caused the wing to amputate itself naturally. Antibiotics were put on that wound and it healed over with healthy tissue. This beautiful bird will not be able to fly or to be released into the wild and it is hoped that she can be taken to the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay in the near future.

Wood ducks are not like the Mallards we usually see in the wild. Both have a brood size of 10-15 but Wood ducks typically have two broods per year instead of one. Wood ducks also nest in tree cavities preferably over 30 feet high, or in nesting boxes that humans have provided. These often have predator guards to prevent predators such as raccoons, red fox, owls and rat snakes from entering. Wood ducks that breed north in the US and into Canada usually migrate south in October and November. When the ducklings have hatched they are called by their mother to water, and they drop about ten yards from their nests to the ground. As we who feed young orphaned Wood ducks know, they prefer insects, but as they age their preferred diet changes to primarily aquatic plants such as duckweed and algae, along with insects, invertebrates, nuts and seeds found in shallow water or on the forest floor.

Are you interested in seeing Wood ducks in the wild? Now is the time to spot their nesting boxes. Nest boxes will be found around forested lakes, swamps and river bottoms as well as along the wooded banks of ponds and streams. I have seen many on Department of Natural Resources land, almost all of which is open to the public. The nest boxes are fairly large: approximately 15 inches high, 10 inches across, and 12 inches deep. The entrance hole should be approximately 4 inches in diameter or a 4x3 inch elliptical hole. With little vegetation this time of the year the boxes should be easy to find. Go back this spring and summer to find the wood ducks with their young, in their natural environment. Females are typically browns like our patient but male Wood duck are very colorful with green, black and white on their head. Wood ducks are shy but can usually be spotted in the water, under or near overhanging branches of trees and shrubs.

Story and photos: Al Green, FLWC General volunteer

The Last Patients of 2009

2010-01-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

Our last admits of 2009 were these seven Garter snakes. The seven snakes were presented from a resident that had likely caught them during the warmer weather, housed and fed them for a period of time and recently decided they no longer wanted to continue caring for them. All seven were in good condition with no medical conditions, but cannot be released because of the cold winter weather. In Wisconsin, Garter snakes hibernate for the winter. They gather in hundreds to hibernate together inside of a den called a hibernaculum. In order to survive the winter, they feed heavily during the late summer to stock up on body fat to get them through the winter. The snakes we have at Four Lakes Wildlife Center will not hibernate, but instead we will keep them warm and feed them throughout the winter. When spring emerges and the temperatures are suitable for their survival, they will be released to live out the remainder of their lives in the wild.

Story: Brooke Lewis, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator

Great Horned Owl Admitted

2010-01-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

This Great Horned Owl was dropped off at our lead rehabilitator’s home after a neighbor of his found the owl sitting in his yard. The neighbor offered the owl some food, and placed it on top of his garage roof. He didn’t think the owl could fly because he had one droopy wing and believed it to be broken.

The owl was taken to the Exceptional Care for Animals Clinic (ECA) for an exam, and they found that the wings were not damaged, but that he had a large abscess on his right foot from an old puncture wound. The wing was drooping to allow him to balance correctly because he was shifting his weight to his good foot. The owl was put under gas anesthesia, and the abscess was lanced and cleaned out. A honey bandage was applied, and he was sent back to our care on antibiotics. A few days later, he was taken back to the ECA for a bandage change they found that the abscess was nearly as bad as the day he came it. After a culture and sensitivity test, it was determined that the bacteria in the wound were resistant to the original antibiotic so his medication was changed. He will return to the ECA for another bandage change and assessment in the upcoming days to see how well the new antibiotic is working.

He is eating well and will use the bandaged foot to hold his food while he eats. His prognosis is guarded until the efficacy of the new antibiotic is ascertained. The extent of the damage caused by the infection could result in ligament damage and a loss of ability to properly use that foot for hunting and perching in the wild. [Patient 09-1251]

Story and Photos: Brooke Lewis, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator

Why Do People Care about Wildlife?

2009-12-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

Recently in an interview for a short movie about the wildlife center I was asked: Why do people care about wildlife? My answer was because there is a connection we have to wildlife. There may be different opinions on what that connection is, but it is definitely there — just think of the many stories on the news about ducklings falling in a storm sewer when their mother is taking them to water and how people go out of their way to rescue them.

I feel the connection is that we are all God’s creatures. People may feel wildlife are helpless creatures that do no harm and that’s why we care. Some people may just enjoy taking the time to appreciate wildlife. I recently had occasion on a busy, hectic day to hear the call of a cardinal and took the time to look for him. When I saw him, it changed my outlook for the rest of the day!

I would be interested in knowing other peoples' opinions of why we care about wildlife. Please feel free to make your comments.

Story: Bill Wright, Head volunteer

Wildlife Books from Borders East

2009-12-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a great gift for the animal lover in your life? Come visit FLWC volunteers (see schedule at right) at Borders East to pick out one of the many great wildlife books on their shelves. Here are just a few of the books to choose from:

Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys by Candace Savage
$16.95

We have rehabilitated numerous crows at FLWC, and many volunteers have really learned to love their antics. In her book Crows, Canadian nature writer, Candace Savage, dives into the behaviors and habits that demonstrates the astonishing intelligence of crows. Discussions within the book cover not only the basic biology of crows, but also their social interactions, family structure, tool making capabilities and communication skills. The wonderful blend of myths and legends with scientific truth make this book a very fun read.

The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley
$39.95

For the novice or seasoned birdwatcher, this book is a must have. It is the ultimate of field guides that includes over 6,600 beautiful watercolor illustrations of over 810 North American species. Everything you need to know to identify birds is included here. This is the book utilized by FLWC Volunteers.

Squirrels - The Animal Answer Guide by Richard W. Thorington Jr. and Katie Ferrell

$24.95

If cute, furry mammals are more to your liking, this book, written by Richard W. Thorington, the curator of mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of National History and his former research assistant, Katie Ferrell, delves into the diverse world of squirrels. Did you know that there are 278 species of squirrels that live in 5 of the 7 continents of the world? In a question and answer format, you will find everything you ever wanted to know about squirrels in this book.

The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America by Bill Thompson, III
$14.95

Do you need a book for a younger, budding bird watcher? This book is written for kids from ages 8 to 12, and includes just the right amount of information with beautiful photographs to keep the younger crowd interested. The guide includes the 200 most common birds in eastern North America with interesting facts meant to wow the reader, along with range maps, easy to read keys, and illustrations highlighting the distinctive behaviors and characteristics of each species. The author, Bill Thompson III, was a birder since childhood, and hopes to capture the attention of the younger generation to create birders of the future.

Stop by Borders East to pick up one of these amazing wildlife books as a gift, for yourself or another animal lover, and we will be thrilled to get it all wrapped up for you!

Great Horned Owl Healed; Released Into the Wild

2009-12-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

This Great Horned owl is very special to me. He was found on the edge of a road in Cross Plains on the 24th of July very emaciated, with an ulcer on the cornea of his left eye, and unable to hunt for his food anymore. It was necessary to skin and cut up his food into small pieces and force-feed him with tweezers. I came in one evening when Lindsay, one of the staff members, was there to learn how to feed him. It was a slow process forcing open his beak without hurting him, then getting a small piece of food in there as far as possible, and waiting for him to swallow it. Wildlife get stressed easily so it is important to go slow because if he gets stressed, he regurgitates everything. He was so emaciated; I could stroke his breast and his head to encourage him to eat. That is something you would not do with a healthy owl. He eventually got stronger and started eating his food on his own.

I would stop in to see him some mornings on the way to work. One morning, he hissed and clacked his beak at me. I knew he was feeling much better then, that was a great feeling! Now he was stronger and eating well, something had to be done about his eye. At first surgery was considered. Then it was decided to try antibiotics to see if that would work. For about three weeks a pill was cut up and put in his food daily. Amazingly his eye slowly returned to normal.He was kept inside the center for a while to make sure he was continuing to recover. Patrick decided when it was time for him to go outside, so I took him out to one of the aviaries. I set him down on the ground to make sure he could fly. He flew up to one of the perches without any problems. Shortly after, he was transferred into the larger aviary with the other raptors. In the morning I would go out to the aviary to check on the birds. One morning, I didn't see him. Usually the birds are all on the perches, but I found him perched in the pine tree that is growing inside the aviary.

On Nov. 1st Patrick and I took this owl as well as another Great Horned owl and two Red-tailed hawks to be released. Patrick took us to a great place: farmland with trees surrounding the fields. I held the owl high, so he could see his surroundings, and after he got his bearings, I tossed him up into the air. He flew across the field and landed in a pine tree. He must have lived in a pine tree before he came to the center, because he liked the pine tree in the aviary and flew right to a pine tree when he was released.

It is difficult to describe the emotions I felt when I saw him fly away. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. But I was only one of many volunteers responsible for his care, making it possible for him to be released back into the wild.

Story: Bill Wright, Head volunteer. Photos: Patrick Comfert

Sharp-shinned Hawk Update

2009-12-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

This male Sharp-shinned hawk was brought into the wildlife center on Sep. 29th at 6:45 pm. He was found on the ground, after he flew into a window. He was not in very good shape when he arrived. He had a head tilt and was very weak.

It was very difficult to feed him. He had no desire to eat and one volunteer had to hold him with one hand and carefully pull down on the bottom of his beak with the other hand. The other volunteer had to force open his beak and get a small piece of his food in there with tweezers as far as possible. It was slow going and didn't look good. Patrick helped John feed him the Saturday evening after he arrived, and for the first time he ate well. The next morning, John came in to help me feed him. He ate well again, but still had to be force fed. That evening I helped Lindsay feed him and he was taking the food well, so I asked her to just hold the food in front of his beak and see if he would take it. He did, and that was a wonderful sight to see. We put him back into his pen, put the rest of his food in there with him and he ate it all.

On Oct. 25th Patrick moved him outside to one of the small aviaries. He flew around in circles, which Patrick was concerned would happen because of the head trauma. It also looked like he possibly couldn't see well out of one eye. He was continuing to eat well.

I saw him again Nov. 15th and it looked to me like he was flying normally. I could see what looked like white gauze on his talon and was concerned that something happened to him, but when I went into the aviary with him, I realized that it was a white mouse. (See above photo.) He was not about to give it up under any circumstances, as he flew around with it. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that he was alright. In fact, it looked like he is doing quite well. 'Sharpys' are small accipiter hawks that primarily hunt birds and small mammals, and we need to be sure of his capacity to hunt before we can release him back to the wild.

Story and photo: Bill Wright, Head volunteer

A Conversation with Flying Squirrel Foster Peggy Popp

2009-11-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

Licensed wildlife rehabilitator Peggy Popp of Mount Horeb received her first flying squirrels for foster in the summer of 2006 and has been smitten with them ever since.

What do you like about fostering flying squirrels? They are astonishingly beautiful, and friendly if you get them while still on formula. It is like having a little fairy creature. They are quite social, and enjoy interacting with others. I've released several into yards with an established population, where they could be observed, and it seems as though no matter how "tame" they are when released, they quickly become wild and will not approach humans.

How is fostering flying squirrels different from fostering Grey squirrels? There are five species of squirrels in the squirrel family. The smallest is the flying squirrel, then (going up in size), the Pine, Grey, Fox squirrels, and the Woodchuck. The flying squirrels are about as similar to Grey squirrels as woodchucks are! There are many similarities, but they have different personality traits, rate of maturity, food preferences, and the difference in size makes an enormous difference in how they are housed, fed and handled.

Flying squirrels are tiny and lightweight, weighing about 1 oz. (28 g) when their eyes are opening, and weighing between 2.5 — 3 oz. at release. The adults are about 4 oz. They are also very fast, and once they start jumping and flying they are like handling quicksilver. Pecan bits are a favored treat, and one I use as bribery to get them back into their cage.

In my experience flying squirrels are very docile and rarely bite. If an unfamiliar hand reaches in to them, however, they will go on their side/back and extend all four legs and all 20 claws in a "get back!" position.

For housing, once they've become big enough to be active they need the standard chew-proof squirrel cage of hardware cloth. They love the little sleep sacks fastened to the side of their cage, and branches/stumps to perch on while they eat. Once they start jumping and gliding they need a large, safe, contained area to practice their take offs and landings. They love to practice jumping from any sort of stationary object onto a moving target (such as me), and vice versa. I am always hyper vigilant when they are out, for fear one will land on me and I will accidentally squish it. They are so lightweight, and so fast, you don't always know when they have landed on you, or where on your body they are at any given moment.

They usually come to me as singles and I often house them with other small babies on formula — bunnies, eyes-closed Grey squirrels, and small opossums if I only have the one flier.

Why do you house them with other mammals? Very young mammal babies should never be housed as a single, if it can be at all avoided. They need the contact of another warm body both for the physical (keeping warm) and the socio-emotional support of other babies. The best, of course, is to house them with another of the same species and age. In my opinion the next best thing is to house them with another mammal of similar maturity. When doing that it is important to not put predator and prey species together (of course) but also to monitor them closely to make sure they are co-existing well and there is no bullying behavior. If neither of those is an option, I believe they should be given additional contact with their human caregiver. Babies — any mammal baby — needs contact with another living body to thrive. I have found if their contact with people is limited to a single (or at least very few) individuals, and then contact with people is reduced to about zero as they are taken off of formula and prepared for release, then they are not habituated to people when released.

That said, my experience is with small mammal babies. I don't know if this cost/benefit ratio is true of larger mammals such as fox, coyote, bear, etc., and I do not think it is true of White-tailed deer, which are all too easily tamed and habituated to humans. In these instances it may be the cost of releasing even a somewhat tamed animal far outweighs the benefit of the socializing.

[Above photo: Lindsey Boland]

What do you find most interesting about flying squirrels? I work with a guy who studied flying squirrels in college (he graduated from UW Stevens Point), and he told me Wisconsin is unique in that the Northern and Southern flying squirrel populations overlap in Central Wisconsin, in the Stevens Point/Wausau area.

I also attended a session on flying squirrels presented by some Ohio rehabbers at a NWRA symposium in Chicago and learned that the two are different in that the Northern are slightly larger, but more importantly, when a Northern flying squirrel glides to a tree it will land and immediately move sideways around the trunk, while a Southern flying squirrel will land and run straight up. (Or the other way around, I am not quite certain which does what!) In both cases it is to avoid predators such as owls, that may be following. Something else that I find interesting is how many well-established colonies live in residential neighborhoods, and the human residents are completely unaware of their presence.

What questions do you have for Peggy? Let her know by posting a comment. Answers will be provided in a future post.

Peggy Popp interviewed by FLWC General volunteer Lori Conner. Photos: Peggy Popp.

Giving Thanks

2009-11-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

After a successful season of rehabbing songbirds, mammals and raptors, 35 of our amazing volunteers gave even more of their boundless creativity and energy to make the 2009 Haunted Trail and Autumn with the Animals events huge successes. Together they brought in $3,578! With these funds we have built an insulated wall inside of the barn to protect the new refrigerator that keeps the medicines, passerine, fruits, veggies, grains and meats fresh for our patients. We will also be building a carnivore pen to give Red foxes and other carnivorous mammals an appropriate habitat in which to grow and recover, as well as build hunting skills necessary for release back into the wild.

Thank you to all and,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photos: Brooke Lewis

"Squirrel-proof" Feeder a Mainstay for Flying Squirrels

2009-11-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

Many Wisconsinites don't realize how many flying squirrels we have. I certainly didn't until last June when I went out to fill the "squirrel proof" bird feeder in my front yard. It was around 10 pm when I walked up to the feeder, lifted my head, and was suddenly nose-to-nose with a small, light-colored creature with great big eyes that was resting quite comfortably on the skinny support bar. It scurried up the tree and I thought perhaps it was a baby Grey squirrel, but had a strong suspicion it was something else.

Then one night this fall my suspicions were confirmed. I noticed the feeder swinging wildly and walked over to investigate. It scurried a few feet above the feeder and was clinging to the maple tree where it could make a safe escape and decide whether I was friend or foe. In the days ahead it warmed up to me, and soon it was feeding within several feet of me, flitting from feeder to tree and back, sometimes so quickly I wondered if there were actually two or more of them!

This, I have learned, is the Southern flying squirrel. Its range extends from central Wisconsin to the southern states and it's smaller than its cousin, the Northern flying squirrel. In a sitting posture the flaps of skin between its limbs fold up around its belly luxuriously, and when it glides through the air it uses its tail as a rudder to navigate. I would love to see it "fly" some time, which they can do at distances of up to 150 feet in a single leap.

The nest could be inside of the large, old maple tree that the feeder is mounted on. The tree has multiple natural openings with a large cavity smack dab in the middle that would keep a nest safe and warm, even in the winter.

Babies are born from April through August, and the female raises them alone. At about eight weeks old, they're ready to begin hunting for insects, seeds, nuts, berries, fruits and fungus. When a predator or downed tree makes these babies orphans, rehabilitators like Peggy Popp become their surrogate parents. Next week, we'll talk with Peggy about what it's like rehabbing these delightful nocturnal mammals.

We invite your comments! What creatures have you seen in your own yard or neighborhood that have surprised you?

Blog post and photos: Lori Conner, General volunteer

To learn more about flying squirrels in general, check out flyingsquirrels.com and information related to the Wisconsin Forest Wildlife poster published by the Wisconsin DNR.

FLWC at Tales From Planet Earth Film Festival

2009-11-16T09:28:00.000-08:00

Head volunteers Bill Wright (left) and Cathy and Tom Manley, share stories of FLWC patients after the screening of The Adventures of Chico at the Tales from Planet Earth Film Festival.

Lindsey and General volunteer Christina Dunn manning the information booth outside the screenings of Wild New York and Milking the Rhino. Below, UW student Ben Koch joins them for a snapshot. Ben was instrumental in coordinating with the FLWC to partner with the film festival and carry out its 2009 missions of justice and community involvement. Thank you, Ben!

Male Great Horned Owl Fosters Chicks

2009-11-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

I learned about Four Lakes Wildlife Center when I adopted a pet rabbit from the Humane Society and decided I wanted to become a volunteer caring for the wildlife. It was the middle of April 2009 when I got a tour of the wildlife center. I noticed in one of the stalls was what looked like three big balls of fur laying in the hay and there was an adult Great Horned owl with them. I was really impressed, because I never saw an owl up close before. I was told that the balls of fur were Great Horned owl chicks and that the adult owl was fostering them. He was bringing them mice and feeding them and taking care of them. That really amazed me that the adult owl would take care of the chicks, since he wasn't the parent.

The center opened for the season a few weeks later and I was surprised to see how much the owl chicks had grown. When the chicks were eating on their own and were starting to fly, they were taken outside to one of the large bird pens called an aviary. The birds are exposed to all weather conditions out there, to prepare them for when they will be released. The adult owl was still with them and the chicks stayed close by him for protection and comfort.

As they continued to grow and get older, they started to become a little more independent. Then the chicks and the adult owl were put into a larger aviary where they had more freedom and more room to fly. After they became accustomed to the larger aviary, it was time to teach the chicks how to hunt for their food.

That was quite an experience when I went out there in the dark with Lindsey and Patrick to put live mice in there for them. I could just make out their outlines as they were flying around and I could feel the wind from their wings as they passed overhead.

It was amazing how quickly they learned how to hunt for their food. Once they knew how to hunt and it was determined they were ready to be released, the hatch in the roof of the aviary was opened. There was food left in the aviary for them and also on the roof, so they could come and go as they pleased. That is called a soft release, providing food for them until they are ready to go off on their own.

Many volunteers were involved in the care of these owls, and that is what made it possible for them to be released back into the wild.

Blog post and photo: Bill Wright, Head Volunteer

WKOW-TV Phone Bank Garners Volunteers — and Much More!

2009-11-08T06:11:00.000-08:00

Each Monday on WKOW-TV evening news (5:00p, 5:30p and 6:30pm!) a segment airs highlighting agencies of the United Way of Dane County. FLWC is one of those agencies, and we were the guest this past Monday, November 2nd!   Six of us staffed the phone bank while the news aired: Brooke Lewis, our new leader and Lindsey Boland, fearless second-in-command, and volunteers John Kraak, Deb Hanrahan, Diane Perris, and Susan Frikken.  

The camera operator honed in on Lindsey's smile. The rest of us attempted not to look too silly! A TV producer came to make sure they had all of our information correct for the segments, and a United Way representative briefed us on how to make the most of our opportunity. For example:   Brooke got tips on being the on-air interviewee.

Brooke (above, right) did really well talking with both lead anchors Diana Henry and Greg Jeschke.  If we got a call from outside of Dane County, we could still refer people to places they can help in their area (2-1-1 Wisconsin: Give or Get Help and Volunteer Wisconsin).  

Our personal favorite on-air tip: If the phones aren't ringing, pretend you are talking on one! Just a few minutes before, Susan had mentioned how funny it was to see people pretending to talk on the phone! So, the instruction was to be a GOOD ACTOR!

It turns out we didn't need to act! Other agencies have gotten anywhere from a few calls in three hours to 30. We got 46 phone calls! We were constantly busy and at one point all six of us were on the phone.

Our outstanding volunteer of the year John Kraak made some personal appointments to meet at the Center with potential licensed electricians and plumbers. Cross your fingers!

People from outside the area called with offers of help to fundraise, foster and offering potential release sites on their land for our rehabilitated animals.

Lots of offers to do the important, get-dirty animal care volunteering came in, too.

The night went by fast and we will hopefully see these new volunteers on our schedule next season!

Blog post and photos: Susan Frikken: FLWC General Volunteer
Photos also posted at Flickr.

Tales From Planet Earth Film Festival Nov. 6-8

2009-10-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

Friday Nov. 6th through Sunday Nov. 8th the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in Madison kicks off the Tales from Planet Earth film festival. Fifty films — plus speakers, panels, interactions with filmmakers and more are free to the public. The still above is from the film Wild New York, being shown on Saturday, November 7th at 11:00 am at UW Cinematheque. Here is the movie description: "In the past two decades, many jaded New Yorkers have come to realize that nature truly is everywhere, even in a place as seemingly human-dominated and artificial as New York City. Sightings of coyotes and celebrity critters, such as the red-tailed hawks Pale Male and Lola, have given the human fauna of the city a renewed sense of kinship with their non-human cousins. Adam Welz's engaging Wild New York offers a lively profile of some of the people who have become dedicated urban wildlife watchers and the hawks, kestrels, and Peregrine falcons that have provided them with company in the midst of the United States' most urbanized landscape."

October Announced by the Sandhill Crane's Prehistoric Call

2009-10-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Growing up as a child in northern Wisconsin I seldom if ever saw a crane except in zoos. A number of years ago upon purchasing land in central Wisconsin I began to notice more and more cranes. I was intrigued by their size, shape, the noise they make when flying, and the flocks I would see in the fall before they migrate south.

These tall gray birds have wingspans between 6-7 feet. They make a very loud trumpeting sound — almost a prehistoric sound — that can be heard often over a mile away. They weigh only between 8-11 pounds according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

In the fall the cranes stage in very large flocks sometimes numbering into the thousands in central Wisconsin. I haven’t seen any flocks this large but in the fall have seen flocks numbering into the hundreds. They feed in fields during the day, eating field grains, then go back to the wetlands or river areas for the evening. Usually in mid-November the flocks will head south where they winter in Florida, Texas, Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico.

The cranes migrate back to Wisconsin in March. They can live 25 to 30 years often with the same mate and build large nests near open water in a grassy area and eat insects, frogs, seeds sometime even small birds and mice. Farmers often get mad at them for pulling up sprouting corn when it emerges in the springtime.

Sandhill cranes were in real trouble in the 1800s due to habitat destruction and hunting. In the early 1900s the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act protected the birds in Wisconsin and some surrounding states. It was a good move for the cranes as today there are tens of thousands of these cranes in Wisconsin.

Currently there is no hunting of these cranes in Wisconsin but some states do permit hunting, such as North Dakota, Texas, Kansas, Arizona and Idaho.

Blog post and photos: Al Greene, FLWC General Volunteer

Read more about Sandhill cranes and other species of cranes in the U.S. and around the world at the International Crane Foundation's website.

Techniques Class Fosters Better Care for Patients

2009-10-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

Recently about 25 volunteers gathered to learn or refresh their rehabilitation skills for baby and adult birds and mammals including handling and restraint, weighing, tube feeding, oral medication and injection techniques. Leading the class was the 2007-2008 FLWC Animal Care Coordinator Raina Domek who has a B.S. in Zoology, Conservation Biology, a certificate in environmental studies and has attended the conferences of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and Minnesota Wildlife Assistance Cooperative. Above: Tracy Redman, a General Volunteer who also fosters bunnies, gets guidance from Raina.

Raina now works at Seattle's Paws Wildlife Center which helps 3,000 patients per year — more than double the patients FLWC takes in annually. "At PAWS, I work the summer season (April to October) as a rehabilitator's assistant and volunteer in the winter," says Raina. "As an assistant, I pretty much run the shift for the rehabbers if they are too busy in the exam room and also feed and clean more sensitive species. I also do lab work (running fecals, trich swabs, blood work) and do intakes, answer phones and help with restraint during exams. Now, I just try to help at FLWC with whatever I can from a distance!"

Kristen Anchor (left) pops in to say goodbye. It was her last day serving as the County Animal Resource Coordinator with the Dane County Humane Society, Sheltering Animals of Abuse Victims and the Four Lakes Wildlife Center. Her successor, Brooke Lewis, is on the right.

2009 Volunteer Appreciation Party

2009-10-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday October 3rd FLWC volunteers and acquaintances were invited to a volunteer appreciation party. The weather was cool and cloudy with some rain but the atmosphere was warm. There were 45 people signed up to attend and 25 of them were volunteers.

The party was held at Patrick's residence. He has such a unique place you will not find another like it. From the moment you enter it is easy to see that Patrick loves animals. He has a large variety of animals. He has 7 dogs, 5 goats, 5 horses, some turkeys, chickens, sheep, snakes, domesticated birds, waterfowl, a peacock, tropical and cold water fish and likely more. It is very evident that feeding must be a big chore here. Patrick has a river near the back of his property, a garden, a prairie with paths and a pond with fish. Those that attended had a very large variety of food to choose from such as soup, salads, brats, hamburgers, vegetarian food and various drinks. There was much fun and camaraderie and a goodie bag was available for each volunteer.

FLWC leaders Kristen Anchor and Patrick were each presented with a photo album with a few pictures of the most memorable of almost 1,250 animals that we had at the shelter this year. In the back of the album was a place to write each member's thoughts and well wishes to each of them.

One of the highlights of the day was observing Bally's newborn calf. Bally is a Scottish Highland that Patrick has and for those that have not seen a Scottish Highland they are very beautiful animals with their long hair. The barn was a very popular place for viewing the animals and also feeding some of them. Patrick entertained his guests with movies of the sandhill crane, Ichabod Crane, that he had previously released as well as some other movie clips he had of wildlife.

Thanks to Patrick for hosting the event as we all know the hours of work that goes into a something like this.

-- Blog post and photos: Al Greene, FLWC General Volunteer

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Goes to Green Bay!

2009-10-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Early Friday morning a group of FLWC staff and volunteers met at the center to load up our little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and head up to Green Bay to deliver him to his new home. The juvenile gnatcatcher, a new species to FLWC, came in this summer missing his metacarpals. We aren't sure if he was born that way or suffered a trauma, but it meant he would never be able to fly and therefore was unreleasable. Other than that he was healthy — a great eater and lots of energy — so we started looking for possible permanent homes. The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay said they'd be happy to take him and had the perfect display area. So planning of the road trip began!

Catching the gnatcatcher for his trip!

Heading up with plenty of bagels and cream cheese supplied by Courtney!

Back row: 2009 intern Lindsay Pettoruto and Head Volunteer Courtney Odom. Middle row: Head Volunteer Cathy Manley and Animal Care Coordinator Lindsey Boland. Front row (not pictured): Wildlife Center Coordinator Kristen Anchor and new Widlife Center Coordinator Brooke Lewis.

We were greeted by Mike Reed, pictured below, and given a great behind the scenes tour of their rehab facility as well as their display and education facilities.

Below is a picture of the amazing habitat where our bird will be living, with several other native songbirds to keep him company.

Some of the other creatures we saw during our visit...

Cedar waxwings and elderberries

2009-09-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

Cedar waxwings typically have great gape reflexes and eating is no problem for them. But they absolutely LOVE the ripe elderberries several volunteers are now bringing in. We feed the immature birds the berries with a tweezers or dangle the berries in front of them, encouraging them to self-feed. The green stems are also easy to wrap around caging above a perch, allowing the birds to pick off for themselves, which also enriches their habitat. Below, Amy Brinkman provides elderberries, a treat but also a diet mainstay this time of the year.

This species is a favorite of many of us here at the wildlife center for their yellow-tipped tails, boisterous spirits and appreciative appetites. Flock feeders in the wild, they have been observed passing berries to each other when only one can reach what the others can't. This group will soon be released, and while most waxwings migrate further south, some do stay behind if there is enough berry vegetation left on trees and bushes.

Haunted Woods Trail | Autumn With the Animals

2009-09-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

The second annual Haunted Woods Trail, deep in the pine woods surrounding the wildlife center and humane society, is less than a month away! Several popular characters will be returning, such as Billy Goat's Gruff with live goats, the Headless Horseman and the Crazed Woodsman. In addition we have a new sound system, will be incorporating the barn and are adding many other new chills and thrills! The Haunted Woods Trail begins Friday October 16th and continues Sat. Oct. 17th, Fri. Oct. 23rd and Sat. Oct. 24th.

Autumn with the Animals: Saturday, October 17th
• Noon to 5 pm: Enjoy home baked goods and silent auction, animal face painting, spooky tattoos, spider ring toss, and get your picture taken on a horse with a live cowboy! The humane society's Maddie's Fund partners Shelter from the Storm and Dane County Friends of Ferals will also be on site with adoptable animals.
• Noon to 3 pm: Make your own pinecone birdfeeder.
• One o'clock: Bring your pets dressed their best for the Pet Costume Contest.
• 3 pm to 9 pm: The Haunted Woods Trail.

Admission for the Haunted Woods Trail and Autumn with the Animals including the Haunted Woods Trail is $5 for adults/$3 for kids under 12 if purchased prior to October 15th, and $6 adults/$4 kids under 12 if purchased after October 15th, and all proceeds do directly to the care of the animals we serve. Tickets may also be purchased online.

Videographer Jeramiah Korbisch (who volunteered at last year's haunted trail) shot a promotional video for this year's event both in the woods and using green screen technology.

The Headless Horseman is portrayed by Head Volunteers Tom and Cathy Manley, and Tinkerbell is played by former wildlife intern Fallon Smosna.

Wildlife center manager Kristen Anchor and videographer Jeramiah Korbisch.

We hope to see you on the Haunted Woods Trail!

The Story of our Porcupine!

2009-09-21T11:36:00.003-07:00

Of the over 1200 animals we’ve admitted this year, the young porcupine that came to us in June was one of the most interesting. He was found in a parking lot in Monona, WI and brought to the center by a humane officer. It’s pretty uncommon for porcupines to come this far south, so we suspect he either hitchhiked, or someone thought he was cute and picked him up on their trip south. We performed a physical exam, set him up in a cage at the center and offered him a diet of rodent chow, branches and fruit. We quickly discovered apples were his favorite! He continued to grow, but seemed a little too “friendly” toward volunteers. Upon consultation with a rehab center that routinely gets porcupines, we discovered it is normal for them to get tame quickly. To help combat this, Patrick (our licensed rehabber) took him home to one of his outdoor cages and almost immediately he started to “wild up”, showing his quills when his cage was approached.

By late August our guy was big enough for release. Patrick had researched good areas up north that have existing porcupine populations, and one weekend headed up with him in the back of his car. As we learned early on, these guys emit quite a powerful and “unique” odor. Patrick said it was a long drive - windows open, head out the window - trying to evade the smell!

After driving down narrow logging roads, and then walking in the rest of the way, they made it to the release spot. Patrick opened the carrier and let the porcupine out. He walked up to the first tree he came to, a red pine, and sniffed it. He did the same to a second red pine. Then he came to a white pine, their preferred food, and quickly scurried up about 20 feet! He climbed unto a branch, leaned up against the trunk, and immediately started grabbing handfuls of pine needles. Patrick watched him for several long moments, wished him luck and said goodbye. Thank you porcupine for sharing your summer with us!

Mural Unveiling

2009-09-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

This morning we celebrated the official unveiling of a beautiful wildlife mural created by Animal Control Officer Shannon Meyer and her mother Janette Olcott.

Decorating the interior entrance to the barn, the mural depicts just a handful of the many animals that Shannon has brought in to the wildlife center for care over the last few years.

The artists, staff and volunteers (some who whom hadn't seen each other since the beginning of the summer!) shared bagels and coffee as the artists answered questions and laughed how every time they thought the mural was complete they or another individual came up with a new spot to paint a different bird or mammal.

Welcome to the Four Lakes Wildlife Center!

2009-09-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Four Lakes Wildlife Center!

It's been a busy season! On August 24th we admitted our 1,000th patient of 2009 - a baby bunny. Now, like the weather, our season is starting to cool off. Every late summer we experience a dramatic reduction in our number of patients as there are fewer newborns and, as our patients mature and grow strong, more releases. Some, like a young hummingbird we admitted two weeks ago, are destined to be released in areas with good populations of its species before they migrate south for the winter. Today's volunteers are now tending to robins, mallard ducklings, cardinals, blue jays, mourning dove, killdeer, seagull, owls, hawks, and a beautiful Red fox. We also have Eastern cottontails and grey and flying squirrels that are nourished here until they are placed with trained fosters, like this newly admitted adolescent grey squirrel being fed by Pam Watson who is one of our head volunteers.