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Wiggle!

7/20/2014

 
Wiggle is a Turkey Vulture who was hit by a car. Shortly after he had been hit, some wonderful people who lived nearby carefully moved him off of the road and called Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehab. Since he was close to my home, the Soarin’ Hawk dispatcher asked us to pick him up.  

When we arrived I was really worried. I thought he was dead. He was lying in an awkward facedown position, eyes closed, with flies buzzing around him. He did not move at all when we approached him; there wasn’t so much as a flicker of the eyelids. The kind people who had found him were upset that he had apparently passed, and we tried to comfort them by saying that even the deceased raptors can help save the lives of the others. For example, we imp (attach) the feathers onto the broken feathers of otherwise healthy birds to allow them to fly until their own feathers grow in.

When we picked up his limp body, one eye snapped open. He was alive! I was so relieved! The rest of his body remained limp and unresponsive, but there was hope! We put him in the special “Raptor Carrier” and I sat with him and talked to him quietly during the long 40-minute drive to the vet’s office.

The veterinarian for Soarin’ Hawk took us in immediately and she demonstrated how to manually check for broken bones, dehydration and other common injuries. She also took several x-rays to make sure that he had no internal injuries. Miraculously, all Wiggle had was a severe concussion! The vet moved him to a cage so that he could rest and recover and she put a towel doughnut around him to keep his head up. I was, of course, very happy that he was ok, but I was still worried about him. The vet monitored Wiggle carefully for a couple of days then transferred him to Soarin’ Hawk’s personalized care area, where someone could watch him night and day, away from the risk of ill birds, parasites and other risks to his recovery. At that point, we discovered that Wiggle was not a fan of old meat; he preferred fish and meat that was fresh from the store! Our picky little vulture was clearly feeling better! He was moved to Soarin’ Hawk’s main raptor rehabilitation center to begin his creance (practice and conditioning) flights.

All raptors brought to Soarin’ Hawk have to do multiple practice flights to ensure that they can be released. Wiggle did not fly very far at first. As he practiced he began to regain his strength so that he could fly further and further until, after spending two weeks with Soarin’ Hawk, he could take the entire line multiple times in a session. I was so proud of him!

The veterinarian watched his final flight and decided that he was able to be released! We drove him back to the area in which he was found. When he was returned home he did not want to leave at first. After spending some time resting in the field and having one last meal he said goodbye to his new human friends and flew off to join his feathered family. I almost cried, partly because I was happy for him, but also because I already missed him. Have a long, safe life, Wiggle! 

Things with wings

7/1/2014

 
PictureCecropia Moth
It’s easy to become captivated with birds. They are amazing animals! Who hasn’t dreamed of being able to fly like an eagle? Plus, they’re easy to see; birds are all around us. However, if we look a bit closer to the ground we can see many of those same wonderful qualities in much smaller creatures: butterflies, moths, dragonflies and damselflies.

I attended the second annual Mothapalooza conference this weekend. The focus is on moths, but it also covers butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies and birds. What a wonderful experience, due in large part to the Herculean efforts of the organizer, Mary Ann Barnett. There was something for everyone from night owls to early birds and novices to experts. The people were so friendly it felt like I had known them for a long time even though we just met.

Moths were the stars of the show, and rightly so. Compared to butterflies, we know very little about moths, but we’re learning much more thanks to the efforts of David Wagner, Jim McCormac and other experts. What we do know is that moths are important pollinators and are crucial to a sustainable ecosystem. All of us are concerned about the decline of honeybees and the effect of that decline on our food supply, but attention must be paid to the other pollinators, as well, including the nocturnal pollinators. While they deserve respect for the services they provide for us, it’s hard not to smile when you learn about some of their unique adaptations. Many moths practice mimicry to perfection, appearing as bird droppings or even imitating a spider so well that spiders are intimidated by it. Some of them can cause quite a bit of pain to anyone who touches them, while others have developed effective clubs with which to battle predators. That’s pretty clever for a fuzzy insect or squishy caterpillar!

While moths are usually thought of as fuzzy and cute, dragonflies are often thought of as the tigers of the pond. Despite their delicate appearance, they are expert hunters valued for their ability to control mosquito populations. They are among the most successful predators on the planet. Most predators are satisfied if they catch half of the prey they pursue. Not so with the dragonfly. Studies show that they can snag their prey over 95% of the time. They can reach speeds of 30 mph, and their vision may be the best in the insect world. Some of them migrate as far as birds: 10,000 miles per year!

Being a birder, I of course went on the birding field trips during the conference. However, since the leaders of the trips and other attendees were all experts in a variety of fields from botany to entomology, there was always something to admire and a multitude of opportunities in which to learn. If we didn’t see a bird, we’d cast our gazes a few feet downward to discover other treasures. Never a dull moment!

I learned a lot during Mothapalooza. More importantly, I made many new friends with a breathtaking wealth of knowledge. I had a fantastic time and I am looking forward to next year!




Picture
Common Pondhawk

    Author

    Alex Forsythe

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