Lucky Goose!

First just let me say what a tease last week was! Beautiful, perfect, warm, sunny weather! Now it's below freezing, with an even colder wind chill....and it SUCKS!!! OK...sorry, just had to get that rant out and over with! :)

On Sunday Jules from work called to see if I could help with an injured Canada goose. It had flown up into some power lines, then fell stunned to the ground. But he seemed OK, as the caller watched he started to fly off again....unfortunately right into a truck! Talk about having a bad day! The officer had no trouble gathering him up and transporting him to the station (thanks guys!) where I picked him up and brought him to Tuft's. On initial evaluation, he was a little out of it and had an injured toe.

I called and spoke to Robin today and I'm pleased to say he is doing well! He's on pain meds, has a splinted, dislocated toe, and is more bright and alert and eating well. Things are looking good for the big guy and hopefully I'll be able to return him home at some point.

I am guessing one of my bat houses is not being utilized by bats!

I really can not see up into any of them to even check if bats are using them, but it's a pretty good bet this nesting material does not belong to them! I have yet to see the true invader, and honestly wouldn't have even known there was one if not for this. My guess is a red or some type of bird, or maybe even flyers since I have seen no daytime activity around it. It's on a metal pole but not unlikely for a red to climb up there, although a flyer soaring over there during the nights would explain a lot! Wish the trail cameras were working so I could put one on it and see for sure!

The great coyote release!

 Belmont coyote released back into the wild after treatment at Tuft's Wildlife Clinic!

That is the happy headline for this lucky girl. You may remember her back in the beginning of December when John managed to catch her while attempting to rescue another male out there with the same problem. Well, Tuesday was the big day. I picked her up at Tuft's and met John for the big release. He had chosen the perfect spot for her away from traffic and people with lots of woods, and close enough to reconnect with her family.
Those georgeous eyes! She was anxious to be out!

 

Finally the big moment arrived!!!

Don't let the picture fool you....it may look like she just casually walked out, but not so! She was out of there like a racehorse out of the gate!

She wasted no time getting as far away from us as possible! One final shot as she rounded the corner out of site and it was over in seconds!

If you watch the video from the story in the paper above, you'll see just how quick it really was. Another great day for wildlife...it was wonderful to watch and it's great to know there are many out there willing to help these beautiful animals as opposed to those who would see them harmed out of fear and ignorance. I know one golf course that will be thrilled to have their exterminator back!

All I know is that seeing these animals go home is just a wonderful feeling beyond words. :)

And in keeping with good things happening this week, my buddy Hissy & the Missus showed up a couple days ago! So good to have them back safe and sound. Like it or not, it's officially spring out on my pond!

Helping the local coyotes.

John, the Belmont ACO, is on a mission! This coyote family is obviously in desperate need of help! They have mange and it's so bad at this point the wounds they are inflicting on themselves is horrible as you can see in the pictures John got. Not to mention the fur loss. We have been pleasantly blessed with a very mild fall....it's December 6 and we have been in the 60's more often than not! If not for that these guys may have suffered even more.

First sightings were of this male, a welcome visitor to the golf course due to his rodent control skills. (Imagine that...someone who appreciates and is willing to coexist with this totally misunderstood animal! You guys rock!) Tuft's was contacted and willing to take him if captured. Game on! These guys are NOT easy to catch!

Thanks to John's patience and traps from the ARL.....success! But wait a minute.....this is a female! John was pretty sure he had identified the "proper equipment" on a MALE while tracking the original coyote. (And I'm pretty sure that, his coyote expertise aside, he knew what he was looking at! LOL)

So as it turns out, this female is safely tucked away at Tuft's. She's doing well, eating fine and being treated for heartworm, mange and her wounds. Further sightings have been of a pair traveling together, one being the original male spotted. Uncanny that his large wounds are almost identical to this girls in size and location, tricking us into thinking it was one and the same! He's thinking that this female is possibly one of the kids to the pair still on the loose...

And so the wait continues as John regularly checks the traps hoping to get the male before it's too late! The traps have remained frustratingly empty, although the report from last night was that one of the traps had been sprung and the bait was gone. But I know John and he's determined to help them....if anyone can catch them he can!!

A very foxy update.

Been working on my poor fox population here at home. I may have to resort to trapping. This one is not looking great, but not a bad as another that has been hanging out. The poor thing is very skinny and it's eyes are being affected by the mange now, but I don't see it regularly enough to get the proper meds into it.

My regular visitor is definitely reaping the benefits though. If nothing else, the mange is not getting worse and she's not starving! She checks the area I bait regularly so she gets occasional treats....

....and I usually get all the proof I need that she's eating the mouse with the ivermectin in it too!

Yummy!

Remember that awful looking fox we captured and brought up to Tufts? Well here it is now looking absolutely beautiful! Hard to believe it's the same fox. Pretty soon it will be heading up to Dawn's (where we brought the 11 kits earlier in the season) for final rehab and a soft release. The fox is doing great but the fur is a little sparse for going into the colder months so it needs a little extra support. It's much better off up there anyway! Good luck little fella.....love the happy ending!

The raccoon shuffle....again.

OK...a bunch of changes again! See if you can keep up! ;)

Spencer is growing like a weed and adorable as hell! (Then again what baby raccoon isn't to me...hehe) He's still a loner as he's too young for the rest of the group. But never fear......

 .....the new kid Pinner (also adorable as hell!) is close enough in age for Spencer and as soon as his quarantine is over, each will finally have a friend!

 Trooper, Doc, Sis, Lucky, Ducky, Porcelain and Pebbles have moved into the outdoor pen with Soldier, Sammy, Rocco, Brim and Spit. Introductions went great and scuffles were very minor and they are now one big happy family! Porcelain & Pebbles are having no problems climbing and carrying on like maniacs in there, so release for them is a big fat go!!! Yippeee! Lucky & Ducky are tiny but having no problem maneuvering and climbing in there. At 11 weeks old they are smaller than Spencer and Pinner and more the size of a 6wk old....if that!...but they certainly act their real age.

Now for the rest of the inside crew.

Legend, Tumbler, Rizzoli, Isles, Springer, Chester and Bama are all one big group now. They have moved into the giant dog crate vacated by Trooper and the gang. Not one unhappy moment when they were all introduced! It was like they had always been together! All are doing great and reaping the benefits of the unfinished isolation room...now temporary playroom...during feeding time. I just pull the crate up to the open door of the room and open the crate door. Everyone has the run of the playroom and the crate and it keeps them in a confined area where they can't wander off destroying the basement! At least until they figure out they can climb up the side of the crate and over the top to freedom!

Let the fun begin!

Isles

 Rizzoli and Chester

 Bama

 Chester was freaked out by the camera. Then I made the mistake of letting him check it out to get over his fear.....what was I thinking! Now he won't leave it alone!

 The best chew toy in the room!

 Springer

 Legend...what a sweetheart! She just loves getting mom's attention!

 Springer again.

 Chester the camera hog....again!

 Bama...he's doing awesome and no signs of neurological problems anymore!

 Rizzoli's fave chew toy!

 Legend and Tumbler. Aside from a very pronounced, Italian looking nose (which I couldn't get a good profile pic to show), Tumbler is none the worse for wear after her trauma.

 Yup....Chester once again after being told to get away from the camera! Do not let that innocent look fool ya! He's a little hellion....and he annoys them all!

Got a mother possum with 5 babies yesterday. Maureen the ACO rescued them and got them to Mary. Mom had been covered with a box and left for dead by the police who left her a message to pick it up. Imagine her surprise when she got a call from the homeowner whose driveway it was near saying it was alive and is anyone going to get it?!  It's unsure what is wrong with her, maybe hit by a car? No apparent external injuries but because she had babies, it was best to get her to Tufts to be thoroughly worked up and hopefully be helped and continue to be the one to care for the babies!

So later last night Mary and I brought them up there. When I checked in on them this morning she hadn't had a complete workup yet, but she had been given pain meds, eaten a little overnight, and was resting comfortably with the babies. Hopefully she will be OK, then maybe we can just settle her in somewhere to recover with her babies and release them all later.

Well off to the next round of feeding and cleaning.....

Tuft's & tail-less squirrels.

The big fat squirrel with the injured tail is doing just fine! His tail looks better with each day. Today, it took me a minute to distinguish between him with his newly shortened tail, and that of one of our tangle-tail gang that was released this past summer with an equally shortened tail..... its not as bloody and swollen at the end anymore like it was here.

This lucky screech regained it's freedom Wednesday night. It was found in a fireplace a couple weeks back and Mary got it to Tufts. Aside from being a little starved and dehydrated, it was fine. Tufts fattened it up and Mary and I drove out to the neighborhood it was found in and it ever so silently disappeared into the night.

After releasing the screech we promptly headed out to Tufts again.....this time with a red tail rescued by Maureen on the MBTA tracks in Billerica. She didn't fare so well unfortunately. The right wing and both legs broken in several places, along with wounds on the abdomen and feet left no alternative but for them to euthanize it. It's a pretty good guess it was probably hit by the train while hunting in the open area of the tracks.

On a more positive note....our barred owl from Bedford is still doing well. I checked in on him after our annual WRAM conference at Tufts last Saturday. As I said before the humerus was fractured and pinned, but it turns out the radius was also broken (now splinted) and the shoulder injured. He'll be recovering for a while from those injuries, but should do fine. We'll know more after the pins and splints come off and we see how well he is able to fly.

The excessive snow this season is taking it's toll on the hawks and especially the owls. They are not finding enough prey and as a result they are starving and freezing.....and a little more careless when chasing what little prey they do find across roads! Tufts is overrun with them! It's like baby season up there instead of the off season! We've managed to squeeze a few very balmy days out of mother nature over these last couple weeks....a lot of snow has melted and more critters are re-emerging to take advantage of it. Lets hope it's enough to give the owl's a reprieve and get them through the rest of the winter!

This year's WRAM conference.

Our annual wildlife association of Mass conference was Saturday at Tuft's wildlife center. It was an early morning for us...after a close call the night before.

I was on the night shift when I got a call from Laurie...she picked up a dead raccoon that her uncle found in the road across from his driveway. He lives right down the street from the release site where Dozer and the gang were released!

And the panic sets in........

So when I got out around 11pm I headed straight for Laurie's to attempt an ID.

Even more panic when I open the bag and it's the color of Dozer, Tank and Razz.....

It's pretty frozen and really smelly...but I was so panicked I just forced the back legs apart and started searching for all the things a boy should have.....to no avail!!! OH THANK GOD!!! Why? Because there were only 2 girls released there...Cat and Goldie.... Cat was really black while Goldie's name says it all, and it definitely wasn't them!! Whew...now I could get some sleep before the early morning rise to head to Tuft's.

It was a packed house at this year's conference...the biggest ever!

Laurie and Mary set up the silent auction.

The highlight was the raptor presentation by Wingmaster's

http://www.wingmasters.net/index.html

An American kestrel...

This red tail was rescued and had a band on it...by tracking the band it was discovered this bird is 32 years old! Amazing! And now enjoying a very cushy retirement.
A golden eagle.
And my new favorites because they are just the cutest damn things!...the eastern screech owl....

...and the northern saw-whet owl. Both very cute and very little owls!!

The ever beautiful great horned. I've got one of these guys living in my woods.

The barn owl....female...

...and male.

Had wayyyy to much fun driving home. Laurie hopped in Mary's car with her and Lisa and I rode together. When Mary's jeep passed us we just fell in behind her and followed. Finally at one point we decide, hey let's pull up next to them and say Hi! Well you can imagine our surprise when I look into the car and it's not them!!! HA!!! We had been following the wrong car! I can't even begin to tell you how hard we were laughing......ok maybe I can, lets just say we came very close to wetting our pants! LOL Good thing we figured it out before the jeep pulled off the highway because we would have been right behind it wondering where the hell Mary and Laurie were going! Too funny! Seems we always have some type of adventure after a WRAM conference!