Bad Luck Comes in Threes

Admittedly, I don't really believe in bad luck - or good luck for that matter. I believe that "luck" is generally made through hard work, perseverance and sound decision making. Did I say believe? Perhaps I meant believed?

So now I can only hope that bad luck comes in threes - not fours, fives, sixes or more. And if you didn't jump ahead reading this posting, then I'll give you a hint and re title this posting "We Need an Ark, Revisited, Revisited".

Those of you that follow our blog know that our Itasca location flooded in September and we were forced to evacuate over 40 animals from outdoor caging - thankfully without animal casualties. Cages were flooded over 2-1/2 feet deep with some cages up to my mid-chest. Our dedicated volunteers toiled over 250 hours scrubbing and sanitizing caging before the animals could be returned outside. We are planning to repair physical damage to cages this spring.

Enter December 27th with the polar melt and Itasca flooded again. This time the deepest cages were flooded to my knees. Still, we evacuated many animals to the safety of the building and there were no animal casualties. This flood was complicated by cold weather that will prevent us from returning many animals to outdoor caging until after the spring thaw so that we can appropriately scrub and sanitize cages.

Moving on to January 17th at Northerly Island in days following bitter cold during which the city of Chicago was apparently emulating the North Pole................. On the day that we're supposed to participate in the Chicago Park District's Polar Adventure Days at Northerly Island one of our volunteers arrives at our downtown facility to find that the Polar ice cap has melted - or perhaps it's just a burst (formerly frozen) pipe in the Men's Room.

Our facility at Northerly Island that we've worked on for so many hours and put any spare money and resources into fixing up for the last three years, is under 1-1/2 inches of water. Our beautiful wood laminate floor is ruined. The flooring guy says that all of the boards will buckle over the next few days and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Our cabinets are wicking up water. Just when the facility is almost done, we feel that we're back to square one.

Water may be essential to life, but I'm not feeling the love.

Know anyone that will donate flooring and installation?


Dawn

Horned Grebe, Cold Waters

This Horned Grebe, a small migratory water bird, hit a window in our great city and descended to the walkway below. Like Loons, Grebes are meant for diving not for walking on or taking off from dry land. Grounded, he sat waiting for help. A passerby picked him up and phoned our Northerly Island bird hospital.

We treated the Grebe for minor head trauma and returned him back to water once he recovered. Unaffected by the cold waters of Lake Michigan, he flapped happily. We imagine that he was on his way from his summer home in northwestern Canada headed towards his winter home in the southeastern United States.

Thank you, Bob Vogelzang, for taking photos of this release and for giving us permission to use them on our blog!

Northern Saw-whet Owl Release

I am overjoyed that we were able to return three Northern Saw-whet Owls back to the wild. All three originally became injured by colliding with windows. Two have been in our care since spring migration while the third became injured just a couple of weeks ago during fall migration.

Northern Saw-whet Owls weigh half as much as Illinois' smallest year-round resident owl, the Eastern Screech Owl. Like all birds of prey, males are smaller than females. For a Northern Saw-whet, that might mean 70 grams for a male and 100 grams for a female - less than 1/4 of a pound.

Northern Saw-whets passing through Chicago probably summer in Wisconsin or Canada and spend winters as far north as southern Illinois to as far south as the southern United States. One of our volunteers informed me that a Northern Saw-whet has been known to winter at Morton Arboretum and has been sighted in the same tree winter after winter. Flint Creek Wildlife has never admitted a Northern Saw-whet except during migration.

Check out the photo gallery on our website for additional release photos.

Safe travels.

Blue-headed Vireo Release

Back in May, I reported on a Hooded Warbler that our rescue and recovery teams picked up after it hit a building in downtown Chicago. The Hooded Warbler was at that time the first of that species that we'd ever treated at Flint Creek Wildlife. Fortunately, like 90% of the head trauma cases triaged at our Northerly Island facility, the bird recovered and was released.

Many of you probably don't realize how many different avian species we treat each year. At our Northerly Island facility alone, we treated 74 different species of birds in 2007. (The total species count between Northerly Island and Barrington was even higher.) Still, Chicago, which lies on a major international migratory flyway, provides respite to a wealth of bird life. And even though most species we treat aren't a "first" for Flint Creek Wildlife, we are occasionally surprised.

So when a member of the public phoned saying that the injured bird with the amazing coloring must be an escaped pet bird, I responded that it was probably a migratory bird that hit a window. I admit that even I was surprised to see this little beauty with a blue head almost reminiscent of a parakeet.

The Blue-headed Vireo recovered from her head trauma and was released. We opted to videotape the release, but offer you the below still photo just before her release.

Blue-headed Vireos summer in the far northernmost reaches of Michigan and in much of Canada while they spend their winters in the southeastern United States. Cornell's Department of Ornithology reports that they very infrequently collide with windows....perhaps this is why we've never before treated one. Let's hope that they never again collide with windows in our great city!

Good luck, little Vireo.

Dawn

Bird Walk and Migration Program at Northerly Island Saturday, October 11, 2008

Come join us this coming Saturday, October 11, 2008 at Northerly Island. We'll be presenting one of our educational programs on the dynamics of bird migration, followed by a bird walk on Northerly Island. The bird walk will be led by the experienced birder Dave Johnson (Wild Bird Center, Fox River Grove). We've scheduled this program for later in the day as we're hoping that a sunset bird walk will reveal the elusive Short-eared Owls, an endangered species in Illinois. Short-eared Owls have been spotted on Northerly Island during the last few migratory seasons (and despite trying and trying and trying, I've NEVER seen one in the wild!)....Saturday's schedule follows:

4:30 - approximately 5:15 - "The Perils of Migration"
approximately 5:15 - 6:30 - bird walk
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm - Twilight Night (stargaze with the Planetarium and learn about nocturnal animals)

Bring your binoculars and bird guide. Some binoculars are available at Northerly Island for anyone who doesn't own their own pair.

Even if we don't see the Short-eared Owls, Northerly Island has many beautiful avian species - you'll surely see something!

Hope to see you,

Dawn

A Morning with Mayor Daley

We were honored that Mayor Daley spent time at our Northerly Island facility this morning. We appreciate his and his department's ongoing support. Without support from the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District, we wouldn't be able to save the lives of so many birds in City. Hats off to our talented and dedicated group of volunteers that rescue and recover birds that strike buildings in the City and our amazing triage staff who quickly stabilize the birds, thus enabling us to Save Lives.

Mayor Daley and Dawn Keller discuss Flint Creek Wildlife's
Northerly Island bird hospital. Old Red, an educational
Red-tailed Hawk that resides at our newest location in Itasca,
is pictured in the foreground.



Mayor Daley watches as Dawn Keller feeds an injured
Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Mayor Daley observes as a fully-rehabilitated Cooper's
Hawk is readied for release back into the wild.

The recovered Cooper's Hawk, which originally was picked
up by Chicago Animal Control and transferred to Flint Creek
Wildlife, just prior to flying off. The Cooper's Hawk flew far
north on the island and, on her maiden flight, caught what was
probably a Red-winged Blackbird.

Mayor Daley dons a gauntlet (glove used in falconry) and

offers Old Red some food as Commissioner Suzanne
Malec-McKenna watches.


Old Red pauses after accepting food from Mayor Daley.

Mayor Daley offers food to our Eastern Screech
Owl, Kotori. Kotori is one of 19 educational birds entrusted
to Flint Creek Wildlife's care. Kotori resides at our Barrington
facility.