Saturday, October 21st was a sunny, temperate day. This meant if the resident disabled woodpecker Wooka was not ‘working’ at an educational program, we’d be heading outside for some sunshine and pecking in the dirt like we’ve done for years. Not long after I arrived, I was told that he had not been doing well…
Unlike with people, there is no emergency system in place for injured wild animals; no expectation that help will be on the way as soon as someone notices your accident and dire need for medical care. Unfortunately, unavoidable collisions with animals happen all the time and many animals don’t die upon impact even when the…
A growing desire to get some food I can’t get at the local grocery store trumped my antipathy of getting into traffic and shopping with the masses on the afternoon of Sunday, June 7th. Reluctantly, I set out for my 16-mile journey. About twenty minutes into my half hour trip, I noticed a soggy little…
Earlier this month, the wildlife rehabilitation center held its 2nd annual Wild about Wildlife fundraiser. As a not-for-profit organization, the center requires support and donations from the public in order to “keep the lights on.” More than just keeping the lights on, it costs money to have extra staff on hand through the busy season,…
My article as published in “Snitch’s Scoops” distributed by the Fox Valley Wildlife Center. Perhaps because it was the first bird to fascinate me as a child, I was instantly enchanted with a sparsely-feathered cardinal nestling that checked in to the center during my shift. Not only was it late in the season to receive…
Saturdays filled with feathers and fur are once again winding down for the year. I already miss the demanding shrieks of hungry baby birds and it has just barely begun to snow here around Chicago. No two visits to the wildlife rehabilitation center are ever the same. The guests, as I like to refer to…
There are an infinite number of delightful and remarkable things birds do that I get to observe up close while performing the otherwise routine tasks of feeding them and cleaning up around them at our local wildlife rehab center. On one such occasion in August, I had the extreme pleasure of witnessing some extra-special behaviors…
The Fickle Feather 