My Wildlife Adventures

Originally Posted by kayladewi

This is awesome Ali. I am looking into wildlife rehab in Pennsylvania after I get out of college. Dealing with sick and injured animals that most people don't get to see or handle is amazing. I could do without the people, however. Good luck in everything you do. And just for funsies, from one wildlifer to another, have an owl.

Neato!!! That was how I first really got into it, I would find critters all the time and just bring them to the vet that deals with the rehab, and then I found Wally...

I don't have pics of him on my computer, but he is a little screech owl that I found in the road. I just scooped him up,put him in the car (he decided to show us that he could still fly at that point) and we got him out to the rehab. I got a call a few weeks later that he was doing just fine and that I could release him.. and I was hooked!

It's all well and good as long as you can avoid the "politics" involved. You have to work with a whole mess of different agencies and *gulp* the public. It gets very frustrating when people do silly things and bring you animals to rehabilitate that would've been better off if they had left them alone (like a fledgling bird on the ground). As long as you can stick to the fun stuff, keep doing it!

Guy on campus: You know that thing can't love you. It has no frontal lobe!
Me: Your dog eats poop and licks your face.

I have been looking into falconry as a sport/hobby. I have been reading up on it for a few months now, and yesterday started taking steps toward seeing what I am looking at spending in order to get into the hobby... Lots of money and time, but in order to fly a Redtailed Hawk (apprentice bird), and eventually (7-10 years when I become a Master) hunt with a Golden Eagle....totally worth it.

I also hope to one day run a rehab facility for raptors and other birds... But that will be some time from now.

I just think the laws suck. It is SO hard to get a license to rehab animals. We also lost one of our really great wildlife officers because he was tired of being told to kill everything. We didn't get a lot of cool mammals last year.

I don't mind working with the public, I do it everyday at work. The animals make it easier. BUT I do mind the people who pick up wildlife meaning to do well, and the animal ends up dead for it. Happens all the time with "abandoned" deer, or fledglings. The saddest things I saw were some baby robins that some people had for a few days, they had kept them in direct sunlight and stuffed them full of worms. They were on the verge of death when they arrived, it was awful. Their little bellies were hard as rocks and all black in color. We also got this sweet little baby pigeon (still fluffy) that already knew how to feed itself because he had practically been starved. Thankfully, he was paired with the big baby Godzilla and another baby that was very, very emotionally damaged, that wouldn't eat on his own, so they were great for each other.

No pictures,
But I was working in the meat room today, and I have a following of chickadees when I am at work. One in particular is always very close by.
So today I was putting things away and he landed next to me, so I just put my finger out for him, cause why not? To my surprise he came right up to me and landed on my hand. I talked to him for a few minutes, then he jumped to my shoulder, before finally settling on my head. He stayed only a little while longer before flying away. Very sweet little bird.

This morning on the way to work I was just thinking about George, a sweet little house sparrow I rehabbed and released in my yard. Sadly, he got killed by my cat only two weeks later... Maybe this little bird was George in another form. There to say "it's okay".

I miss my George.

That's amazing. Sorry about George.

Jealous. I photograph these animals in the wild every week but I rarely get to see them that close. Hanging around the banding station at our local refuge gets me that chance on occasion. Never babies, of course, but I've been lucky enough to be able to hold and release a few birds after data collection.
It's nice to see people put in the time for rehab, thanks for making this thread.

I love chickadees. Absolutely my favorite year - round songbird and in the top 5 overall. I had one land on my head once but never one linger that long. You're so lucky!

Guy on campus: You know that thing can't love you. It has no frontal lobe!
Me: Your dog eats poop and licks your face.

Sorry I fell behind on this! There have been lots of transports and releases in the last month, all between working two jobs! But I picked up this sweet pea today. He should be okay, but this is one of those critters that someone thought they were helping by keeping it themselves until it started to fail. He has pneumonia, probably from inhaling foods and liquids someone tried feeding him without the right knowledge on how to. He also is skinny and covered in fleas
Good news is he was very happy to get fed and warmed up! Hoping he does well




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AWESOME work! Such little cuties, and when the stories have good outcomes it is such a great feeling. Because you like birds, my parents just emailed me this link to birds of paradise, it is video and pics of some of the amazing birds of New Guinea. I think you will like it.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/REP4S0uqEOc