Eaglets in Holly Hill

Two young eagles have fledged their nest at Centennial Park in Holly Hill, just in the nick of time. They took their first flights on Sunday and Monday.

Then Tuesday the winds started, and they were fierce. By Wednesday, the nest platform had been tossed around for two days in high winds and finally collapsed.

But there's more to the story. It started several years ago when this pair of eagles took over an osprey nest on a telephone pole near the lake in this small inner city park. This is something that eagles don't typically do, preferring strong, live trees to support their huge and weighty nests. But the City of Holly Hill needed to move that pole, and they worked with the FFWCC (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission) to actually reconstruct the nest on a platform attached in a large pine tree overlooking the lake.

The eagles readily accepted this new nest and have successfully raised their chicks for several years, right in the heart of the city.

Unfortunately, the platform was unable to withstand the wicked winds we saw here this week.

But fortunately, the babies got a good head start and didn't need that old broken nest any more.

It was an exciting time for all.

It was a busy week, with two owl rescues and a program at Spruce Creek Elementary. Katie & Frodo visited with Ms. Ritchey's class and Mr. Frodo honored everyone by casting an awesome owl pellet right in front of the kids.

Owls will regurgitate a compact little pellet which contains the undigested portions of their dinner, such as bones, feathers or fur. Closer examination will usually reveal entire skeletons of the small animals, including jawbones, wishbones, femurs, rib bones. It is fun to try to put them back together.

Katie & Frodo Travel to Marine Discovery Center

Katie is an American Kestrel, and Frodo is an Eastern Screech Owl. Both are small birds of prey native to our state. Because of injuries they received as young chicks, both Katie and Frodo are unable to survive on their own in the wild. Thanks to special education permits from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, they are permanent residents with me and travel to schools and special events for educational programs. This Monday we are participating in the Master Naturalist Program at the Marine Discovery Center, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Katie & Frodo will meet the students, and help them to learn about the issues facing wildlife in Florida. Even in today's economy, development is continuing, and the loss of habitat is the greatest single issue facing both humans and wildlife in this state.

Since birds of prey are very secretive, most people don't get a chance to see them up close, and it is always fun meeting new people and teaching them about these great little birds.

Mark at the Marine Discovery Center wrote:

THIS REMINDS ME OF THE EVENING WE WERE CALLED
TO RESCUE A BIRD HANGING BY FISHING LINE HIGH
IN A TREE UNDER THE SOUTH BRIDGE. BY THE TIME
WE GOT A LADDER, NIGHT HAD FALLEN AND THE DOVE
HAD PERISHED.  AS I CLIMBED UP TO RETRIEVE IT'S
BODY, MY FLASHLIGHT BEAM CAUGHT THE DISTRAUGHT
 LOOK OF ANOTHER DOVE WATCHING FROM THE BRANCH
ABOVE.  I'M SURE THEY WERE PARTNERS AND I'M
SURE THEY BOTH SUFFERED.     

Phyllis Lamborn wrote:

Hi Gina,

Thank you for sending this to me.
It reminds me of the scripture:

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them is forgotten by God" Luke 12:6

Animals do have brains and feelings,
and they are so pure of heart they are
unashamed let them show.

When my daughter was a young teen, she lost her first horse.

She asked a preacher friend of ours if horses go to heaven.

He replied, "Animals live their lives in God's will.

They don't know sin.

They never leave his presence in the first place."

Karen Stone wrote:

Very moving, I can relate. My parakeet, Tweedle Dee was
 doing so poor and finally died. 
He took care of her and cried for days!

Young Anhinga gets another chance

On Saturday, we received a call from a family in Samsula. They found a young Anhinga sitting on their picnic table with something caught around the end of its beak. When I got there, I found a large ball of something similar to velcro hanging from its beak, with just a few strings wrapped around the very end of its beak. It could not open its mouth, and therefore, had probably not been able to eat for some time.

Anhingas have serrated edges to their beaks, to aid in catching fish, and whatever this stuff was, it was strong and could not be pulled apart, or pulled off because of the serrated edges, so I used scissors on a Swiss Army Knife. It took me 10 minutes to cut all of the material away from its beak, and all the while, this young bird just sat there quietly, not struggling, waiting to be freed.

Because he was still strong, we took him back to the creek and set him down, he quietly waddled over to the edge and jumped in, quickly diving into the cool water. When he popped up, he turned around for just a moment, and then he was gone.

Another great day! And another great use for Swiss Army Knives!