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.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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,
Hi Gina,
Thank you for sending this to me.
It reminds me of the scripture:
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
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."
Sunday, June 21, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Follow up on young red shouldered hawks
This chick successfully fledged the nest a couple weeks ago. He is one of the lucky ones. Just like the four young red-shouldered hawks we released yesterday in the DeLand area - they flew out of the box like they were shot out of a cannon- so happy to be back home!!
Audubon of Florida News
Hailfax River Audubon’s President and ACBOP’s Gina Holt Return a Red-shouldered Hawk to Its Nest
A few words from Halifax River Audubon’s President, David Hartgrove:
“When I’m not wearing my President’s hat, I wear a hard hat with an FPL logo. Having access to a bucket truck and a supervisor with a good heart means I get to help put baby birds back into their nests sometimes. Last Wednesday, 4/1, Gina Holt, a volunteer with the Birds of Prey Center, called me to see if we could get two baby Red-shouldered Hawks back into their nest. These were very young nestlings, probably no more that 48 hours old. The smaller of the two was in bad shape and didn’t survive the night, having received a head injury in its fall from the nest. Gina wanted to keep the surviving youngster an extra 24 hours in order to get some vitamins and nourishment into it and my schedule prevented me from being available right then anyway. We planned to meet at the nest tree (a 60 foot slash pine in a suburban yard in Edgewater) on Friday morning. At 6:30 Friday morning, a line of severe weather was racing across the state and the area was under a tornado watch. We decided to postpone the put back for 24 hours. We met at the home the following morning at 7:00 a.m. The sun was just breaking the horizon.
The nest had fallen apart and was too far above the reach of my truck anyway. Gina had prepared ahead for this problem. She had built a wooden framed platform with a screened bottom. She collected sticks, pine needles, leaves and Spanish moss and built a very workable nest. Up in the tree, I found parts of the original nest that contained a soft textured substance that the hawks had fashioned of moss, what appeared to be cob webs, down, and I’m not sure what else. This had apparently been the nest lining and had fallen down onto a lower branch. I gave this to Gina to incorporate into the new nest. I took it up and wired it into the tree about 8 feet below the original nest site. We were both worried that neither of the parents seemed to be in the area. I took the youngster up and placed it in the new nest along with 3 dead, white mice Gina had supplied for the parents to give the nestling if and when they returned. We took a few photos and left. The home owner has reported that both parents have returned and adapted to the new nest. They seem to be back in action rearing their surviving chick.”
Hailfax River Audubon’s President and ACBOP’s Gina Holt Return a Red-shouldered Hawk to Its Nest
A few words from Halifax River Audubon’s President, David Hartgrove:
“When I’m not wearing my President’s hat, I wear a hard hat with an FPL logo. Having access to a bucket truck and a supervisor with a good heart means I get to help put baby birds back into their nests sometimes. Last Wednesday, 4/1, Gina Holt, a volunteer with the Birds of Prey Center, called me to see if we could get two baby Red-shouldered Hawks back into their nest. These were very young nestlings, probably no more that 48 hours old. The smaller of the two was in bad shape and didn’t survive the night, having received a head injury in its fall from the nest. Gina wanted to keep the surviving youngster an extra 24 hours in order to get some vitamins and nourishment into it and my schedule prevented me from being available right then anyway. We planned to meet at the nest tree (a 60 foot slash pine in a suburban yard in Edgewater) on Friday morning. At 6:30 Friday morning, a line of severe weather was racing across the state and the area was under a tornado watch. We decided to postpone the put back for 24 hours. We met at the home the following morning at 7:00 a.m. The sun was just breaking the horizon.
The nest had fallen apart and was too far above the reach of my truck anyway. Gina had prepared ahead for this problem. She had built a wooden framed platform with a screened bottom. She collected sticks, pine needles, leaves and Spanish moss and built a very workable nest. Up in the tree, I found parts of the original nest that contained a soft textured substance that the hawks had fashioned of moss, what appeared to be cob webs, down, and I’m not sure what else. This had apparently been the nest lining and had fallen down onto a lower branch. I gave this to Gina to incorporate into the new nest. I took it up and wired it into the tree about 8 feet below the original nest site. We were both worried that neither of the parents seemed to be in the area. I took the youngster up and placed it in the new nest along with 3 dead, white mice Gina had supplied for the parents to give the nestling if and when they returned. We took a few photos and left. The home owner has reported that both parents have returned and adapted to the new nest. They seem to be back in action rearing their surviving chick.”
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