So much to say, so little time.....but here are some "snapshots" of what has been happening at Wings of Wonder:
Our resident Great Horned Owl, Sage, was kept busy this summer fostering 2 orphaned chicks from the Muskegon area. Sage is a devoted mama and loves babies. She raised these kids...teaching them how to "talk" the language and how to hunt down live prey. Once the youngsters were old enough, and hunting, they were transferred down to the Braveheart Raptor Center where they were released back into familiar forest lands. We wish them well on this life path.
In early February we received a call about a white Turkey Vulture in the Peshawbestown area. Admitting an albino vulture was definitely a first for Wings of Wonder and for me. The vulture was transported to WOW by the tribal Natural Resources Department. She came swaddled in a baby blanket with only her little pink head showing. A very cute memory. She was thin and had a bit of frostbite on a couple of toes, but otherwise appeared ok. Because albino animals oftentimes have associated health issues this young vulture was checked over thoroughly. Turns out she has a vision problem, she is near-sighted...which accounts for why she did not migrate south for the winter. She is extremely reluctant to fly since she can not see too far in front of her. After being fully rehabilitated here at WOW she was moved out into our large 100 foot aviary, where she joined Doolin, our resident black turkey vulture. At first Doolin was totally freaked out by her and would fly off if-and-when she got too close. But, over the next few weeks they sort of formed a bit of a friendship and could often be seen eating or perched close to each other. "Little White Girl", as she was called around here, was eventually transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center in Ojai, California, where she will spend the rest of her life. She has been named "Blanca" and shares her space with "Handsome"...a male turkey vulture. She is the southern belle at this center and is treated like a princess. We are thrilled to have permanently placed her at this amazing facility.
During Memorial Weekend we admitted a young fledgling Barred Owl. There was truly nothing wrong with this youngster other than he was too young to be on his own, and was found in an un-safe environment due to the holiday weekend. He was rescued by the DNR and transported to Wings of Wonder where he just hung out for a few days and enjoyed some tasty free meals. Once the weekend was over and the crazy partying had ended, this youngster was returned to the area where he was found and released. I have no doubts that he soon reunited with his parents and siblings.
Gilda and Arlo, our resident Eastern Screech Owls fostered these 2 orphaned babies this year. When the babies were brought to Wings of Wonder they were only about the size of ping pong balls. Arlo and Gilda adopted the babies right away and began caring for them. Gilda and Arlo foster orphaned babies each and every year. They are both stellar parents and become extremely protective of "their" babies. When I would enter their flight pen to leave food, to clean, or to refresh the water tubby I had to wear my bicycle helmet, googles and a thick winter coat in order to stay safe. Without this protective gear I would suffer the attacks from these doting parents. As the summer days warmed up, wearing all that gear got unbearably hot and uncomfortable...yet I stayed safe. These youngsters, once old enough and able to hunt a variety of live prey, were released on a lovely summer evening at Watervale Inn.
One of the many West Nile Virus patients admitted this year was a young Sharp Shined Hawk. The hawk was thin and dehydrated but was not exhibiting advanced symptoms for the virus so we were hopeful he had been rescued in time. The young hawk was given lots of fluids and supportive care...similar care that we humans receive when we have a bad case of the flu. This was one of the lucky survivors of the virus. I decided to release him on site, right from his flight pen. I just propped open the door of the flight pen one morning and out he flew into the forest. A few hours later, when I returned to clean out this space to prepare it for the next patient, lo and behold he was back. He had flown in thru the still propped open door....guess he was no dummy....he was back for more free handouts. I shooshed him out, put a (dead) mouse out on a tree limb where he came down, grabbed it up and flew off...never to be seen here again (I now don't keep the doors propped open!)
We had a Snowy Owl flown to Wings of Wonder this summer via a private pilot. The snowy owl had been rehabilitated at a center downstate. By the time the owl was ready for release it was just too late in the season to release him that far south so the center contacted Wings of Wonder for help. I promised that we could at least transport the Snowy to Whitefish Point where other Snowy's were still being seen. The owl was flown up to Empire via John Sullivan of Aerial Associates Photography. I met John at the little airport and invited him over to Wings of Wonder for a tour. A great new friendship was created. The Snowy Owl spent a few days resting and eating at Wings of Wonder and was then transported to Whitefish Point and released by good friend Tom Deering. The Owl then had to navigate his own way further north to Alaska or northern areas of Canada...his free ride was over.
Dr. Eric Peck (Northern Michigan Veterinary Hospital) performed several surgeries on raptors for us this year, one of which was to amputate a dead toe from a young Long Eared Owl's foot. This very young owl had been found by a logger after the nest tree had been cut down. Turns out the baby had some damage to her left foot: the back toe was completely twisted and dead and there was additional damage to another toe and talon. This damage had happened earlier in this youngster's life. My theory is that a couple of talons on her left foot got snagged inside the hollow of the nest tree, resulting in the severe injuries. If this youngster had gotten old enough to fly she most certainly would have starved to death out in the wild. The back toe is a very, very important toe for successful catching and killing of the prey as well as for being able to comfortably perch on a branch. The surgery went extremely well and the little owl's foot healed completely, but she is now permanently disabled and can never be released back into the wild. She is our newest ambassador raptor and is a very welcomed addition to the "family". Stay tuned on more about this little girl.
In the span of about 5 days we admitted 4 baby merlins, all from 4 different areas of the state. Merlins are one of the 3 falcons native to Michigan. These youngsters all became instant siblings and learned to role model from each other. Once they were fully feathered and beginning to fly they were moved into our large 100 foot aviary where they practiced thier flying skills, hunting strategies and how to steal food from each other. These little falcons are amazing masters of flight...they can stop on a dime, hover and zip around very quickly. It was fun to watch them growing up....but, have to admit, it was a grueling aerobic workout for me trying to capture them out of our huge flight pen when they were ready for release. All 4 merlins were released together over some gorgeous open meadow lands near the village of Maple City.
Sadly, not all of our rehabilitation cases are successful. This summer we admitted an adult bald eagle from Drummond Island. Employees at the island gravel pit had seen the bird for about 3 weeks. The eagle could not fly and her injuries were quite obvious. Wings of Wonder was contacted and arrangements were made to rescue her. The eagle had serious injuries to her face and beak, a blind left eye and fractures to her left elbow. She had been found next to the island airport so we truly believe she had been hit by a small airplane. Unfortunately, her injuries were too old and severe for any medical intervention or repair. She was humanely euthanized. Her spirit now flies free.
The amazing photographer, Wayne Pope, led a 3 hour class at Wings of Wonder this summer. This sold out class of 24 students learned advanced photography techniques and proven strategies for "capturing" wildlife. The rest of the class time was spent photographing the Wings of Wonder raptors, in various poses and natural backgrounds. All of the raptors did a fine job of modeling and yes, Doolin did indeed try to untie all those shoelaces!
Education is our main focus here at Wings of Wonder. To inspire and create a sense of wonder about the natural world, while introducing our raptors to the public, is the biggest gift of my work. The raptors and I travel to about 160 programs each year, reaching thousands of folks across Michigan. Every presentation is unique, no two are ever alike, but all help to open eyes and minds to the wonders of raptors!
A huge 'feather in my cap' this year was being able to finally get Golda up on my glove. She and I have been working together over the past year, slowly building up a strong trust account with each other. Due to her past negative experiences with humans she really had no reason to ever trust again. But, trust she has been doing and now accepts all of her meals from my gloved hand. The time came to ask her to step up on my glove. She was a sweetie pie the entire time and never exhibited any of her past negative survival strategies, ie biting, punching and showing other aggressive traits. I was able to ask her to step up on a scale...she weighs in at a whopping 13 pounds, but on my glove I swear she weighs at least 113 pounds! She is a big girl indeed. I continue to be extremely honored to work this amazing Golden Eagle each day!
So, I surely hope this wasn't too long winded. I have been so negligent in up dating the Wings of Wonder blog, for this I offer my apologies. You can always follow us on Facebook and, if you are ever wondering what is going on, I invite you to send me an email ( I promise to send a reply in this lifetime) or to schedule a private tour.
From our house to yours....
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