May 2016 Volunteer Flyer

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Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research

MONTHLY FLYERA Volunteer Newsletter

May 2016

Celebrating 40 years of excellence inwildlife rehabilitation and research

Photo: snyders/moonbeampublishing Editor: Loretta Carlson

THE BABY BIRDS ARE HERE!

The first Great Horned Owlets came in a bit later than usual, but they have

arrived at last, along with the first American Robins, House Finches, CarolinaWrens, Mourning Doves, as well as ducklings and goslings. Soon the clinicwill be filled with the chirping and peeping of many more babies begging for

food.

To help with our expanding caseload, we have added a third shift that willrun from 6 to 8 p.m. for the next few weeks. As we admit more babies, we

will extend our third-shift hours, so watch for announcements aboutscheduling and be ready for calls for clinic help from Julie and front deskvolunteers.

FAREWELL, SAM CHRISTIE

We are sad to announce that Oil Programs Senior Coordinator Sam Christie is leaving Tri-State to become thewildlife rehabilitation manager at the Hawai’i Wildlife Center, a response, rehabilitation, research, and

education organization devoted to native wildlife. Check out this amazing organization online at

www.hawaiiwildlifecenter.org .

Executive Director Lisa Smith praised Sam “for four years of innovation, process improvement, fabulouspresentations, and professional representation of Tri-State while on the Oil Spill Response Team and forseveral years of service before that in the clinic as a volunteer, intern, and relief supervisor.”

Sam’s last day will be May 16. Please join us in wishing her success and the best of luck.

TRI-STATE HONORS VOLUNTEERS

With the amazing live bird show by Phung Luu andJackie Kozlowski for entertainment, volunteers and staff

alike enjoyed an afternoon of food, fun, and fellowshipcelebrating our wonderful volunteers. (See Service Pins

article below to learn about another way Tri-State

acknowledges its valued volunteers.) The highlight ofevery celebration is the recognition of that year’s topvolunteers. This year, we honored twelve individuals.

Lifetime AchievementFor twenty-eight years, Lisa Robinson has playedmany roles at Tri-State. She’s helped with bird care, oil

spill response, transport, special events, and safety. Hermost monumental contributions, however, have been

keeping the laundry room at the Frink Center organized

and well stocked and helping set up the laundry facilityin the Wildlife Response Annex.

A Song Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow

eagerly beg for food.

Staff Phot

(Back row): Lisa Smith, Lisa Robinson, Julie Bartley, Pat

Jones, Ellie Hileman, and Valnéa Persak; (Front row): Rob

Romeo, Lauren Sugar, Kathy Wiwel, and Lyndsay Ayers

Staff Photo



Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research 2

Volunteer of the YearDennis Davis started as an adult-bird-care volunteer in 2013. Soon he was also feeding baby birds, workingon oil spill responses, helping complete an oil spill inventory, transporting birds to the clinic, and helping atspecial events. He volunteers at least one day every week throughout the year and trains our newest

volunteers.

Pat Wolters Wild Bird Stewardship Award

Kathy Wiwel started volunteering with Tri-State in 2011, first with bird care and then oil spill response. Sheworks weekly shifts in the clinic, helps at special events, transports birds, and speaks to student groups,educating them on ways to become stewards for wildlife.

Mary Robinson AwardsSince 1993, Ellie Hileman has been an integral part of Tri-State’s success. A former member of the Oil SpillCore Team, she’s also helped with bird care, workshops, yard sales, special events, and training newvolunteers. Her signature achievement has been her work organizing and helping run the annual yard sale.

Patricia Jones has been a behind-the-scenes volunteer for many years. During the past five years, Pat hasbeen Ellie Hileman’s indispensable yard sale partner. With Pat’s and Ellie’s tireless efforts, the yard sale has

become one of Tri-State’s most successful fund-raisers.

Fledglings of the Year

For the past year, Ray Bryant has been one of Tri-State’s most active volunteer transporters, retrieving andtransporting birds from Sussex County in Delaware and Somerset and Wicomico counties in Maryland. Because

of the long distances involved, Ray has dedicated a portion of his garage to safely house the birds that cannot

get to our clinic until the next day. Rand McIlvaine first become involved with Tri-State when he helpedanother volunteer corral an injured swan. He was soon retrieving and transporting other birds and using his

carpentry skills to help with maintenance tasks around the clinic. Rand was part of the team that replaced therafters in the flight cage last winter, and he also recently helped renovate the Raptor Room.

Unsung Heroes A Tri-State volunteer since she was a teenager, Lyndsay Ayers started with bird care and later joined the oilspill response team. Until we introduced the electronic database last year, Lyndsay also helped maintain theclinic database. Jim Howey started volunteering in 2011 and helps with maintenance inside and outside the

clinic, most recently building our new Raptor Room cages. Valnéa Persak has been a faithful clinic volunteerevery Saturday since 2006. She also works on the oil spill team, trains new volunteers, and helps at specialevents. A clinic and oil spill team volunteer since 2007, Rob Romeo has also been a dedicated committee

member for our annual Open House and Benefit for the Birds.

Rising StarLauren Sugar joined Tri-State as a clinic support volunteer last summer. She soon earned the privilege ofworking with baby birds and now helps train new bird care and clinic support volunteers.

RAINY DAY—YET LOTS OF OPEN HOUSE GUESTS

Can you believe it? Even with rain all day long, our big tent, self-guided tours, and Animal Behavior and Conservation Connection’s

birds helped prompt an estimated 1,000 guests to visit the annualTri-State Bird Rescue & Research Open House. Our updatedvenue design provided a more convenient way to tour both the

Frink Center and Wildlife Response Annex, get up close and

personal with trained raptors, and be treated to food, nature tips,kids’ fun, and more.

Volunteer Gail Shrenk tells young visitors how

Tri-State cares for baby birds.

Photo by Russ Carlson






After a week in an outdoor cage recovering from its ordeal and regaining its strength and flight skills, the

Northern Flicker was ready for release at the Ashland Nature Preserve on April 16.

Although we admit Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows on occasion, the swallow that came to Tri-State on April 12 from West Chester was a more unusual patient—a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Despite some

bruising and feather damage, the swallow was very active, flying and clinging to the sides of its screen cage.

An accomplished escape artist, the swallow’s flight was excellent after a night of TLC in the Tri-State clinic. We

released the bird on April 13 at Brandywine River Park where it was found. Learn more about the NorthernRough-winged Swallow in this month’s Featured Bird article.

OTHER RELEASES IN APRIL

In April, we also released a Bald Eagle, an Osprey, Turkey Vultures, a Northern Gannet, a Mallard, a Canada

Goose, Carolina Wrens, and House Finches. We also released a long-time patient—the Broad-winged Hawkthat came to us in November. More on his story in June!

FEATURED BIRD: NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW

Named for the tiny hooks on its outer primary feathers, the Northern Rough-winged Swallow is a highlyadaptable swallow found throughout the United States. The function of the hooks is unknown, although someornithologists surmise they may produce a distinctive sound during courtship displays.

With its mostly brown plumage, the Northern Rough-winged Swallow israther plain in comparison with some other swallows. It has a short blackbill and a slightly forked dark-brown or black tail. It’s about 5-1/2 inches

long, with an 11- to 12-inch wingspan. Juveniles look similar to adults,although their coloring is more of a cinnamon brown with cinnamon-brown

wing bars.

An aerial forager, this swallow hovers over open landscapes or water,catching a variety of flying insects and consuming them in flight.

Forming monogamous pairs, Northern Rough-winged Swallows nest either

in solitary locations or in colonies. Typically, they use their feet to dig

nesting burrows, although these swallows have been known to nest in rockcrevices or other man-made structures. They have one brood of four to

eight young each year. The female incubates the eggs for twelve days, andboth parents feed the young until they leave the nest when they are

nineteen to twenty-one days old.

Learn more about the Northern Rough-winged Swallow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds

website, www.allaboutbirds.org, as well as in Birds of North America , published by the Smithsonian Institution,or your own favorite birding book.

NEW RAPTOR CAGES IMPROVE LIFE FOR BIRDS AND PEOPLE

We are excited to introduce our new raptor cages. The special designnot only reduces stress on the birds, it also allows more frequent

cleaning and improves air quality.

Each cage features a removable divider that enables us to work on

the empty side of the cage while the bird is secure on the other side.

Staff members and volunteers can safely and thoroughly clean thecages and more easily capture birds. The windowless design limitsvisual interaction with people, thereby reducing stress for the birds.

The low level of light in the cage will keep the birds calm andeliminate the need for padding for high-strung accipiter species.

When room lights are on during the daytime, birds will be able to seetheir food, water, and perch.Staff Photo

Photo by snyders/moonbeampublishin



Monthly Flyer , May 2016 5

The instructions below provide guidance for the new Raptor Room procedures. If you have any questions,

please don’t hesitate to ask a clinic supervisor or Andrea Howey-Newcomb.

Cleaning & Feeding

• Place the divider in the cage. This allows you to work on the empty side of the cage while the bird is safely

on the other side of the divider.

• Place the newspaper up to the side of the divider but not under the divider. This will eliminate newspaper

getting caught under the sliding divider door. There will always be a thin strip where the divider door slidesthat will not be covered by newspaper or other bedding.

• Take the divider door mostly out and slightly open the front door. The bird should move to the other side;close the divider door and proceed with cleaning the empty side.

Every cage should have two perches—one on each side of the divider— as well as one food dish and one

water dish. You can place dishes on either side (whichever is easiest to access), and they do not need to be

side by side.

Capturing

• Close the divider.

•

Slowly open the door and hold up a towel the full length of the cage. The new cages are not as deep asthe old cages, so capturing birds should be easier.

• If the cage is too high for you, please use a step stool.

• Work in pairs whenever possible.

We extend our deepest thanks to the generous, anonymous volunteer who donated the funds for this

transformation and to volunteer Jim Howey for his craftsmanship in building the cages.

ANNIVERSARY PINS FOR LONG-TIME VOLUNTEERS

Thanks to the funds raised by our volunteer knitters,

crocheters, and crafters, Tri-State was able to purchase

service pins to reward our most loyal volunteers with aconcrete sign of our gratitude. Volunteer Manager Julie

Bartley and Executive Director Lisa Smith handed outthe first pins at the April 10 Volunteer AppreciationCelebration.

Four designs honor volunteers with five (Cedar Waxwing), ten (Wood Duck), fifteen (Great Horned Owl), and

twenty-plus (Bald Eagle) years of service. People who think they qualify should stop by Julie's office or contacther to receive their pins.

VOLUNTEER ANNIVERSARIES FOR MAY

20 years: Ann Banning 12 years: Donald Bauman 9 years: Janice Brink 8 years: Rachel Despins

6 years: Melanie Figgs 5 years: Carol Donner and Mary VanderDussen 4 years: David and Tara Kee

UPCOMING EVENTS

Volunteer Upgrade Session dates have been posted in the Volunteer Office. These sessions are forvolunteers who have been trained in adult bird care only and who would like to continue working in the clinicthrough the summer. We hope you do! At the peak in July, we could have as many as 300 birds in-house.

Friday, May 6, 1:30 –3:30; Monday, May 9, 5:30–7:30; Saturday, May 14, 12–2; Friday, May 20, 1:30–3:30;and Tuesday, May 24, 1:30–3:30

Spring Information Session: Saturday, May 7, 11 a.m.

Adult Bird Care Workshop: Sunday, May 15, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.




Giant Yard Sale. Saturday, October 1. Details to come in future issues of The Flyer. The trailer will be in

the upper parking lot in June. Start cleaning out your basements and attics now.

Benefit for the Birds. Friday, October 21. For information, contact Duke Doblick in the Development officeat (302) 737-9543, extension 108.

Documents

May 2016 Volunteer Flyer