The WildnewsInc.

Phone: (941) 484-9657

Summer 2010

Photo Credit: IBRRC

Oil Spill Response For Birds By Kevin Barton

There are only two internationally recognized oil spill response organizations in the United States dedicated to oiled bird rehabilitation. They are Tristate Bird Rescue of Delaware and the International Bird Rescue & Research Center of California. Both of these organizations are setting up and running cleaning stations in affected Gulf Coast communities. Both organizations are contracted by BP and regulated by the Coast Guard, USFWS & OSHA. They will have experienced rehabilitators, veterinarians, government backing and BP’s credit card onsite to help save as many affected birds as possible. (That is the good news.) The bad news is that participation by our local wildlife rehab centers (that usually handle all local wildlife issues from those man-made like fish hooks, car impacts and power line electrocutions to natural events like red tide blooms, botulism and hurricanes) will be highly restricted. This is a very uneasy feeling for those of us that are usually on the front lines of wildlife care. It is important to explain that the needs of a successful cleaning station are beyond the means of most rehab facilities, especially with regards to the huge water heaters and hazardous waste disposal required. An average of 300 gallons of heated water is used per bird according to IBRRC and all oil, water, soap, and other contaminants collected must be trucked away. This stuff can’t go down your drain or septic tank. The required HAZMAT gear is provided by BP and governmental agencies. Every bird that survives the cleaning process will be federally banded for future measure of success or failure. Most rehabilitation centers can’t do this. ( continued on page 3 )

Largest Area Bird Rescue Team Serving all of Sarasota & West Charlotte Counties since 2004. The WCV receives No Federal, State, County, or City Funding, and is run solely on donations.

501c3 Non-Profit Organization

www.WildlifeCenterofVenice.org

Board of DirectorsKevin Barton PresidentLinda Schrader Vice PresidentLinda Barton Secretary / TreasurerJody Theakos Volunteer/ Project CoordinatorJane Reeves Event Planner / Merchandising

Advisory BoardPeg Magee Education DirectorLarry Corl Rescue Training ClassBill Korp Legal AdviceSusan Murray Special Projects

Rehabilitation StaffMark Martell

Veterinary Resource PanelDr. Ellis DVMDr. Iulo DVMDr. Kellogg DVMDr. Kohn DVM

Melissa Tinsley

Dr. Kurzydlo DVMDr. Landess DVMDr. Mossler DVMDr. Ward DVM

Our MissionRescue, Rehabilitation,

& Release of Sick, Injured, and Orphaned Wild Animals

www.WildlifeCenterofVenice.orgPhone: (941) 484-9657Email: thewildlifecenterofvenice@hotmail.com

Newsletter Design Donated byJason Barton

Wildlife Center of Venice, Inc.Member of the NWRA, IWRC, & FWRA.

Center Updates I’m proud to report to you, our supporters and patrons, that the WCV has continued to grow, despite the economy and an ever increasing work load. Thanks to you, the Center was able to help over 12,000 wild animals in need since our inception in 2004. As of June 30th of this year, WCV has treated 1,731 patients including 940 birds, 745 mammals and 46 reptiles. To accommodate these numbers, we have hired an additional rehabilitator, and have labored to increase our infrastructure by adding twelve mammal enclosures and completing the three long awaited 20’x 48’ seabird aviaries. These new structures will benefit the majority of our patients as they approach release time. Such necessary improvements would not be possible without your continued generosity. Many of our cages are filled by our all volunteer wildlife rescue team that are on the road everyday of the year in their own vehicles from the Sarasota/Bradenton line south to Boca Grande, Englewood and North Port. Last year our dispatchers answered over 4180 animal related calls and our rescuers responded to over 3750 situations in the field. The animals brought back to the center were then cared for by many other volunteers from feeders, cleaners and rehab assistants to home care moms and dads and, of course, our supportive veterinarians and their staffs. To all of you, Linda and I are indebted, for making our dreams a reality and for helping us to help the too often helpless. I must also thank our volunteer fundraisers, educators, booth attendants and parade goers for spreading our mission of helping local wildlife in need and for tirelessly furthering this simple cause, yet massive undertaking. Recent grants received, news articles, a TV documentary with WEDU’s Gulfcoast Journal and increases in volunteers and donors are all signs that our collective efforts are helping the Wildlife Center of Venice to better serve our community. Thank you.

Otter pup

24’ x 24’ Mammal Enclosure. Made possible by Sarasota’s Cat Depot, Brittania Homes, Board members Jane Reeves and Jody Theakos, and WCV volunteers Mark Martell, Kevin Cranberry, Brad Bliss, Blanche and Jacques Boudreau.

12 cages, capable of housing over 60. Raccoon youngsters enjoying new digs.

3

What we can do is prepare for the worst. Our volunteer base, the largest of its kind in the area, is well equipped to handle most wildlife emergencies (with very diverse professional backgrounds including Coast Guard, military, police, firefighters, Red Cross, nurses, EMTs and don’t forget our experienced rehabbers and veterinarians). The WCV is taking advantage of all training opportunities available. In 2008, I went to a wildlife conference held by the International Wildlife Rehabilitators Council and co-hosted by the above mentioned IBRRC outside San Francisco specifically to prepare for a potential oil spill in our area. To see their setup and protocols along with some basic training was invaluable, however, BP Deepwater Horizon specific courses are required for all aspects of cleanup response. One such course (BP’s Mod 3 HAZMAT training) has been offered locally and nearly 30 of our volunteers have already taken it with more awaiting training opportunities to return to our area. There are also 12 and 40 hour courses that some of our personnel are pursuing, but these are for more experienced wildlife rehabilitators and other paraprofessionals. Like other facilities, and networking partners, the WCV is asking for donations of money, supplies, and equipment. Gas cards, Home Depot and Lowe’s cards facilitate the purchase of necessary items. We always need chest freezers, hand held fishing nets, dog/cat kennels, leather gloves, welding gloves, thick rubber gloves, Lactated Ringers, Pedialyte, blue dawn dish detergent, canola oil and kennel dryers. Please know that I share every ones frustration with the current unknown and the bureaucracy. Years of work could be quickly wiped out should the oil hit our shores. With no end in sight and ever increasing spill estimates, we can’t help but expect some impact. So far the main impact on us is economic as it has negatively affected our donors. My primary concerns, however, are that cleaning stations are located near affected birds for prompt care and that those stations are adequately prepared, staffed, and funded. Should WCV be asked to help in any capacity in Sarasota or Charlotte County our 80 plus volunteers are ready to help rescue, rehab, wash, dry, transport, hold or release any wild animal. We stand ready to help area wildlife in need. This is what we do.

Oil Spill Response For Birds continued from page 1

If you would like to help with beach cleanup, please visit:www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com

If you would like to volunteer with oiled birds,

please email: fw4ppc@fws.gov or call 404-679-7049.

If you see oiled wildlife, call 1-866-557-1407.

Lucky Pelican Bistro9239 Lake Osprey Drive

Sarasota, FL 34240Just east of University & I-75

Join the Pelican Club: Prepare Educate Lead Invest Care Action Now• Find out what you can do NOW. Talk with those in the know.• Fun for the Family, Live Music, Enjoy the area’s best seafood and more.• Donate items for rescue. For list of helpful items, such as medicines, cleaning products and materials visit:

www.wildlifecenterofvenice.org/wish_list.html

July 17, 20103 pm to 8 pm

at

Caring for hundreds of pelicans and other sea birds annually is costly. The WCV spends roughly $1000 a month on fish alone! There is growing fear that with the oil spill in the Gulf, our fish suppliers will be forced to raise prices.

Three massive 48’ X 20’ X 14’ seabird aviaries, nearly completed, are ready to assist with oil affected birds, should they be needed.

Offshore birds like this northern gannet are likely to be first affected in our area, as they were in Louisiana.

Two cormorants sitting by a pool in the new aviary, made from an old boat.

4

Good Mama!By Peg Magee

Ed Hicks and I slowly carried the twiggy nest with its precious cargo of three five-week-old baby squirrels from the back seat of the car to a spot just near the cabbage palm tree in the courtyard. This tree, at Pelican Alley Restaurant near the Albee Road Bridge had been trimmed of its dead and dried out fronds the morning before. That was when the trimmer discovered the nest and placed it carefully on the ground next to the tree. He waited to see if mama would come for her three babies, but with all the chain saw noise and commotion, she didn’t return. Being a wildlife enthusiast, Mike worried about the little guys all during his lunch hour and decided to bring them to the Wildlife Center to be raised for about four months and then released. But the following morning, we decided to give Mom another, quieter, chance. We returned to the enclosed patio

Sandhill Crane Reunionby Linda Schrader

On May 13th, WCV received a call about a sandhill crane (SHC) family that was hit by a car in front of the Stoneybrook development on Center Ave. in Venice. Henry Brooks, Kevin and I responded to the call. Unfortunately, one of the adults died at the scene. The other adult was injured, but flew off when approached by an animal control officer earlier. The baby crane, whose sibling had been killed by a car less than a week earlier, was brought to WCV. We placed the baby in a large aviary where there were three adult cranes rehabilitating after receiving broken legs by stray golf balls and cars. One of the adults took an immediate interest in the baby and began to feed her right away. It was a wonderful sight to see! It took three days before we were able to capture the baby’s remaining, injured parent. Special thanks to all the residents at Stoneybrook, particularly James Mahoney, LuAnn Booker, and Wendy DiMeo. It’s

at the restaurant, placed the nest on the table near the tree and waited. During our watch, we commented on the incredible nest, about 2 feet long, of woven twigs, and lined with soft cabbage palm boat fringe—warm and soft for the babies. Almost an hour went by until we spotted Mom in the tree above the nest. I grabbed Ed’s arm and held my breath. How thrilling, this could be it. Sure enough, she made her way down the trunk, entered the nest, and emerged with one of the babies, all curled up in her mouth, like a cat carries a kitten. She scampered across the courtyard, climbed to a fence, and ran its length to the bridge where she disappeared below. She returned for the second, and then the third, scampering into the foliage under the bridge where they could be safe from flying raptors, and hopefully other predators. After all the work, she left her nest behind--now a cherished display for the WCV’s education outreach program.

Mama carrying babies to safety, one by one.

My two Moms.

extremely difficult to catch a flighted bird, but rescuers Larry Corl and Peg McGee made it look easy. We are fortunate to have a talented and skilled rescue team. Upon arriving at the Center, our rehabilitators noticed that the crane was extremely disoriented—she was very unsteady and would walk backwards when stressed. We could not detect any fractures, so we decided to treat her with supportive care. She was placed in a 50 foot aviary next to the other cranes. At first, she showed no interest in the others, even her own baby. We couldn’t even imagine what she had been through—losing her mate and babies all within a week. She needed some time to heal. We tried putting her baby in with her (much to the dismay of the “surrogate mom”), but there was no recognition by the adult. So we put the baby back in with the surrogate. Three days later, one of our volunteers, Brad Bliss noticed that the parent crane finally recognized her baby. She was feeding it worms through the chain link mesh connecting the two aviaries. Mother and baby were communicating (special sounds SHC’s make that I won’t even try to explain!). Each day we are seeing more and more improvement and the baby is being cared for by both adults. Our goal is to release all 3 together near their capture sites, once the baby can fly. We don’t want to take a chance on releasing them until the kid is independent for fear of abandonment by both adults, in a custody battle.

5

Baby Seasonby Kevin Barton

After a long cold winter by Florida standards, the WCV hit the ground running in order to accommodate the onslaught of babies--called spring. In wildlife rehabilitation, spring is known as baby bird season and staff and volunteers take bets on the seasons first arrivals (a tradition I was introduced to back at the Pelican Man’s Bird Sanctuary). This year, Melissa won the bet for songbirds with the March admission of a baby mockingbird. In the weeks that followed, the WCV received hundreds of songbirds (including more mockingbirds, cardinals, bluejays, grackles, thrashers, wrens, woodpeckers, shrikes, crows, sparrows, tufted titmice, flycatchers, and doves). It is fun to work with the variety, but these guys get fed every 20 to 30 minutes for between 10 and 12 hours, making for extremely long, demanding days! Not all spring admits are songbirds. In fact, the WCV has already received numerous bouncing baby birds of prey, (such as bald eagles, osprey, red tail hawks, red shoulder hawks, sharp shinned hawks, coopers hawks, great horned owls, barred owls, screech owls, swallow tailed kites, and black vultures). The WCV has also admitted many baby ducklings, herons, egrets, moorhen, sandhill cranes, an endangered limpkin, and least terns. It is important to note that many of these temporary orphans were reunited with their parents, including those that required me to climb to heights of 60 feet up trees or power poles. In the case of two bald eagle chicks grounded by a downed tree, Linda and I sacrificed our second Papasan chair. Using these chair frames is the best idea I’ve ever had for renesting eagles and osprey. They work so well that I am spreading the word to rehab centers all over, but please save and salvage local ones for the WCV. Spring may be dominated by birds, but the lack of sleep is compounded by orphan mammals which need to be fed every two to six hours, both day and night, which requires home care. Orphaned mammals this season include otters, deer, squirrels, raccoons, skunk, bats, rabbits, moles, opossums, mice, fox, bobcats, armadillos, and flying squirrels. Again, variety is the spice of life, but whenever possible we try not to get between healthy babies and their parents. If you need help deciding what to do, call our staff for guidance, and NO, it is usually not true that animals touched by humans will be abandoned by their mothers. WCV reunites families all the time while educating callers on individual situations. Baby season lasts through the summer in our area and many more species and hundreds of babies are still to come. Please help us meet the demands of these needy youngsters by donating time, supplies, or, of course, money. This is the time of year that the WCV is busiest and that donations are slowest.

Eaglets grounded by downed tree. at Larry Byrd’s property in Sarasota.

Papasan frame with nesting material.

Papasan chair frames are ideal replacements for osprey and eagle nests. They are the perfect size, shape, strength, and weight. If any of our supporters would like to donate old papasan chairs, please call us at (941) 484-9657. Drop offs are accepted daily, pickups can be arranged if necessary.

Larry Corl and caller ready the lift.

Baby mocking bird gaping for cricket.

Kevin Barton securing platform.

6

Chick-A-Boom Goes BoomBy: Melissa Tinsley

Back to work after a day off, I make my way through the hospital checking in on the patients and new intakes that had come in the day before. I open a door and what do I see before me, three of the tiniest little terns I had ever laid my eyes upon. Some populations of Least Terns are considered endangered due to human disturbances of nesting areas. Least terns normally nest in shell and gravel on the ground but some have resorted to nesting on rock or gravel rooftops. As so was the story for these three little guys, coming from the gravel rooftop of a business in an industrial park off Fruitville Road near the Celery Fields. They were nervous and frightened and had no interest in any of the food I had put before them. Throughout the morning, I periodically would try to work with them by enticing them with slivers of fish, worms, and crickets to no avail. We knew we had to get them back to their parents and fast. I called my husband Scott at home and asked how he felt about assisting me in getting the little guys back up on the rooftop. He questioned me climbing but he was in. Kevin and I loaded up the ladders on to my truck and all the while, I was taking in every tip he had to offer about how to get them and myself up safely, being extremely cautious not to disturb any of the other chicks or parents in the process. He also told me how Audubon members have utilized a re-nesting tool known as a chick-a-boom. A chick-a-boom is a basket on the end of a telescopic pole used to get the baby birds up and over back into the nesting area. “One would definitely come in handy right now”, I thought. Kevin and I put a few things together to come up with our best version of that.Arriving at the business, Scott and I observed numerous Least Terns swooping all around the rooftop tending to their young. We both looked in amazement. Then I looked at the climb I was going to have to take and got a bit nervous for a moment or two or three. The climb required setting up one ladder about 25 to 30 feet to reach the first level of the roof, and then hoisting up a 6 foot ladder to get me up to the second level of the roof where they were nesting. I peeked over and to my amazement I saw an abundant number of chicks all over the rooftop. I carried up my box, opened the lid, and one by one set each one over the 8 to 9 inch ledge of the roof. As I set each one down they were off and running on those tiny little feet back to their spots on the roof, they knew where their parents wanted them. I climbed down and we thought we should check to make sure there were no others on the ground. Sure enough there were. After three trips up that day, Scott and I “re-roofed” 13 of the little guys. Unfortunately, on my third and final climb, this chick-a-boom went boom. I pushed it a little too far, stepped a little too high and stretched a little too long and down I came as the ladder buckled beneath me. Scott cried up to me, “Are you OK?” I moaned and said, “SSSHHHH”. He yelled again, “Are you OK?” as he popped his head over the rooftop. Realizing that there were no broken bones, we both laughed a bit and thought, “oh no, we have to search the ground again, what if the noise scared more off the roof”. And so we climbed back down and searched the grounds again but thankfully found no more so we packed it up for the day. Yeah, I was a little bruised up but a lot more the wiser. Since then we have had two more calls and three more terns from that industrial park, totaling 16 tiny terns “re-roofed” so far.

Due to habitat loss, Least Terns often nest on rock rooftops. Unfortunately, this type of roof is becoming less common.

This juvenile fish crow enjoys his aviary with several others.

Increasingly rare, spotted skunks like this one, and striped skunks, need protection in our area.

Although the WCV admitted 14 deer fawn this year, most were reunited with their mothers. The six remaining drink nearly 3 gallons of fresh goat’s milk a day.Got Milk? - call (941) 484-9657 to donate!

77

Recently Received Awards

Among baby mammals treated this year, the WCV has admitted over 160 orphaned opossums so far.

Osprey chick downed by storm at G. WIZ science museum. Picture, taken weeks later, shows Kevin’s renesting success.

Peg McGee, WCV’s educational director, at a school demonstration.

The WCV has renested a record 16 great horned owls among many other species this year alone.

8

501c3 Not for Profit3252 Border Rd. Venice, FL 34292

(941) 484-9657www.WildlifeCenterofVenice.org

Inc.

SPECIAL THANKSto the Sarasota Veterinary Emergency Hospital, The Gulf Coast Veterinary Oncology, & the Animal ER of Sarasota for assistance with night rescues.

Your donation in any amount helps the Wildlife Center of Venice in its mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured, ill, and orphaned wildlife.

Name: ___________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________

City,State,Zip:____________________________________

E-mail:___________________________________________

Thankyouforyoursupport!

____$1-150.FriendofWildlife____$250-999.WildlifeAngel

____$151-249.WildlifeCaretaker____$1,000andmore.WildlifeBenefactor

Countmeinonthefollowinglevel:

Inc.Please make donations payable to

the Wildlife Center of Veniceat 3252 Border Rd. Venice , FL 34292

Donate online at www.WildlifeCenterofVenice.org!

Businesses and Organizations

that regularly help the Wildlife Center of Venice to

serve our community.

Veterinary Assistance Donated by:Jacaranda Veterinary AssociatesBayshore Animal Hospital,Nokomis Veterinary Clinic,& Forest Lakes Animal Hospital

Discounted Fish Provided by:A. P. Bell Fish CompanyAylesworth Fish & Bait

Dog Food & Cat Food Donated by:Sarasota Humane SocietySuncoast Humane Society

Produce Donated by:Venice Sweetbay on 41 Bypass,the Dome’s J & J Produce,& Yoder’s Marketplace

Cremation Services Donated by:Belspur Oaks Pet Crematorium

Turn your cans into cash for helping wildlife! Drop off 7 days a week at the WCV. Please, aluminum cans only.