12 Comments
Nov 15Liked by Nathaniel Bowler

I used to volunteer at my local animal shelter and transporting birds to rehab quickly became my job. My favorite was a Peregrine Falcon I had nicknamed Millennium and the most challenging was a Mute Swan with a violent case of diarrhea. I hope your woodpecker survives.

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Swan diarrhea! Yikes. That must have been a joy.

Millennium is the best possible name for a falcon. Brilliant.

I hope she does too. The injury looked pretty grave to me, but they apparently can do pretty amazing things with these animals, so fingers crossed.

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Nov 19Liked by Nathaniel Bowler

It's good to read the words of a person who actually does something to help our beleaguered birds. Here's hoping the lady woodpecker rehab is a success! Thank you for caring.

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Thank YOU for caring (and reading!). I hope she'll be okay. Still no word back, but I know they have a busy operation there

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Nov 16Liked by Nathaniel Bowler

From a former northwestern Pennsylvanian to another current one I’m glad our paths crossed. Figuratively. I’ve lived in north Florida since 1971. Regarding rescue experience I once encountered an injured seagull on a two lane causeway to St George Island. With the bird safely wrapped in a beach towel I asked for directions to a wildlife rescue. I was told there was one not far away and they provided an address. Late 70s ≠ cellphone days so off I went. To a veterinarian’s place of business. Puzzled I asked if there was an animal rescue facility. He replied, “I’m it!” He had taken on that pro bono task out of his love for wild animals. With so many seagulls in that area I wasn’t confident of it receiving care and attention. I never inquired after I returned home.

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Good on you for making the effort. I hope that gull had a few more years of eating garbage and all the things gulls do best, and I love that the vet cared enough to put in the extra time on rescue/rehab

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Nov 15Liked by Nathaniel Bowler

Lovely pic of the White-throated Sparrow. Hoping the woodpecker survives and thrives!

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Thanks! Hopefully the rescue folks will get back to me soon. Really in suspense over here

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Nov 14Liked by Nathaniel Bowler

A juvenile Cooper's Hawk flopped down on the sidewalk in front of my house and refused to move for hours, even when pedestrians walked within feet and the neighbor kids sat down right next to it! I was worried it would wander into the street, so I called the Game Commission. They said it was probably a "branching" juvenile still learning to fly, and it did eventually fly away after its very long rest. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/621480587

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Wow Ankur! I've never heard the term branching before. I hope it's something like that with our woodpecker, though the tail feathers and its behavior were telling me it was a serious injury. Thanks for reading!!

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I'm rooting for our wounded woodpecker to make it too! I hope they sort her out. The whole journey from wounded to box to rehab center must be so confusing. Let's hope it has a happy ending! And I LOVE my Crow Chair painting. Nicole Ellis is amazing!

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Fingers crossed. They're tough birds. She handled the ordeal as well as could be expected. I'm kind of squirming from the suspense.

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