july 2016 volunteer newsletter

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Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research

MONTHLY FLYERA Volunteer Newsletter

July 2016

Celebrating 40 years of excellence inwildlife rehabilitation and research

Photo: snyders/moonbeampublishing Editor: Loretta Carlson

OUR CASELOAD IS CLIMBING

Our pools, playpens, and cages are filled with young waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors. Whether they losetheir parents, fall from nests, or become victims of weather or attacks by other animals, these young patients

need special attention. Even with our many interns (see article on page 2), we still need our dedicatedvolunteers. Remember, the youngest babies must be fed every 15 to 20 minutes from dawn to dusk.

So please check Volgistics to see where we need help most and then sign up. Our three shifts are as follows:

8 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., 1 to 6:15 p.m., and 6 to 10 p.m. The 15-minute overlap allows a smooth transitionbetween shifts.

Also, dont forget about our hotline for same-day schedule changes. If you need to cancel a shift you signed

up for that day, please call and leave a message at (302) 737-9543, extension 103. Use the same number if

you find yourself with unexpected free time. Even if you have only a couple of hours, we welcome your help.

GIANT YARD SALE ONLY THREE MONTHS AWAY

The trailer is in the upper parking lot, and volunteers are already busy accepting

and sorting donations for the Giant Yard Sale on Saturday, October 1.

As always, we hope you will come out and shop in support of Tri-State Bird

Rescue & Research. But our sale cannot succeed without items to sell. Nowsthe time to clean out your basements and attics and encourage your family and

friends to do the same. We are eager to receive your books, collectibles, DVDs,

electronics, games, and housewares. We are not able to accept clothing, largefurniture, TVs, or computer monitors. If you are unsure about an item, visitwww.tristatebird.orgor call (302) 737-9543.

You may drop off donations on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays between 9 and

11:30 a.m. You also can call ahead to make arrangements to drop off yourdonations at other times if you are not able to come to the center on the days

and times listed above. The deadline for donating items is September 23.

Last year we raised more than $14,000 for the birds. With your helpdonating

items and spreading the word among your family, friends, and communitywecan make this years Giant Yard Sale an even bigger success.

We also need people to help us run the sale: volunteers for yard sale setup onFriday, September 30, as well as volunteers to staff the tables and clean up afterward. Please contact Julie

Bartley [email protected] you can help with these tasks. Thank you!

RECENT RELEASES

On April 7, a reported Bald Eagle at Governors Square Shopping Center in Bear turned out to be a feisty

Ring-billed Gull. The frightened juvenile eluded would-be rescuers until volunteer Russ Carlson was able to

capture him on the median strip in the middle of busy Route 40. On admission, the gull was quiet andsubdued, and survey radiographs revealed he had a well-aligned radial fracture, a displaced scapula, as well as


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head trauma. We cleaned the wounds and wrapped the right wing. After a few days of cage rest and painmedications, the gull was eating well. Over the next few weeks, we cleaned the wounds, changed wraps, andperformed gentle physical therapy while the gull was under anesthesia. By April 24, the gulls injuries had

healed and he took his first swim. On April 30, he was moved to an outside cage to start flight exercise. By

June 7, with his flight skills and stamina back to full strength, the gull was ready to return to the wild.Volunteers Russ and Loretta Carlson released the gull back in Bear at Becks Pond.

A young Downy Woodpecker that came to Tri-State on May 17 was the onlysurviving nestling after a tree service company inadvertently cut down its nest tree.Although the woodpecker was mildly dehydrated, it had sustained no other injuriesduring the fall and was alert and eager to hand-feed shortly after admission. Once

the young downy fledged, began self-feeding, and acclimated to outdoortemperatures, we released it on-site at Tri-State on June 13. Remember: The best

time to cut and prune your trees is in the fall. From late January onward, look

carefully for nests before cutting or trimming trees and bushes. If unsafe conditionsrequire tree removal when a nest is present, coordinate with wildlife officers or a

licensed rehabilitator before beginning work.

A young Peregrine Falcon came to Tri-State after his first flight off the St. Georges Bridge landed him in the

middle of bridge traffic on May 30. The fierce and feisty falcon proved a challenging patient during his two-week stay. Fortunately, he was uninjured and began hand-feeding quail the next day and self-feeding quailand chicken within a week. On June 9, we moved the falcon outside, and he immediately got on a sawhorse

and began eating the quail we had placed there. Once we confirmed that the falcon was doing well outside,

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services (USFWS) biologist Craig Koppie began making arrangements to renest him. OnJune 14, volunteer Tom Jones transported the falcon backto the St. Georges Bridge, and Koppie placed the young

bird back in his nest.

Four Green Heron nestlings came to us from Sussex Countyon June 1 when the owner cut down their nest tree. After a

careful examination, we determined all four were healthyand uninjured. They soon began self-feeding mealwormsand invertebrates, and we began searching for a good

foster family. Pete McGowan of USFWS told us about asmall colony of Green Herons living on Poplar Island inMaryland. He scouted out the area and found active Green

Heron nests behind a duck blind. On June 7, volunteersTom Jones and Steve Vaughn combined efforts to deliver

the herons to McGowan, and he placed them with their new

families.

OTHER RELEASES IN JUNE

In June, we also released or renested the following birds: a Bald Eagle, a Barred Owl, Eastern Screech Owls, a

Red-tailed Hawk, a Coopers Hawk, American Kestrels, a Turkey Vulture, Black-crowned Night Herons, CanadaGeese, Mallards, a Wood Duck, an American Crow, Fish Crows, an Ovenbird, a Swainsons Thrush, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a White-breasted Nuthatch, an Eastern Bluebird, Chipping Sparrows, a Song Sparrow,

Carolina Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, an American Goldfinch, Carolina Wrens, House Wrens,a Gray Catbird, American Robins, Mourning Doves, Common Grackles, and a Brown-headed Cowbird.

MEET THE 2016 SUMMER INTERNS

Seasonal Staff (maroon shirt)

Jessica Hickengraduated from the University of Delaware in 2016, earning an Honors Degree with Distinctionin wildlife conservation and agriculture and natural resources. She was a volunteer intern in 2015 and was

trained as a relief supervisor in November 2015. Jessica hopes to work with primates one day.

Look carefully to spot three of the four Green Herons in

their new nest. Photo by Peter McGowan, USFWS

Staff Photo


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Senior Interns (pistachio shirts)

Cody Agnoris a rising pre-vet junior at the University of Delaware (UD), and he hopes to be an avian/exoticveterinarian someday. He grew up on the mid-coast of Maine but currently lives in Newark, Delaware. Cody

loves driving and swing dancing in his spare time, and he is helping his dad build a house this summer.

Caitlyn Hamillis going into her junior year at UD as a pre-vet major with a minor in wildlife conservation. Herdream is to become a wildlife veterinarian or rehabilitator. Caitlyn participates in the Swing Club at UD where

she dances her stress away.Maren Mooregraduated from Towson University in May 2015 and received her bachelor of science degree inanimal behavior with a minor in psychology. She is coming from an internship at the C.R.O.W rehab center inFlorida. During her free time, Maren enjoys hiking with her dog and riding horses.

Full-time Interns (yellow shirts)

Kevin Dayis a sophomore biology major at Washington College. He volunteered at Tri-State when he was inmiddle school and high school and is no stranger to preparing diets and doing laundry. Kevin is an aspiring

veterinarian and has shadowed veterinarians at Lums Pond Animal Hospital.

Caitlin Duffyis a rising sophomore at UD, where she is majoring in wildlife conservation and ecology. She hasbeen a Tri-State volunteer for seven years, and this will be her second internship. Caitlin enjoys reading,

drawing, and playing guitar, and she studied Chinese for several years.

Charlotte Lambert is a senior at UD. She is a double major in wildlife conservation and agricultural and naturalconservation. Charlottes favorite football team is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Lauren Sohnis a brand-new graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a degree in biology and a minor inEnglish, which Lauren hopes to use to pursue animal behavior research in a laboratory setting. Lauren enjoys

soccer, biking, and rowing and loves cats, dogs, and sloths.

Part-time Interns (yellow shirts)

Kristen Bishopis an animal science major with a minor in wildlife conservation at UD. She swims on the UDvarsity swimming and diving team. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kristen is a huge sports fan, especially

of the Penguins.

Megan Estradais a student at UD who is majoring in wildlife conservation. Her hobbies include playingvolleyball and mixing and mastering music.

Megan McCaffertyis a 2016 graduate of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) with a bachelor of sciencedegree in wildlife and conservation biology. She was captain of the UNH Archery Team and enjoys fishing andhiking. Wildlife conservation is her passion, and she strives toward a fulfilling career in her field.

Tina Mujica, originally from Dover, Delaware, is a senior majoring in wildlife biology at Unity College in Maine.

She spent the past semester studying abroad at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, where shehelped monitor the royal albatross that nest at the Tairoa Head of the Otago Peninsula. She also enjoysreading, playing video games, working in her fathers comic store, and watching The Lord of the Rings.

Alexandra (Ali) Napolitanois a senior at York College of Pennsylvania. She is majoring in biology with minors in

sociology and chemistry. Ali says she is addicted to dying her hair crazy colors.Samantha Sinkis currently studying environmental studies and biology at Washington College. An avid

traveler, she has visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Germany, and France. When Samantha is not buried ina textbook, she can be found in antique stores, looking for something old with a story. Samantha also has a

delightful cat named Agnetha Thorne.

Natalia Ziemeckiis a pre-vet student at UD. Shes interested in wildlife conservation and would like to becomea wildlife vet. Natalie wants to specialize in birds, and she is looking to learn as much as she can this summer.


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VOLUNTEER ANNIVERSARIES FOR JULY

31 years:Gary Patterson 24 years:Dottie and Bob Colburn 23 years:Mary Birney 22 years:Elaine

Smith 14 years:Sara Hutchinson 13 years:Catherine Feher-Renzetti 12 years:Jill Constantine

6 years:Marie McKee 5 years:Bill and Natalie Allen and Denise Dee

KUDOS to all volunteerswho helped us throughout the busy months of May and June. We are grateful for

all the time you donated, whether you worked in the clinic, transported birds, did laundry, mopped floors, or

tackled any of the other myriad tasks necessary to keeping Tri-State running smoothly. Thank you!Two Reminders

The speed limit along Possum Hollow Road is 25 mph.Young songbirds released from Tri-State or raised

in the wild are trying to navigate their way through their woodland homes, as are foxes, squirrels, rabbits,

and deer. Please be on the lookout for these young animals.

Thanks to the generosity of our volunteers and community members, we do not need sheets or towelsfor the time being.

FEATURED BIRD: PIPING PLOVER

A small shorebird at about 7 inches long, the Piping Plover relies on its sand-colored plumage to help it blendinto its beach habit. This species has a narrow black breast band, an orange bill with a black tip, and yellow-

orange legs and feet.

The Piping Plover eats small insects and invertebrates, sprinting along the beach, inspecting the sand with itshead tilted to one side, and then picking its food off the ground. Although the Piping Plover feeds in mixed

flocks with other shorebirds during migration and nonbreeding season, it is fiercely territorial during nestingseason.

Forming monogamous pairs, the Piping Plover has one

brood of three or four young each year. The nest is ashallow scrape in the sand, sometimes lined with tiny shellsand pebbles. Both parents incubate the eggs, and, although

the downy young may venture from the nest and start

feeding themselves soon after hatching, both parents broodthe young during cool weather. The female often leaves the

nest site, and the male cares for the young until they taketheir first flight at around twenty-one to thirty-five days old.

Once common along the Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, and

south shores of the Great Lakes region, Piping Plovers now are considered endangered or threatened becauseof human disturbance of their nest sites and destruction of beach habitat. Learn more about the Piping Ploverat the Cornell Lab of Ornithologys All About Birds Web site, www.allaboutbirds.org, as well as in Birds of North

America, published by the Smithsonian Institution, or your own favorite birding book.

CELEBRATE FOUR FABULOUS DECADES: BENEFIT FOR THE BIRDS

Plan now to help celebrate Tri-States 40th Anniversary in a grand way at the Benefit for the Birds on Friday,October 21, from 6 to 11 p.m. Our venue this year is at Deerfield on Thompson Station Road, just a short ride

from Tri-State. This years theme isA Ruby Carpet Tribute to 40 Years & Flying Strong.

Were planning a special Tinseltown, paparazzi-filled Walk the Ruby Carpet event that you dont want to miss.Your admission will include a fabulous seated dinner and desserts, hors doeuvres, open bar, dancing, and an

off-the-charts, dancing on the ceiling post-party from 10 to 11 p.m. Of course, youll have a chance to bid on

one-of-a-kind Silent Hawktion items, buy chances on the Big Card Draw to win game tickets to all fivePhiladelphia sports teams, purchase 250 Raffle tickets, toss the rings in our fun-filled Wine Bottle Ring Toss,

and more.

Photo by Kim Steininger


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To purchase your tickets online now, visit www.tristatebird.org. You may also purchase tickets by sending an

e-mail to Duke Doblick at [email protected] by calling him at (302) 737-9543, extension 108. Getready to be asked, Who are YOU wearing tonight? by our fashion police on October 21. See you on the rubycarpet!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Information Sessions and Adult Bird Care Workshops. Do you have friends or family members whothink they may be interested in volunteering for Tri-State, but who are concerned that this may not be the

right choice for them? We have the perfect solution: a one-hour Information Session that gives prospective

volunteers a good overview of our operations and expectations. All those interested in volunteering atTri-State must attend one Information Session before they can register for a bird-care workshop.

Summer/Fall Information Sessions: Saturday, August 27, 11 a.m.; Thursday, September 8, 6 p.m.;Saturday, September 10, 11 a.m.; and Saturday, September 17, 11 a.m.

Adult Bird Care Workshop: Saturday, October 8, 8 a.m.1 p.m.

Giant Yard Sale. Saturday, October 1.The trailer is in the parking lot! See the article above for moredetails.

Benefit for the Birds. Friday, October 21.See the article above. To volunteer to help with this important

annual fund-raiser, contact Duke Doblick in the Development office at (302) 737-9543, extension 108.

july 2016 volunteer newsletter

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