Coming Up Short

Sometimes the job of a wildlife rehabilitator is frustrating – you work long hours to save a patient only to lose it in the end, or in this case you never find your patient at all…. Thursday night we admitted a gorgeous female Red Fox that McHenry County Animal Control recovered in Huntley. She died…

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Owls Don’t Build Nests

“A Great Horned Owl baby is on the ground” the caller said. From the description, the bird was clearly a nestling and far too young to be on the ground. Mom and Dad owl were attentively watching over the baby from nearby trees. Hoping that Mom or Dad wouldn’t hit me as I approached the…

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Can Owls Swim?

This is my most recent post to the North American Birding Blog…. Last night I gave an educational program on owls. I have to admit, had someone asked me whether owls swim I would have answered no. In fact, I may have flippantly responded “Can pigs fly?” Well, that was until today. Today I responded…

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Modern Day Witch-hunt

A member of the public reported that a dog was adrift on a piece of ice on Lake Michigan off of Lake Shore Drive and Fullerton. A canine, yes, but of a different sort. When the Chicago Fire Department arrived on their rescue boat, they realized it was a coyote – not a domestic dog.…

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Up close and personal with an owl and a hawk

Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation

Article on Daily Herald http://dailyherald.com/article/20101205/news/71206… Dawn Keller, founder of the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation center, recently visited the Kane County Audubon Society’s meeting in St. Charles. Keller and her staff treat 3,400 animals each year. Some cannot be released into the wild because of severe injuries that would hinder their ability to gather food.

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‘The Care of Trees’ Comes to the Rescue!

As employees at a Barrington office building worked, they enjoyed watching the baby Cedar Waxwings grow in their nest outside a third floor window. Fledging day came with the first babies leaving the nest successfully. As the last baby fledged the nest, the employees watched in horror as the fledgling Cedar Waxwing dangled upside down…

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A Tail of Four Squirrelies

For 10 weeks, Mom Squirrel has diligently and lovingly raised her four little grey squirrel babies. Their big day is here – to venture from the nest for the first time and Mom is anxious about her babies growing up and facing the world. The boldest one gets enough courage and runs along the branch…

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Sometimes I Hate Voice Mail

WARNING – RANT TO FOLLOW Picture this….a hard-working, all-volunteer wildlife rehabilitation center that receives no government funding and is reliant on donations to pay for food, medical care, medical equipment and caging admits 10 duck eggs. The person bringing the duck eggs, let’s call her Betsy, makes a $40 donation and is sent a thank…

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