Bird Cams Around the World

In 2010 Lindsay Wildlife Museum hospital (Walnut Creek, California) received 5451 animals: 4078 birds, 1263 mammals, 98 reptiles and 10 amphibians. The most numerous species were house finch (551), fox squirrel (475), mourning dove (432), mallard (367), opossum (297), western scrub-jay (208) and California towhee (160). Most of the patients came from nearby cities: Concord (759), Walnut Creek (758), Martinez (359), Pleasant Hill (347), Danville (284) and Lafayette (259).

That's a lot of animals beans!!! Hopefully the staff can handle it all.

In mid-December, an adult great horned owl was found on the ground being attacked by crows. Fortunately, the person who witnessed the scene is a bander with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory who brought the owl to our wildlife hospital for treatment.. During the initial exam, we found the owl was not only dangerously thin but also had several large wounds on his right wing.

This owl has been with Lindsay Wildlife Museum Hospital for three weeks now and is getting better each day.

During the initial exam, we found the owl had several large wounds on its right wing, especially along the patagium, which is a special membrane essential for flight. The owl was also dangerously thin.

We cleaned and sutured the wounds, but an infection had already set in. We put the owl on several medications for pain and to help control the infection. Hospital staff also began a hand-feeding schedule and very slowly the owl started to gain weight. There were several set-backs at the beginning, but after about two weeks, the owl started eating reliably on its own.

It has been three weeks now since the owl first came to us. Since then, the owl has gained almost 500 grams and the infection in its wing has healed! The owl holds its injured wing lower than its healthy wing and is still too weak from its ordeal for us to determine its ability to fly. We hope to move the owl into an aviary in the coming days so it can continue to build its strength.

The owl has come a long way since it first came to us, but still has a long road ahead to what we hope will be a full recovery and release back into the wild.

Sunday I rescued this beautiful barred owl who was sitting by the road in rural Hancock County [Indiana]. Our Indy Falcon Blogger Laura called me after her husband Heinz came across a County Sheriff who found him early that morning. After calls to the DNR and the conservation officer were unsuccessful, Laura called me as I was perusing kitchen countertop ideas at Lowe's. That call saved Frank a couple of grand!

He was very docile and I did not need a net to capture him to deliver him to For the Birds of Indiana Rehab where I volunteer. We think he sustained a head injury and perhaps some damage to his left wing. The wing does not show any dislocation or fracture, but he is holding is at an odd angle. After two days, Liz is still tube feeding him, but he is standing on his own. Liz does not think he can see since he reacts more to sound rather than motion.

Time will tell if he can recover and be released. I will keep you posted.

Thank you, Gigi! Yes, do keep us informed.

I completely understand your frustration Jazzel. Like many of our state agencies, our DNR is vastly underfunded and they rely on volunteers to do part of the work when it comes to rescues like this.

The county sheriff encountered this bird at 5:30 in the morning and in between his attempts to contact authorities and doing his "essential" business, Heinz just happened along the scene. He called Laura and then Laura called me. By then 6 hours had passed. Now that county sheriff has Laura's number, but of course, what about the others who don't. They do what they can do and sometimes it isn't enough.

Christmas Eve a family encountered an owl that was actually frozen to the pavement. To their horror many people just swerved around it. They stayed, and missed Christmas Eve services, until they were able to get through all the automated answering hoops. Finally someone knew to refer them to Chris Hatton of For the Birds of Indiana.

Okay, now I am getting sad thinking about all this when I should be rejoicing for the good we manage to do!!

Me, too.

I think I speak for all of us catbird: "A very humble you're welcome."

THANK YOU - you gals are - AWESOME!!

This is one of my favorite videos. The Lake Tahoe Wildlife Center is run by a husband-wife team. They have devoted their lives to saving wildlife. In the video you will see a tiny Merganser being released into a lake, in which a female adult Merganser with two chicks of her own has been spotted. Will she accept the orphaned chick?

video: Release of a Merganser Chick

I "favorited" this video a long time ago.

Two years ago I drove a young Merganser to LTWC. There was another Merganser, around the same age, and we thought they would do much better being together. Yes, they became best friends and were released together less than two weeks later. Here's the video I made of the transfer. The little one I brought there was so frightened, he hid in a box in the large enclosure (with private pool!). A few hours later, he ventured out and swam and ate with his new friend.

Video: Shy Baby Merganser Has a New Home