Back from Break

All of the clinic volunteers are back from winter break, so activity in the ward has picked up this week. We are also getting ready for our annual fundraiser, Doodle for Wildlife. A significant portion of the WMC's budget is raised at Doodle very year. The planning for this year's event has already been going on for months but has now picked up after break. The Doodle website is active and you can check it out here. Some awesome doodles have already arrived, and all the teams are out gathering donations for the auction. We hope you will consider donating an item for our auction or joining us for a great evening on Saturday, March 7th!

Red Shouldered Hawk

Finals have begun, so all of the WMC volunteers are really busy. A few Red-tailed Hawks and a Red Eared Slider are still here in the clinic. We are also treating a Red-shouldered Hawk in the ward. Red-shouldered Hawks are related to Red-tailed hawks (they're in the same genus) but are found less commonly in Illinois. We don't see them very often at the WMC, so we're excited to treat this one.

Red-shouldered Hawk with a Hood

After the Hood is Removed

Giving Oral Medication

Clinic Update

A lot has been going on in the clinic lately. On Monday, Pistol, Noel, Penelope and Nokomis went to Robeson elementary school to visit a classroom. The students asked great questions and the birds enjoyed getting out of the ward. On Sunday (12/7), some of our education birds will be at Lincoln Square Mall for a holiday shop fundraiser. They will be there for a few hours in the afternoon, so stop by and say "hello!"

With the semester coming to an end, all of our volunteers are very busy with school. This doesn't keep them from keeping up with cases, though! Right now in the clinic we have several red tailed hawks, a screech owl, red eared slider and a gull. Though we typically have fewer cases during the winter, the patients usually need more intensive care.

We're also beginning the organization for our annual fundraiser Doodle for Wildlife. Doodle will be on March 7th, 2009. If you would like to donate items for the silent auction, please contact the clinic! We already have some awesome celebrity doodles coming and and will let everyone know when tickets for Doodle go on sale.

Screech Owl

Red Tailed Hawk

Robin Release!

Last week Team 10 released their robin, affectionately known as Spaz. The robin came in with Knemidokoptes, a mite that can affect a bird's legs and beak. The mites were his only medical problem, so he often escaped his cage and flew around the clinic. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) occasionally bands robins for one of their research projects, so when the time for Spaz's release came, we gave them a call. They came out, took some measurements of Spaz, banded him and put a transmitter on his tail feathers (with heat shrink tubing). Hopefully, they will be able to track him for the next few months.

Transmitter

Banding the Robin's Leg

Transmitter Attachment


The transmitter attachment is completely finished!

Tracking Antenna on a Car

Robin Release!