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.
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.
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.
At the WMC, we have many of the diagnostic tools of the teaching hospital at our disposal. Our cases often get radiographs (x-rays), bloodwork and dermatology, opthamology and orthopedic consults. Yesterday, Spicy Burrita, a red tailed hawk, had an endoscopy. An endoscopy is a diagnostic test that allows us to see inside of a patient and take biopsies of tissues. Spicy Burrita's team found a suspicious mass on her radiographs and suspects that she might have a fungal infection, aspergillosis. With the endoscopy, they were able to look for the fungus and take a biopsy of her mass.
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