By Pearl Beamer

A confused pelican landed on the Hampton Roads Bridge during the “Ernesto” this year. William was on his way home when he saw him lying on the bridge. The pelican might of thought that the bridge was the water considering all of the rain that day or perhaps he was blown into oncoming traffic.

William brought the Pelican to me on Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, there were no broken bones, just some “road rash”.

He spent one week in a cage outside. He would perch himself high on a branch that my husband had put up for the crows. When he started to perch on it the last couple of days I knew he was ready to go.

On Thursday, my husband, Jimmy, and I took him back out to Willoughby Spit (where he came from) and released him. He walked right out of the cage, paddled a short distance and flapped his wings. Then he started to really flap his wings. He looked like he was running on the water. He took off like an airplane on a runway.

It was a picture perfect release!

NOT YOUR TYPICAL MORNING

Marion always goes out front to check the weather but for some reason today she went out back. To her surprise a very large bird greeted her.

He would open & close his wings but wouldn’t fly. Marion and her husband, Frank, started to make some phone calls. They finally called Midway Vet. Hospital where Noel answered the phone. Noel, who has handled hawks before new this, was more than Marion could handle and gave me a call, and asked me if I could go out to help the elderly woman. Upon arrival he was perched about 1 foot off of the ground in a small tree. When approached he flew to the wooden fence. I got within two feet then he took off again to the neighbors yard and landed in a tree; this time about 12-15 feet in the air. I noticed that he was favoring his right wing. By this time the blackbirds didn’t want him around. After about 8 minutes he took off again to another neighbors tree this time about 15-20 feet up. I knew he was injured but didn’t think he was going to be low enough to catch so I started to tell Marion what to do if he came back down to the ground. Just then we hear a load crack and we thought it was someone who was scaring off the 15-20 blackbirds that were bombing the Red Tail Hawk. Then we saw the Red Tail trying to hang on upside down but couldn’t right himself because of his injured wing. He then started to bounce all the way down the tree hitting all the branches. As I hopped fences, ran around homes and through yards I found him in the corner at the base of the tree he has just fell out of. I reached down and picked him up. I checked him out for more injuries but all I found was the original simple fracture in the right wing and that he was extremely thin. I took this opportunity to show Marion how this he really was.

I loaded the hawk up and headed for Midway Vet. Hospital for some much need fluids for the hawk.

This just shows that a concerned citizen can do for wildlife in distress. Because of Marion & Frank’s desire to help the Hawk out they persisted and found someone who would listen and help them help the hawk.

Article by: Pearl Beamer

The Tidwell Owl

Lisa had called me to see if I knew anyone who could climb a tree to put a baby Great Horned Owl backup into it’s nest. My husband, Jimmy, got on the phone and said that he could do it.

After four days of rescheduling it the weather finally cooperated. On Sunday March 12th at about 5pm we all went out to Jan & Bob Tidwell’s home. Jimmy climbed a different tree than the one with the original nest because the bottom branch on that Pine was over 50 feet into the air. He was tree climbing, so we picked a tree about 10 feet from the Pine. Jimmy went up into the tree. Once he was into position he lowered a rope, which Lisa tied off to a wicker basket. Jimmy tied the basket in the “Y” of the tree. Some pine needles were added for bedding. Then the rope was lowered once again this time for the Baby Owl that was in a small carrier. (Remember it is gradually getting darker plus Mom & Dad Owl are flying back & forth, letting us know that they were there.) Once it reach Jimmy he took the baby owl out and placed him in the mad made nest. We left some food for the baby. Jimmy climbed back down the tree.

About four days later, Thursday, we went back out to where the owl was and Jimmy climbed back up the tree … again. He put the baby into the carrier and lowered him down to me. Upon examining the Owl I discovered the little one wasn’t getting enough to eat. At this point the baby was brought back into Wildlife Responses Inc care. The parents were good parents but they were concentrating all their efforts on the alpha baby, which was till in the original nest.

That first night back in our care he ate 11 mice, then 10 more in the morning and again 8 more that following evening. Lisa Barlow has the owl and will release him when he is ready. 

Article by: Pearl Beamer

You may remember the little juvie hummer I got in last summer who got into epoxy floor paint. Well he has come along just GREAT, his ulcers have healed, he has completely feathered in, he has completely replaced all his damaged feathers, and he has molted into his adult plumage. I am happy to report that he was released in perfect shape.

Photos showing his progress:

The first pic was taken 9/24/05, the second pic was taken 4/2/06, and the last pic was taken the day before his release on 5/6/06.

During his entire rehab period, he has been on a diet of mostly unsupplemented NekTar Plus with only occasional supplements of Nekton Tonic I and/or Nekton Bio (to promote feather growth). He also loved his daily baths. He was a real trooper throughout this whole process.

Godspeed, Mr. Icky!

Connie Sale

SNOWSHOE ROBIN

This little fledgie robin was admitted with a tightly balled-up foot. He could not hop nor walk without losing his balance and  falling over.  The vet decided to fashion a little "snow-shoe" and tape his toes flat in the hopes that his toes could be straightened out and become uncurled.   He wore the snow-shoe for a week and it WORKED!  The little toes straightened out nicely, and did not curl back up. Within another week he was hopping and perching normally.  He was released in perfect shape two weeks later.

By Connie Sale