Minus the jewelry

Last month, BE 09-15 came to us wearing some fishing tackle in his tongue and wing from the Kenai NWR. He wasn't a happy fisherman and was also getting pretty skinny. He got lots of fresh salmon to get his weight back up along with some antibiotics.

Sunday I took him out to the flight center. Here he'll get his flight strength back. He'll get fed plenty of salmon, but he'll have to compete with 3 other eagles for it. He'll also get to socialize some too. Once he has proven himself, he'll be released. That will probably happen before this winter. Here's hoping he's learned his lesson.

He'll be stay with 3 other eagles that are waiting for release this summer / fall also. All are in the process of proving themselves, getting stronger and waiting for the right time.

While I was at the flight center, I also fed and watered the residents. The whole time I had the feeling I was being watched. We have a mature bald that comes to visit, generally around feeding time. He'll land on the metal roof with a bang and let out a call. We don't know if he's a previous resident or not, but he sure eyes the salmon set out for the resident eagles.

We had a Common Loon sent to us from the bush that was hit by a car. No breaks, but some good bruising. I think it won't be long before it's released.

The clinic has been busy this summer.

The price of mice and rats is the same

But the price of shipping has gone up and it has gone up a lot. Next year Northwest Air Cargo won't be servicing Anchorage, so our supplier will have to find another shipper from Minnesota to Anchorage. I'm sure that shipping will go up even more. So the cost of feeding raptors will go up to.

Electricity has gone up, gas has gone up and just about everything else has also. The amount of donations have gone down though and the amount being donated is less also. The economy effects us all, but there are some that can't help it.

One of out motto's is "Because wild birds don't have medical insurance". We take them all. We try until they are ready to leave or there's no chance, but we try. And it doesn't come cheep.

We're always trying to improve the quality of care they receive also. Repairing mews, buying medicine and supplies that we can't get donated. It goes on and on.

Want to help out? There are many ways. You can donate online or send a check. Click here for that.

A new program we have is "Sponsor a Bird". You can sponsor a bird in our rehabilitation clinic. From eagles to pine siskins, we have a program for them. Check out our sponsor page by clicking here. You have the option of donating once or monthly for as little as $25 to $1200 a year.

In return you get access to a subscription to our quarterly newsletter Flight Feather, access to a special species page telling you about the species your sponsoring, access to Rehab Round up ( a letter from Cindy talking about the birds in the clinic), access to a special kids page, a photo of a bird in rehab for the level you picked, and the undying gratitude from our feather friends who need a helping hand.

So if you can, check out the links and make a donation today. If you can't make a donation, please share this post with your friends, maybe they can. Every dollar makes a difference. Right now we have a full clinic and your donation can go right to work. We are a 501(c)3, so it can help on the taxes.

Here's those links again,

One time donation

Sponsor a Bird

Soggy Snowy

The temps have been in the low 80's for the past few days. That might not sound like hot to most of you, but to us it's down right hot. Ghost has been taking it easy (chillin') and staying mainly in the shade of his mew. Before I went into Bird TLC today, I put the nozzle on the hose to mist and gave him a mist down. I don't think he was too happy about it, but it had to feel good.

Lots of different birds lately

This plover is as small as a cotton ball. Since he likes insects we want to make sure he gets back where he belongs. This isn't a species that we get many of at TLC. No one could remember if and when we had last had one in the clinic. He's been a little bit of a challenge to keep eating, but so far is doing well.

This young sand hill crane came to us from the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward. It had been attacked by something and sewn back together by their DVM. Since it's a land bird, they sent it up to us. It's coming along fine so far. It's drawing a lot of attention from the volunteers.

Baby bird season has kept us busy for sure this year, but not just baby birds. Adult birds are effected by things this time of year also.

This tundra swan was sent to us by ConocoPhillips from Kuparuk oil field. It's nest was attacked by a fox and she got pretty beat up defending it. Unfortunately when help arrived, the nest was empty. She was sent to us with careful coordination between them and their contract flight from Prudhoe Bay and Anchorage. Also, thanks to Daryl Miller for helping to pick this one up.

We're up to #19 eagle of the year. Bird TLC has been a busy place so far this summer.

Out of town, moms and signs

Ghost and I went to the Kenai River Festival last week. Thanks to Ken and Judy Marlow for putting us up. Ghost got to spend his first night perched out at the foot of my bed. I didn't feel that he needed to stay in his kennel all night. He did pretty good for his first time. The festival was a blast.

This is baby bird time at TLC. We get loads of baby ducks, magpies, chickadee's, etc. This year we got a mom and its baby. Mom was hit by a car. Someone picked her up and what babies she could and brought them in. Mom has a wing injury. Only one of the babies survived. Tell me that picture doesn't make you say AAWWWW!!!!

We're getting improvements to our property all the time now. People who see it will be able to tell that it belongs to Bird TLC. We have our own sign.

Bad Fishing and other birds

Young guys seem to get in the most trouble, no matter what species they might be. Because of the population of eagles in Alaska, we get to see quite a few.

This guy was sent to us by Liz of U.S.F.& W. in the Kenai NWR. He some how got tangled in tossed fishing gear. What we figure is that he got this treble hook caught under his wing. He reached down with his beak to pull it off. In doing so he got the hook right through his tongue. He had to be down for a few days.

He's not feeling good now, but he has to be feeling a lot better than before. He gets to have Bird TLC hospitality until he gets back into shape.

The raven was sent to us from Nome. U.S.F. & W. shipped this raven down who wasn't flying on its own. He has some major leg and foot issues. Dr. Riddle has fixed him up with his version of Nike's for now. This is a young raven, probably this years bird. He's very talkative.

Meet Gus. He's an education bird that came to TLC in 1991 with a broken wing. They figure he was about 2 at the time. It was determined that he wasn't releasable. He has gone through 3 caretakers and several presenters during that time. Now it's my turn to try to present him. Gus and I are in training together with Lisa as my mentor. We'll keep you updated.

A normal day at the flight center

Britt and I went to the flight center on Friday to feed our feathered friends and to get Adolph, a bald eagle and bring him back to the clinic. He's being released on Saturday, yeah!

One of our electrocution birds that we call Gomes had a feather caught on his beak. In the photo at left he looks like he's balancing it on his beak. He can be a goof ball.

Enlarge the owl photo and look at its right eye. The spider isn't actually on his eye, but right in front of it.

The mature bald is Adolph. He has absolutely nothing wrong with him. He just likes to hold his right wing out when he's perched. He flies beautifully. We brought him back to the clinic a few months back and took x-rays, did a full exam to include blood and found no reason for him to be doing that. Since he flies well and is in good health, he gets released.

We had to do some repairs on the netting in one cell. We're taking a rough-legged hawk out next week to get some flight time and maybe start Mouse U in a couple weeks. In another cell a cable had got some slack in it and we needed to tighten that up. That place is getting old and needs some attention.

It was time to take out the trash and head out. As I got to the door I yelled for Britt to get her camera. Mom and young moose were moseying by. So the trash got to wait. One thing you don't do is get between mom and her baby.

Just another day.






Photo Credit: Britt Coon / Bird TLC

Bird TLC on KTVA 11 news

Anchorage Rehab Center Helps Injured Birds Return To The Wild
Lauren Maxwell CBS 11 News
Updated: 06/14/2009 12:31:44 PM AKDT

Did you know that Alaska is home to over half of the wild bird species that live in the entire U.S.? Or that wild birds from around the world migrate to our state every year? It's the reason that Anchorage has a premier treatment center that works to heal wild birds from all over the state.
Anchorage's Bird Treatment and Learning Center is that place. The center is known for working with raptors like eagles, hawks and owls. But it also takes in any bird that's injured, everything from exotic sea birds to tiny song birds.

Director Cindy Palmatier says bird injuries generally fall into three categories: toxins, trauma or starvation. Volunteers work to nurse all kinds of birds back to health at the clinic with the eventual goal of setting them free. But if their scars are more permanent they are trained to become education birds.

Bird T.L.C. presenters go to schools and public events across the state. They take the birds so that people can see them up close, learn about the species and the habitat it takes to support them.

"That they're beneficial and have a niche to fill and the more that we can expose people to that the better. If you can do that with live non-releasable

birds where people can make an emotional connection to a specific bird they may think twice before destroying habitat. People will respect what they understand." says Palmatier.
But while bird TLC would love to show more people the good work they do, they have a problem. The center has no place to bring the public. Bird TLC operates out of a donated warehouse in an industrial area of Anchorage. It's old and crowded and not at all the permanent home that Bird TLC is dreaming of.

That dream rests on a piece of property owned by Bird TLC over looking bird rich Potter's Marsh. It's where they are hoping to build a full fledged rehab and education center, open to the public in an area that is already a popular visitors site.

Palmatier says the eventual plan would be to link the boardwalk put up by Fish and Game at the marsh to the new Bird TLC building and have the two agencies work together on projects. Palmatier says the dream of a permanent facility is still millions of dollars away, money she knows will be tough to raise. But, she says, Bird TLC will keep working to make their vision come true.

If you'd like to learn more about Bird TLC and their programs we have posted a link to their website. You can find it under the links and information section on this page.

To contact the Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.

Click here for video.

Captain Hook is cool

Beauty is only skin deep. For some of us, Father Time hasn't been the kindest. Hook was found with a halibut hook in his mouth. Because of that he was left with a scar on the right side of his face that doesn't allow feathers to grow. His eye lid is a little out of shape and He had to have a wing tip removed due to an infection.

He's an older bird. Watching him you know he's been around. He knows how close to let you get or how close he can get to you. He's back at the flight center. One of 6 non-flighted birds awaiting placement at another facility somewhere. But he's the respected bird by the other birds. There are bigger, younger and more aggressive birds in his cell, but he's top bird.

As I've said before, he has birdality. He'll talk to you if you want to talk or not. He'll run up and get the first piece of fish during feeding time. He won't be aggressive towards other birds, but he will give them a piece of his mind.

Yesterday I went out to the flight center to feed and do some yard work. When I got there he was in the water dish taking a bath. I caught him off guard and he got out. I continued on cutting the grass, washing the eagle poo off the walls, raking and getting rid of all the stuff that winter hid from us.

My last chore was to scrub out the water dish, fill it back up and then feed them. I put the hose in the dish and went inside to get
food. I came out 5 minutes later and he was going to town taking another bath. Who could blame him, it was 79°. That's hot for us.

So today Britt and I went back out and put a wading pool in and filled it up. He didn't go near it. Probably because we were there, but we'll go back and check on him again real soon. While he was waiting for us top leave, he laid down and was using a perch to prop his head. His buddy Rollie had his back. He was watching over him.

I tell ya, this guy is cool!

Goodbye and Welcome Back

On Memorial Day weekend, our Great Horned Owl that was at the flight center was released at the Bird TLC property. Gary Bullock, Bird TLC vice-president, Anchorage Fire Department Battalion Chief and all around good guy purchased a release at the Bird TLC auction back in March. This is the one he got to do.

With a little help from his fellow firemen, there was a spectacular release. There's no doubt that this guy can take care of himself now.

Back in April 2008, Captain Hook came to Bird TLC from Homer. He had a halibut hook caught in his mouth and just below his right eye. He recovered from those injuries with a few scars and then was sent to the flight center.

While at the flight center, it was observed after a while that he was not flying. He was brought back to the clinic and an abscess was found on his right elbow. For months it was drained but it never got better. It was decided to amputate at the elbow and it was a good thing. During the operation, the infection was found all the way into the joint. It would have never healed and things would have got a lot worse.

Last week, Captain Hook was returned to the flight center. No, sadly he will never fly again. But, Cindy says she might have found a home for him. This bird has personality or as I call it, birdality. He talks at you. He makes comments that only he understands, but you know what he's really saying.

This bird steals hearts, so be careful.



Photo's 1,2 & 4 courtesy of Britt Coon / Bird TLC . For more flight center pictures, check out Britt's website.

Photo #3 by me.

Bizzy day

I went by the clinic to pick up a Great Horned Owl to take out to the flight center. The clinic volunteers and I accidentally saw Petra, one of our education eagles, taking a bath. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera ready when she was in her tub, but here she is preening afterwards. I guess she was cleaning up for the weekend.

Britt and I took the GHO out to the flight center. It had come to TLC a few months ago with a broken wing. It was repaired with an external fixitor and recently removed. It now needs to get its flight strength back and then we'll try it at Mouse University.

Mouse University is where we'll place live mice in its cell at the flight center. It'll have to prove to us that it can hunt on its own before we release it back to the wild.

Just Duckie

Baby bird season is here. This little guy came to us via PET ER yesterday. I got him to TLC and bedded it down for the night. A heat light, food, and a couple cuddle friends. This guy was a little smarter than me. He climbed to the top of the Christmas Bear and hopped out of his home unto the baby bird room floor.

This mornings crew found him and put him back where he belonged. But this time they added some screening over the top. We'll find him a home soon.

IMBD at the Alaska Zoo

Yesterday, International Migratory Bird Day was celbrated at the Alaska Zoo and Bird TLC was there to help out. We couldn't have asked for any better weather and a nicer crowd. I was able to take any pictures, but check out John Gomes website at http://johngomes.smugmug.com/gallery/8243328_L9BQi#539065636_FBpNB

Releases

I got another picture in email from the Goff Family Memorial release. That young eagle was anxious to be out of there.

Our Great Horned Owl that's been visiting at the flight center is getting released on Monday at the Bird TLC property on Monday at 4:30. I have to work at my real job, so I'll miss it. If any of you get some good shoots of it, please email me.

This GHO came to us with head trauma and blood in both eyes. Its right eye recovered 100% and the left 90%. It hunt tested well on its own, so its good to go.

Sandhill Crane

Matt and Ellen brought in this sandhill crane they came accross. I'm not sure how it got injured. It either flew into something or was hit by a car. Tomorrow it gets x-rays. There are no obvious injuries, but it has problems standing and has no desire to eat.

We'll keep you updated.

1st Eagle release of the year

The weather was perfect for the first release of the year. There was a private family memorial with the request for a eagle release on the Bird TLC property. Timing couldn't have been better. We actually had to speed things up a bit so the eagle wouldn't have to spend too much time in the box.

BE 08-75 came to us last year from Kenai National Wildlife Refuge with damage to its left wing tip. It's believed it had an encounter with a prop plane. We had to wait for mother nature to take her course with a moult. After a moult and new feathers on her wing tip, she was able to fly well. So well that she decided to pick on other eagles at the flight center. So we decided she would be the first to go when good spring weather came around.

Best of luck BE 08-75 and enjoy this nice weather we're having.

Thanks to Sheldon Meier for sending us the picture. Also, that's Scott Elsen, one of the 3 people who got to help with the release.

New Baby Bird Moms

Every year, Bird TLC takes in about 300 baby birds. We get everything from red polls to Eagles. Trying to take care of each of these birds is a huge task that would overwhelm our clinic fast. So the Baby Bird Mom was created several years ago.

Every spring Bird TLC puts on its Baby Bird Mom Class. Cindy Palmatier and Karen Coady instruct future BBM's on what it takes to be a mom. Most people don't realize the commitment.

The star of the show was the baby raven that was taken in last weekend. Karen is the BBM for it. About every 20 minutes it would stick its head up asking to be fed. Everyone got to see exactly what it takes to care take a baby raven.

BBM's can be anyone. Anyone that has the time and patience. Most birds come in young enough that they will require lots of attention at first. Feeding every 15 to 20 minutes the first week and then the lengths between feeding increases until they can feed on their own. Then from there they learn to perch or swim on their own.

People who become BBM's use permits from U.S.F.&W and A.D.F.&G. that are issued to Bird TLC There are strict guidelines they must follow for reporting about the bird up to its release.

Even though this sounds like a lot of work (it is), it's also a very rewarding experience. Many parents like sharing this experience with their own kids.

Baby Bird season has started and I'm sure the new BBM's will be called into action real soon. Bird TLC couldn't do it without them. Best of luck!

The baby birds are here

Every year Bird TLC takes in a lot of baby birds of all sizes. We take in everything from redpolls to eaglets. It started this weekend. I went to PET ER and picked up 4 baby birds including the raven pictured here. They are then farmed out to trained Baby Bird Moms or Dads. We need lots of BBM's. If your in the Anchorage area you can go to Baby Bird Mom School.

Bird TLC's Baby Bird Class

On May 5 @ the Alaska Zoo

Yearly training of Bird TLC's Baby Bird Mom's. Be the adopted mom to a baby bird(s) that has been orphaned. Raise them until they are ready to be released back to the wild.

Call 562-4852 to register or for more information