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MONTHLY FLYER
A Volunteer Newsletter
August 2017
Last year we raised more than $14,000 for the birds. With your helpdonating items and spreading the word
among your family, friends, and communitywe can make this years Giant Yard Sale an even bigger success.
RECENT RELEASES
Its not every day that you see
American Oystercatchers running
around a grocery store parking lot. But
thats exactly what happened in
Ventnor, New Jersey, on June 9.
Concerned shoppers contained the
young shorebirds, and a volunteer with
Conserve Wildlife of New Jersey
transported them to Tri-State. Because
they had no obvious injuries, we were
anxious to reunite them with their
parents. Unfortunately, the parents
could not be located, which meant we
needed to care for the birds until they
could fly. We set up an outside cage to
give them more privacy and monitored Staff Photo
their weight and the progress of their flight skills. By early July, both oystercatchers were flying well and ready
for release in a marsh near the area where they were found.
A Barred Owl that had been in captivity since December 2016 finally returned to the wild in early July. The
adult raptor came to us from the Humane Animal Rescue Wildlife Center in western Pennsylvania, where
it received initial treatment for barbed-wire entrapment. Rehabilitators there were concerned this bird could
never be released. After Tri-State veterinarian Dr. Cristin Kelley learned of the case, she suggested that we
evaluate the owl, which then came to our clinic on May 24. The raptor was in good condition except for the
lingering effects of a serious foot injury and eye trauma. Based on her findings, Dr. Kelley performed two
surgical procedures: amputation of one toe and enucleation of the right eye, a procedure in which the eye is
removed but the eye muscles and orbital contents remain intact. Adult owls have been proven to be able to
survive with one eye because they rely so much on their hearing. As its wounds healed, the owls appetite
increased and it began self-feeding mice and taking its first flights in an outside cage. By early June, we
moved the owl to a larger cage to give it more room to practice its flight skills and build muscle and stamina.
Once the wounds were completely healed, the bird proved it could catch live prey, and it was sustaining
strong, silent flight, we released the Barred Owl on July 2.
On June 25, a thin and debilitated Ruddy Duck
came to our clinic from Hartly, Delaware. In
spite of its condition and the presence of an
old wing fracture, the diving duck eagerly ate
mealworms and swam in the hydrotherapy
tub. With a few days of supportive care, the
birds condition stabilized, and we moved it
outside, where we observed it diving and
maneuvering expertly in the pool. Despite its
excellent swimming and diving skills, however,
the duck was still thin and needed additional
time to regain its strength and stamina. After
another week in our care, the Ruddy Ducks
Photo by Steve Howey-Newcomb
overall condition was much improved. That,
combined with its good waterproofing, feather condition, and diving skills, convinced us the diving duck was
ready for release to a suitable habitat in Delaware on July 5.
Monthly Flyer, August 2017 3
The heat of summer often prompts young swallows to jump out of their nest boxes before they are ready to
fly. Unlike most songbirds, which learn to fly after they leave the nest, swallows must be strong enough to fly
before they leave the nest. Among the nearly two dozen young Barn Swallows weve admitted so far this
summer, one fledgling came from Chadds Ford. The presenter reported that someone had knocked down all
the swallow nests in the barn where she boards her horse. The fledgling she brought to Tri-State was the only
survivor. This youngster was thin and severely dehydrated, but it began hand-feeding soon after admission.
With a few days of supportive care, the Barn Swallow gained weight and developed the flight muscle
necessary to sustain flight. By July 19, the young swallow was ready for release into the Barn Swallow flocks
that live near the Annex.
True to its name, the American Oystercatcher eats oysters and other bivalves such as clams and mussels. It
uses its strong, sharp-pointed beak to pry open the shells. This bird also eats starfish, sea urchins, and other
marine invertebrates.
Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research 4
A solitary bird, the American Oystercatcher forms monogamous pairs and uses its feet to scrape small mounds
of sand for its nest. It may make five or more before selecting one and lining it with shells, pebbles, or other
material. It has a single brood of one to four young each year. Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch
after 24 to 29 days. The precocial young leave the nest within a day of hatching. Both parents care for the
young until they take their first flight when they are about five weeks old.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, because this bird is highly sensitive to human disturbance and
subject to a declining beach habitat, The North American population of American Oystercatchers are on the
2014 State of the Birds Watch List. . . . and are listed as a yellow species (indicating a national conservation
concern) by Audubon. Learn more about the American Oystercatcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithologys All
About Birds Web site, www.allaboutbirds.org. See also Birds of North America, published by the Smithsonian
Institution, or your own favorite birding book.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Information Sessions and Adult Bird Care Workshops. Do you have friends or family members who
think they may be interested in volunteering for Tri-State, but who are concerned that this may not be the
right choice for them? We have the perfect solution: a one-hour Information Session that gives prospective
volunteers a good overview of our operations and expectations. All those interested in volunteering at
Tri-State must attend one Information Session before they can register for a bird-care workshop.
Information Sessions will be offered on the following Saturdays at 11 a.m.: August 26, September 9, and
September 16.
Adult Bird Care Workshop: Saturday, September 23, 8 a.m.1 p.m.
Yard Sale, Saturday, October 7, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The trailer is here and ready to accept your donations.
Our annual fund-raiser for the birds will once again take place at the Aetna Fire Hall in Newark. See the article
above and look for updates in the coming months in The Monthly Flyer and on the Tri-State website.
Benefit for the Birds, Friday, November 10, 6 to 10 p.m. We are returning to Deerfield in Newark in
2017. Deerfield is across Paper Mill Road, just over one mile from the Tri-State turn at Possum Hollow Road.
See the article above for more details.
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