Getting in Touch with Waste!

Taking calls on our Wildlife Advisory hotline has made it very clear for us that humans have introduced infinite dangers to the habitats all over Long Island.  Among the concerns of our callers are animals that have been attacked by pets, involved in building and car collisions, poisoned by pesticides and rodenticides, caught in fences, fishing line, glue traps, oil and sadly, so much more. 

The people who call us are often very concerned about the animals they find and the condition of our environment on Long Island... so are we!   It's very easy for anyone to look around and feel like they are in the minority of people that care about species beyond our own.  When we feel this way, we sometimes doubt our ability to make a positive difference in our environment for us and for Long Island's wildlife.  However, all hope is not lost for an environment where people can live with a lesser impact on our planet. 

Late yesterday afternoon, armed with some 40 gallon contractor bags, some of our staff and volunteers headed to the Ransom-Stehli Beach in Bayville.  We had one goal in mind:  to pick up as much garbage as possible in a brief 90 minutes.  We wanted to make that beach safer for the numerous birds that reside there, in addition to making it a more pleasant spot for people to enjoy!  

In the process of cleaning up, we had a lot of laughs, enjoyed the fresh air, got quite a few weird looks from beach-goers, did a bit of bird watching and learned a lot about the garbage that our society produces on a daily basis!  Below we share some photos from the afternoon. 

We hope you will be able to join us on our future Beach Clean-Ups or at our Town of Huntington Adopt-A-Highway Clean Ups throughout the spring and summer!!

Irony in a Foam Cup

This holiday edition of a Styrofoam Dunkin Donuts cup did not bring any "JOY" to the environment.

Was this coffee really worth hundreds of years in a landfill?

Please bring your own mugs to coffee shops!

Volunteer Alex removes a piece of an old boat from the Sound.

Here I am giving a thumbs down for plastic netting found on our beach!  This netting is an easy thing for many birds and turtles to get caught in.

 

Volunteer, Justin, peruses the wrack line for various plastic bits. 

We found plastic bags galore piled by the parking lot.

Say no to plastic bags at local stores!

Soda Can Rings and Plastic Utensils were also numerous on the beach.

Some of our staff carry metal utensils in our bags or in our cars, so we never need to use the plastic ones!  It's a great way to cut down on this kind of waste.  

Clinic Supervisor, Jess, shows some balloons that she found on the beach.  

Jess was happy to get these dangerous items away from this habitat.  
Please say no to balloons.  

Obscure trash finds included this plastic piece of kid's play corn, flip flops with no match, a toy plastic dinosaur and fish, and kid's shovels.  All in good condition. 

Remember to check your area thoroughly when leaving the beach as to not leave any items behind!

Plastic bottles are an environmental atrocity.  Recycling is not enough.

We need to reduce our consumption of bottled waters/juices/sodas.  
Every new bottle created adds pollution to our environment.

Our crew of six volunteers and two staff removed five bags of garbage, one bag of recyclable bottles, multiple enormous pieces of styrofoam, a piece of a boat,

and a large helium tank from the beach this afternoon.  We had a great afternoon and are happy to have removed these dangers from our environment. 

 Thumbs down for trash!

While at times things may seem hopeless, There is much we can do all over our Island.  

In 2013, please help us help our wildlife with small positive changes.  Taking small steps in our daily lives and choosing what we consume wisely, in addition to cleaning up our environment, will add up in the end!  Our local wildlife need us to keep our mess to a minimum. 

We enjoyed watching these Atlantic Brant, a migratory small goose species,  feeding right on the shore throughout our clean-up!

Freedom in Flight

Although we are approaching the end of our slower winter season here at Volunteers for Wildlife, we still have plenty to keep us busy until we enter the 7 month stretch of "baby season"  that will inevitably keep us as busy as ever.

 

 

Last weekend, we admitted a large female Great Horned Owl to our hospital.  Unfortunately, she was out hunting at night and became entangled in a sports net in a residential backyard. After she was rescued by a staff member and one of our brave volunteers, she was brought back to the clinic to get an exam.  She did not appear to have been injured too severely in the net, but as indicated by her lethargic wings, had probably strained a few muscles and was suffering from post-traumatic stress after the ordeal.  Wanting to make sure that we didn't miss any fractures during our exam, we took our new patient to our wonderful vet, Dr. Leonhardt, for some x-rays which confirmed that she was just suffering from some soft tissue damage after struggling to free herself from the net overnight.   This female owl had a definite wild edge that was comforting to see, as this indicated that her condition was not too severe.  She would just need  a few days to rest her wings to ensure her flight would not be compromised once she was back outside.

As indicated by her weight upon admission to the clinic, we knew that this owl was a female. As in all birds of prey, Great Horned Owl females are larger in size and weigh more than the males. Given this information, an additional concern about having this owl in the clinic and away from the wild was that it was possible that she could have a nest with eggs.  Great horned owls are a species of bird that breed very early in the year.  They usually breed in late January or early February.  Due to the possibility of her already having a nest, it was our ultimate goal to get her out of our hospital as soon as possible. 

After about a week at the clinic, the female Great Horned Owl was showing signs that she had rested long enough and was ready to return home.  We waited until after the Noreaster last week and then tested her flight to determine if she was strong enough to fly.  After a test flight, we knew it was time to release her.

Late in the afternoon Friday, our full time staff and another volunteer drove her back to Brookville where she was rescued to ensure that she would return to her home territory, and nest, if she had one.  This owl was more than ready to go. As we prepared to release her, she showed us just how strong her wings were as she forcefully flapped them in anticipation of using them to return to her wild home.  As we said our goodbyes and good lucks, we watched her fly into the distance, with a glimpse at her breathtaking wingspan.  It was a happy day being able to return such an amazing animal to the place where she belongs.



Photos Credit: Jim Jones

 

 

Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who made this rescue and release a happy one!

Beauty in the Release

In the field of wildlife rehabilitation, releases come in several forms.  Of course, the releases we most enjoy telling stories of, are those of the patients that overcome incredible injuries and hardships to return to freedom.  However, in wildlife rehabilitation centers across the country, the reality is that these kinds of releases amount for about half of the overall admissions.

Then, there are the other cases of patients for whom we must define release in a different form.  Some of these animals are ones that we try our hardest to help over days or weeks at our hospital and they simply have no more strength to keep pulling.  With others, we know right away that their injuries will prevent them from ever living a normal life in the wild again.  For all of those we cannot save, their release is in a peaceful passing in a place free from predators and human dangers.  Although it matters not for the animal, we take solace that for however short a time, there were people who cared deeply about its life. These sad cases remain as engrained in our memory as every release to the wild.

This week, more so than other weeks this winter, we have experienced the highs and lows of the jobs we love.  An Eared Grebe, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Eastern Cottontail, all beyond help marked the sad points of our week.  While incredible releases of a Red-throated Loon, American Woodcock and our first successfully rehabilitated emaciated Great Blue Heron in several years, have left us feeling as privileged as ever to work with these incredible animals on a daily basis.

Please enjoy the photographs and video below of a week we will remember. 

Red-throated Loon prior to his release last Friday.

This loon endured head trauma, a respiratory infection and emaciation to return to the wild.

There were days when we thought he wouldn't pull through.

He had other plans. 

Back in the water after several weeks in rehabilitation

 

An Eared Grebe was admitted Saturday from Makamah Beach

in Northport with severe head trauma.

Unfortunately, he did not pull through his first night.

(photos of exam by Anthony Donofrio)

Volunteers for Wildlife would like to thank our friends at the Bayville IGA

for this incredibly generous donation of produce!!

On Wednesday, we released the emaciated Great Blue Heron from Oyster Bay. 

It was by far the best bird release we have ever seen.

Martin, our senior resident education opossum, went for a walk Thursday afternoon. 

In recent weeks, Martin has been showing his age. 

 He really enjoyed exploring outside again. 

Volunteer Elisa walks Millie (another resident opossum.)

  Unlike her slower brother, Millie still needs a leash.

This old girl is a busy bee. 

We admitted a male Bufflehead Thursday morning from Glen Cove.

 We'll update on him next week when we have a better idea of his condition.

Have a great weekend!