Posts by jbird24
So long, heron!
It was with great delight we released the juvenile great blue heron who came into our care a few weeks ago. Watch a video of the heron’s release! The bird was initially brought into our care when he was found on a road thin, weak and unable to stand. Read his story here. The young…
Read MoreNot So Baby Anymore
Have any parents out there woken up one morning and realized your “baby” is taller then you are? That must be how our foster owl has been feeling lately. Now that adulthood is creeping in, our fledgling eastern screech owl has grown in almost all her adult feathers and now weighs 193 grams! (That’s 0.4…
Read MoreRaptors, Raptors, Everywhere!
In the past month, we have had an influx of juvenile raptors here at the VINS rehabilitation center, and I wanted to share some snapshots! The two youngsters to the left came in to VINS together after their nest was cut down by an unsuspecting logger. The kind man was very surprised by what came…
Read MoreLuck of the Loon
A common loon had the good luck of being found by a local Vermont man after the bird became grounded. The bird was under the scoreboard of the Otter Valley Union High School football field in Brandon — not your typical loon hangout. Loons — who must be in water to take off for flight…
Read MoreStanding Tall
A juvenile great blue heron was found roadside in East Dummerston, VT last week, lethargic and unable to stand. The tall, gangly fellow was brought to VINS, where we did an exam to see what might be the problem. See a video of the heron’s exam, and watch him eat fish!Upon exam (see photos of…
Read MoreLook For It Now: Spiked Lobelia
In July, it’s easy to overlook many of Vermont’s smaller wildflowers as the showstoppers — wild bergamot, Queen Anne’s lace, Black-eyed Susans and purple loosestrife — gain height and vie for bees’ attention with their bright colors and big flower heads. But a closer look at the forest floor and in-between meadow stalks reveals some…
Read MoreCountry Road, Take Me Home
When a delivery truck pulled up to a store here in Vermont, the recipients of the trucks’ goods got far more than they bargained for when out popped five baby birds. Here’s the scoop. Watch a video of the baby wrens. A mom and dad house wren thought they had found a safe, dry home…
Read MoreThe Success of a Mess
How often in life is it possible to gauge success by the severity of a mess? In the case of an injured woodpecker, that’s just what we are going for! This beautiful female hairy woodpecker came into VINS on June 22nd after flying into a window. We know she is female because a male of…
Read MoreRaptor Camp Week 1: Fun, Friendship, Owls
By Katie ChristmanVINS Education Intern The first week of VINS Raptor Camp kicked off with a full 5 days of live bird programs, nature hikes, bird tag games and learning to hold a raptor on the glove just like the VINS educators (an activity highly-anticipated by the campers)! We still have Raptor Camp openings for…
Read MoreRobin: In It to Win It
Found bleeding in the road, this American robin came to VINS with a golf ball-sized patch of skin missing from her rump — the area just above her tail. We suspect she was struck by a car or dropped by a predator. In any case, this common backyard bird is in for the long haul…
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