Posts by jbird24
It Begins with a Barred Owl
by Calah BeckwithLead Wildlife KeeperIt wasn’t surprising that our first patient of 2015 was a Barred Owl. With 50 Barred Owls admitted as patients in 2014, the majority of which were received during the late fall and early winter months, we’ve become accustomed to providing care for these most common New England owls.It’s been a…
Read MoreOur Tiniest Patient: the Northern Saw-whet Owl
by Calah BeckwithLead Wildlife KeeperHawks, falcons, eagles, owls. We treat a variety of raptors, each with his or her own unique challenges and needs. These predators of the sky range in size from the 10-pound bald eagle to the 1/4-pound American kestrel. Without exception, we know that regardless of size all raptors have extremely sharp…
Read MoreA Hawk Hullabaloo and a Barred Owl Bonanza
At the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation, we serve myriad bird orders: raptors, songbirds, waterfowl, wading birds….the list goes on. However, each season brings us a new “assortment” of avian patients. During the spring and summer months, we are inundated with baby birds, mostly of the songbird variety, but we also see a number of…
Read MoreLate Bloomers
by Calah BeckwithLead Wildlife KeeperWith cool temperatures and changing leaves, it feels as though summer has been over for a while now. Birds have been gathering in mixed-species flocks and foraging relentlessly in preparation for migration. Baby birds are all grown up and fending for themselves…..or are they?VINS rehabbers are playing parent to two very…
Read MoreRed-tail Retirement
by Calah BeckwithLead Wildlife KeeperWhen we say we provide a life-long home for raptors with disabilities, we really mean it. A good number of our raptors have been with us for more than 20 years, and the high-quality habitat, health care, and diet we provide ensures that many of these birds will double or even…
Read MoreA Falcon Finds Freedom
The peregrine falcon with his wing splinted. by Calah BeckwithLead Wildlife KeeperA juvenile peregrine falcon has made his way back home after a stint at the VINS Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation. The young falcon came to VINS at the beginning of June after an unsuccessful first flight from his nest, in which he collided…
Read MoreRemarkable Robins
by Calah Beckwith Lead Wildlife Keeper The nest….in good condition forfor such a long journey. What are the chances? I find myself saying this many times each week, and I’m constantly amazed at the strength and will to survive that our wild patients exhibit. Of all the birds who find themselves in harms way, it’s…
Read MoreBaby Birds Have Arrived!
by Calah Beckwith, Lead Wildlife Keeper It was a little late in coming this year, but baby bird season is upon us! We are busy feeding many of these little guys every thirty minutes, but I wanted to take a moment to share some photos of the current crew. Two of the first babies to…
Read MoreWorld Turtle Day (and a baby wood frog)
by Calah Beckwith, Lead Wildlife Keeperphotos by Linda Conrad, Guest Services Manager Hatchling Painted Turtle Turtles! They’re ancient and fearless and amazingly built. They carry a mighty defense system on their backs; they make precarious journeys through forests and neighborhoods and across roads to mate and lay eggs; and….they have ridiculously adorable and heroic babies. For…
Read MoreBaby Bird Blues
by Calah BeckwithLead Wildlife Keeper Each spring, we anxiously await the arrival of our first baby birds. Caring for baby birds is very difficult, delicate work, and it requires a lot of time and experience; but baby birds are also some of the most rewarding patients in avian rehab. There is nothing more fulfilling than…
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