Release of the Mighty Ducks!
Many moons ago, VINS Wildlife Services took in several clutches of young, orphaned wood ducklings. Okay, it wasn’t many moons ago — more like 2 months ago — but with the countless buckets of duck weed we’ve gone through and loads upon loads of towels we’ve laundered, it sure does seem like ages ago since…
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One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six!
UPDATE: We have some hardy eaters on our hands here, with each belted kingfisher eating about 3 minnows every hour for 11 hours each day! That’s about 200 minnows every day of the week! Please consider making a donation to Wildlife Services to help us care for these young birds, who will likely be in…
Little, Green, Minnow-Eating Machine!
A long-necked cutie made his way into VINS Wildlife Services on June 27. The fledgling green heron, with his bright yellow legs and downy feathers, is a bit of a rarity in Wildlife Services (although they are found throughout Vermont). Although we’re sorry he’s injured, we all appreciate the opportunity to work with this wading…
Maternal Instinct
Another one of our raptors from the exhibits here at VINS has found her calling in fostering a young baby of her kind. Our female red-tailed hawk, who has been known to go through various stages of nesting with her male partner on exhibit, now has the chance to flex her maternal muscle with the…
Catch & Release
There are few bird songs as haunting and distinctive as the melancholy call of the common loon. Their song evokes an ethereal wildness unrivaled by any other waterfowl. On May 10, VINS Wildlife Services received a call from a Brandon, VT resident who found a common loon in his front lawn. Loons’ legs are built…
Waterfowl Superhero
Wikipedia states that a superhero is a character with “extraordinary powers and abilities, relevant skills, and/or advanced equipment.” Meet the hooded merganser: waterfowl superhero. A diving waterfowl, the hooded merganser plunges deep into rivers and lakes, using his extraordinary ability of altering his vision to better see his underwater prey of fish, crayfish and the…
