Our bat rescue!

What are you looking at here?  Why, it's the bat we rescued yesterday!  Early in the day I received a call from work about a bat that was in our building!  Clinging to the projector screen cover, it was distressing to my fellow employees and it was only going to become a nuisance if he started flying around.  So, on a ladder with a double layer of gloves on and some help, I firmly grasped the screeching little guy and got it into a kitty litter pail!

Now what? 

At first we thought he'd died, he was laying on the bottom of the pail and even stroking him with a stick didn't cause a reaction.  I was already trying to figure out how we could determine if he was really dead when we found him like this, clinging to the pail's edge!  Yippy!  

So today we handed him over to the great folks at Salthaven Wildlife Rehabiliation and Education Center where they will house and feed him over the winter and then set him free in the spring. (Thank you, Jason and Megan!)  

Look at those little feet!  Judging by his size, I'd guess he's a Big Brown Bat. 

 

 

November 27 update from Megan, Volunteer Coordinator at Salthaven: 

"He is an adult male and weighs a hearty 15 grams. He seems to be in good health and is only slightly dehydrated which is pretty normal when coming out of hibernation. He will be rehydrated and kept in isolation for a few days then introduced to some of the other bats we have in care. Thanks again for helping the little one!"

 

Where the wild things are

Magic is something you make, but sometimes magic finds you. 

 

On Wednesday night, Willow and I stumbled upon a baby crow in a small stand of pine trees.  We were actually quite startled by the noisy little bugger, screaming away with his beautiful red mouth wwwiiidddeee open.  We withdrew and watched and waited for a parent to show up but nothing happened, except that the little guy begged for food from every branch or weed that swayed in the wind.  So we continued on our walk (encountering a very dead baby bunny, poor thing) and when I got home I found a small box and a bit of cloth and returned to the park.  Again, I approached listening and looking for a parent... nothing.  I squatted down and waited for a good while... nothing.  Little did I know that not 2 feet from me was a dead baby crow (we found him the next day.)!  As it was getting dark and I know there are at least 2 cats that prowl the area, I boxed up the little guy and brought him home. 

 

He is a wonder!

We fed him Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Duck Formula meat medallions (Willow's treat and she was so not impressed!) and he went to sleep in his faux nest.  The next day he was happy to be fed again, screaming and begging and this happened every two hours or so, with a great big poop which he tried very hard to do outside the nest and we got him to poop on a Kleenex, clever bird!  Wild things are so clean. 

 

 

 

 

Of course we had to find someone who could teach him to be a crow and feed himself, so I called around.  Our Humane Society could offer us no help at all, but a member of the local Naturalists told us about Salthaven.  And so, on Saturday morning after enjoying this wild spirit for 2 days we brought him away to be rehabilitated and eventually released. 

I feel incredibly honored to have met our little crow, who we named Amazon.  As a Hallowe'ener and animal lover, having such an opportunity to save a life and a crow to top it off really is an incredible joy!  S/he will remain perched on my heart forever. 

It's been a lovely Spring for critters, like this baby bunny who regularly visits our yard (much to Willow's excitement!). 

This photo was taken through the glass door; what you don't hear is Willow yowling as if her leg was being sawed off!! 

And here are the huge snapping turtles we spotted in the river.  Yicks!  Their tails are positively dinosaur-like!  Awesome creatures!