May 21, 2015

Darted pigeon

WES volunteer responders, Johnie Kindle and Patricia Denn set to capture the injured bird.

On May 1st, WES was alerted of a pigeon with a dart in its neck at Lake Merritt in Oakland. A WES volunteer responded to attempt to capture the injured bird, but it was very wary and flew off, and we stopped receiving reports about it.

Then, on May 21st, we received another report about a pigeon at Lake Merritt - this one had two darts sticking out of its body. It looks to be the same bird.




This morning, WES volunteer responders met at the park. They were able to draw the bird close enough to net it. Check out the amazing video (A huge THANK YOU to Walter for filming!).





Another volunteer, Nancy Powell, transported the bird to WildCare for treatment.

A huge THANK YOU! to everyone who helped rescue this poor bird!






May 18, 2015

Skunk caught in a Gophinator




At the end of a long dirt road near Laguna Creek, in the hills above the redwoods, at the start of a closed-cone forest - in the middle of nowhere - a skunk was trapped in a Gophinator - a trap used to kill gophers and moles.

This particular trap was set inside a gopher tunnel, but the entry was not blocked well. A curious or hungry female skunk was able to access the trap and set it off. Her hand was crushed.




Duane and Rebecca released the skunk from the trap and transported her to Native Animal Rescue's skunk specialist, Monique, for evaluation and treatment. 

Sadly, we heard from Monique that the skunk was a lactating mother - she had kits left behind.

We called the landowner and asked if they would keep an eye out for little ones, but, so far, none has been seen. 

The mother skunk continues to improve thanks to the expert care she is receiving.

Stay tuned!




Want to support our rescue program? Small monthly donations go a long way. 
Remember to tick the box that says Make This Recurring. 



Second entrapped screech owl rescued!




A couple of weeks ago WES was called to rescue an entrapped screech owl from a professional building in Santa Clara (original post HERE). Today, another owl was found inside the building - possibly the same one!

Check out the video:



Responding as Humane Wildlife Control, Duane and Rebecca removed the little owl then took a look around the property to try and find how the owl entered the building. They found a possible spot which the company's maintenance crew will investigate further, being careful to look for a nest as Western screech owls are cavity nesters.

Stay tuned!

Fawn receives helping hand from weed abatement inspector



Last week, Los Angeles County Weed Abatement Inspector Ellen Walton was checking out a parcel in Glendale when she noticed a doe and her fawn on a hillside, standing near a couple of erosion gullies. 

The doe was behaving oddly - not leaving when Ellen appeared. Instead, it kept its attention on one of the deep cuts in the slope. 


Ellen climbed up the slope to investigate.

There, in the gully was a second fawn! It had fallen in and couldn't get out. 

Ellen quietly made her way down the hillside, sliding much of the way. The ravine was deep. She had to lay flat to reach the baby deer and lift it to safety.

Once she had the fawn on solid ground, Ellen aimed it toward its mother and let nature take its course. She watched as it went strait to its mom!

THANK YOU ELLEN!!! GREAT JOB!!!



May 11, 2015

Red-tailed hawk rescue

By Deanna Barth


This evening, I received a call from Hollister Animal Control about an injured hawk. The address was just down the road from my home, so I was there in minutes. 

The property was vast, with pastures and rolling hills. 

The reporting party had been working in his yard when he heard a commotion high above him. He looked up to see what appeared to be two hawks fighting in mid air. Suddenly, one of them spun out of control and plummeted to the ground.  

He quickly crossed the field and found the hawk lying on its back with both wings extended. After sheltering the terrified bird with a tarp, he called the non-emergency police line for help.

Having the bird somewhat contained under the tarp made my job a little easier. 

I lifted a corner and peeked underneath to see what position the hawk was in. Once I knew where the talons were, I moved to that side.  

With one hand resting across the bird to prevent it from moving, I used my other gloved hand to gain control of the legs, then lifted the tarp.  



The red-tailed hawk was bright and alert and on cursory exam there was no obvious sign of injury. It was transported to the SPCA for Monterey Wildlife Center for further evaluation and care. 



UPDATE: 5-12-2015

The hawk suffered an injury to hallux, or hind toe. The bird, a female, was also slightly underweight. She will be held for about a week to get her weight up and to see if she can successfully catch prey, before returning her home.

Stay tuned!!!

UPDATE: 5-19-2015


After about a week of rehabilitative care the red-tailed hawk was ready for release. Deanna returned it to Stony Brook Drive in Hollister and set her free.


"There is nothing more rewarding then to release a once injured animal, now healthy, right back to where it came from."

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participating in this birds rescue and recovery!





May 8, 2015

Five baby opossums get a second chance

By Deanna Barth


It was late Friday afternoon when I received a call from the Hollister Animal Shelter. A mother opossum had been hit by a car and witnesses had watched several of her babies go flying across the pavement.  

Animal Control Officer, Anna Patterson, arrived to find the mother opossum deceased and two of the six babies alive. 

Back at the shelter, she called me to pick up the two survivors. During our conversation she mentioned that one of the babies had landed precariously close to a storm drain. I knew the drain needed to be checked!

I drove to the intersection and peered through the grate and sure enough, there were three baby opossums at the bottom – and they were still moving! 

I informed Anna and she in turn contacted a city crew to remove the heavy grate for me.


Lying on my stomach, I was able to lift up the tiny babies with my net. They were ice cold!  

I placed them in a pillowcase on top of a snap heat pack to warm them up. 

It was close to 5pm and traffic was getting heavy. I drove toward the shelter to pick up the other two and called ahead to the SPCA for Monterey County Wildlife Center. They were kind enough to have a staff member meet me half way.

Hopefully, these tiny opossums will thrive and be able to return to the wild in the near future.


A huge thank you to Alex and Jake for 
helping me gain access to the storm drain!


May 4, 2015

Young girl helps great horned owlet




We just want to say a very special thank you to Jasmine (10) for helping a young great horned owl brancher get back into a tree where its parents could find and feed it.

Way to go, Jasmine!



May 3, 2015

Gull untangled from commercial bird netting




At about 4 PM, we were transferred a call from the SPCA for Monterey County. A gull was stuck in commercial bird netting on the roof of the Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey. The cleaning staff had noticed it earlier in the day.

Duane and Rebecca responded immediately. 

The netting had tears and openings here and there, large enough for gulls to get through. This one became entangled when it tried to escape.

Check out the video of the rescue:











The gull appeared to be in fairly good shape. It was transported to the SPCA for Monterey County for evaluation and treatment.

Hotel management agreed to contact the company that installed the bird netting to get them to make the necessary repairs so this does not happen again.


THANK YOU TO THE STAFF OF THE PORTOLA HOTEL 
FOR SEEKING IMMEDIATE HELP FOR THIS POOR BIRD!




Lucky Cooper's



It was late yesterday afternoon when we received a call from the Lucky Supermarket on Sloat near Lake Merced in San Francisco.

We got the word out to Allen Fish, Director at the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO), hoping he'd have someone who could help get the bird out of the building.

While the store management agreed to leave the large roll-up doors of its storeroom open through twilight, they couldn't keep the area clear of people, so we knew the likelihood of the hawk leaving on its own was pretty slim.

Thankfully, Allen was able to get hold of Craig Nikitas - also with GGRO. He's experienced in trapping raptors and has the right equipment to rescue the hawk. He was willing to help!

This afternoon at about 5:00 PM we received word that the bird, an adult male Cooper's hawk had been successfully captured and released outside.

More from Craig in his report:



It had chased a blackbird in through a roll-up door on Saturday. 

Keel was meaty, disposition excellent (totally BAR), mouth interior moist & pink. 

Released on-site and it flew to a Monterey Pine on Ocean Ave. at approx. 16:00. 

I assume he's the father of a juvenile bird we've seen further east on Ocean Ave. 

I also saw an adult female near the plaza prior to catching this guy. He's got some explaining to do when he gets home!

A very happy ending. 




THANK YOU CRAIG FOR
RESCUING THE HAWK!!!