[HPFGU-OTChatter] birds ... in laws ...

[storm]

> > At 09:18 PM 3/12/02 +1000, Storm wrote:
> >by the way - Cathrine in Calafornia what do you do in the way of wildlife
> >rehab?

> I worked with the Lindsay Wildlife Hospital

does this service have a web site? I will do a google search anyway.

for several years as a
> volunteer.  Loved it.  I especially enjoyed the raptors.  Birds are just
> great!  Except for when they're chicks and have to be fed every twenty
> minutes or so, they require little care (assuming they're not horribly
> ill).  Volunteers did everything from the endless laundry (don't try to
> think about what kinds of things went into the washing machine, you don't
> want to know)

gosh I already know about the laundry! I have about 30 towels and one really
sick bird can use them all in a week! Because I work full time I won't have the
chicks. That's why I'm going for the big (ish) aviary ... so the nearly grown up
birds can learn to fly and hunt insects and the grown up birds who can feed
themselves but can't fly. We almost never see raptours in this area ...
insectavores, nectavoures and small omnivores.

> to cleaning cages, to assisting with the procedures (the
> best!).  The Lindsay offered a variety of training to the volunteers so you
> could learn to identify birds or do necropsies to determine the cause of
> death.  I took everything I could.

Oh that sounds fabulous! Everything we do is volenteer, in our own homes, so the
quality of care is variable. The system you were working with sounds much better
for the animals. Most of the vets in this area are dog and cat vets and have no
idea about wild animals. One local vet has twice missed broken wings, including
one that was gangreneness. Not ever going there again.
>
> The hospital saw a wide variety of urban wildlife from one cougar, a few
> bobcats, a baby beaver (too cute to be believed), an adult beaver (huge!),
> a couple of the tiniest coyotes I've ever seen (they tend to be small in
> the Contra Costa area), and a staggering amount of raccoons, opossums,
> squirrels, gophers, snakes, lizards, western pond turtles, and birds - tons
> of birds.

oh fabulous! We mostly see birds, birds and more birds! Some lizards and snakes
and losts of possums. There are romours of echidnas in Sydney but I've not heard
of one coming into care.
>
> I wasn't in a position to do home care at the time.  I didn't think the
> data center would enjoy  little squawking visitors and, between
> oncall,  maintenance day duties and trying to get a house built, I wasn't
> around enough to provide the kind of home care necessary for birds or
> mammals.  I've been trying to get into the rehabber network in Mendocino
> and have failed miserably.  There is no structure like the hospital here
> and only one licensed rehabber who doesn't want to take on much more work
> and you can't work here without a license.   You have to be a 501C right
> now to get one.

we can't work without a licence either but it sounds like they are a lot easier,
because there are a few orgs like WIRES, to get here than there. I just did a
two day course but you do have to be a member of a organisation.
>
> Good luck with your aviary.  Are you going to partition it for the odd crew
> you'll be taking care of?  Might make it a bit small but it's better than
> finding that your three birds has dwindled to one.

I only have two now, they are compatable as they will equally regard each other
as lunch! I love Magpies they play a lot and have a lovely voice.

> Ravens are
> great.  Smart and generally easy to feed.  The Lindsay had one that would
> do anything for a meal worm.  (Imprinted, of course)

Of course! I think ravens are wonderful I think ours are a differnt type to
yours. This is the first one I've had in care. Still they are reputed to be very
smart.
>
> I'll have to check out your site and see if they list what the requirements
> are for aviaries, etc...  IWRC rules are the standard here so everything
> seems to be based off a 4'x8' piece of plywood.

there doesn't seem to be a standard .. I'm using an ex-rottwiler run (!) and it
has been so much work getting it ready ... and it's still not ready. (winge on).
Everytime I do something someone says 'oh no, you should have have done this
(the complete opposite generally). Part of my problem has been there is no
standard and despite LOTS of reaseach I have found it really hard to find out
what I need to do. the galvanised/non-galvanized steel and shadcloth/no
shadecloth debates have just about killed me. I'm really not confident I've made
the right decisions. My bird co-ordinator (local branches have volenteers who
are specific animal co-ords) is lovely but has not been very helpful. It all
depends on what one is going to keep and I guess I don't know yet so I've been
trying to keep my options open. Having said that, at this stage I think I've
gone the wrong way but now know the right way. I can live with what I've got for
the next 6 months and will then renovate.
>
> Storm, sorry to hear about the bird.  Euthenization is always tough.

thanks. It's an aweful decision. Join WIRES and kill the wildlife I always say.
I console myself that it's better than being ripped to pieces by a dog or cat
but it never feels like much at the time.

> I wonder if what you're talking about is the same thing as avian pox?
> I've heard that called Avian Aids before but the birds don't always get
> euthenized.  It generally manifests itself as blisters that show up
> on the feet and some times the beak.  A soak in the blue stuff (can't
> remember its name right now) for ten minutes a day, a bunch of days a week
> some times
> helps it.  It's horribly contagious .  Separate gloves and aviaries
> required and you gotta sterilize the heck out of it.  Anything that
> goes
> wrong with a liver seems to make that long trip down to the tank.

no we have a pox too (spread by mozzies). we treat that with betadine. yup
that's horrid. And since I have bucket loads of mozzies in my place I'm going to
have to net the aviary (see whinge above!) No sence in leaving care with more
(or different) problems to those you arrived with.
>
> How's the raven?

not arriving till Friday or Saturday ... I don't know what's wrong with it. The
current carer (going on holidays) says the vet has said it has a sprained wing
(but has been in care for a very long time without any improvement) so we might
be off to the vet (again) to get a re-exam.

> Good luck with your new birds!  May they fly healthy and free soon!  (I am
> so jealous.)
>
> Catherine in California - birdless and missing it terribly.
>

Mecek - I'm sorry to hear about your parents in law. they sound like
nasty-to-you people. I hope you and your partner sort out some arrangement with
them.

storm, who has a house full of sick dogs :-(