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anon6789 @lemmy.world

I got to go in the owl enclosures today!

I was ready for some new jobs other than squirrels, and when we got to the center today, the boss was talking about someone tending the outdoor cages. I knew that included 3 owls and 2 hawks, so I claimed the job!

Later I found out I was going to get put on baby birds, which probably would have been a little more exciting, but I joined to learn mainly owls, so I stick by my choice. There's going to be no shortage of baby birds anyway.

Owl poop thankfully seemed to scrub up rather easily. That was the bulk of my interaction with them.

I fed the pair of Screech Owls, named Harry and Steve, tiny mice, one each. I didn't see them, but I hear they eat pretty fast. Me being the new person must have made them a little shy, because it took more than the 5 minutes they said, but one of them did come out at some point when I was somewhere else because one was gone by the end of my shift.

I fed the Broad Winged Hawk a bigger mouse, and the Cooper's Hawk and big baby GHO I just got to clean, not feed. GHO didn't eat its last mouse though, so I put it up on the perch again for it.

I was glad I had basic knowledge of owl behavior, as this baby is grumpy! He was hissing and clicking constantly at me, but I knew he was just protecting himself and wasn't a threat to me.

I could tell it was eating though, as I picked up a few pellets. I don't think I'd ever held one before. They were lighter than I expected, but I shouldn't have expected mouse bones to weigh very much. It has a hollow feeling to it. They were pretty dry, and had a feel something like a cocoon or wool/felt.

Mainly I was happy to get a better pic of it than the one I got last week that got all pixelated. I still gave it respectful distance, so it's still not great, but it was already disturbed by my being there so its care comes before good pics.

Other fun things were making a delicious Mother's Day feast for the opossum so she has proper nutrition to raise her babies. She got quite the variety of stuff!

Saw this nest of birdy babies getting checked in while I was doing laundry.

A lot of squirrels are getting big and ready for release. I asked where were my free squirrels, and I got sent home with the 3 troublemakers from the end of our shift.

I am giving them a soft release, so their cage will stay on my patio for a week and I'll leave them food and water, but the door is open so they can come and go as they please until they venture off to the woods.

I thought they'd flee right when I opened the door, but they didn't move. One of them was out exploring the patio and eating random birdseed and climbing in my beets, but they're all in the cage napping now.

6 comments

  • Really cool. It sounds like there is a large variety of animals there. Owl pellets are very interesting. My daughter’s class did an activity with them when she was younger. They are almost like lint balls + mouse/vole bones. That mama opossum got a better Mother’s Day dinner than I did, lol. Also, free squirrels?! ❤️

    • The pellets were a big "duh" moment. Mouse bones would have to weigh next to nothing, but a compressed lint ball is very accurate. I don't know what size mice the GHO was getting, but the ones for the Screeches should weigh 35 grams, which Google says is a dozen US pennies, 30 paperclips , 2 CDs, or one standard sized lightbulb. I've seen them dissected before in displays, but I'd never actually handled any.

      That feast took forever to put together! Everything was in a different spot and I'd never gotten most of the things before. The cockerels no body could find at first because they switched packaging, then they had to be thawed out. The omelette came out very nice! I sprinkled meal worms on the dogfood paté to add flair and I figured it was Mother's Day so I may as well arrange it pretty.

      The squirrels sounded like a good idea at the time. I am mildly regretting it now as they didn't just bolt to the woods as expected. They couldn't stay in their cage at the clinic, but now I offer them freedom and they aren't ready now. They're doing a lot of cute and amazing things, but they're also climbing on my new screen door and tearing up some of my container garden. 😔

      The rehabber said it would take them a few days, so I hope they do well, just not in my veggies!

      I hope you still had a good Mother's Day. I always like when you are here, so I hope your family did right by you!

  • Jealous! What a great experience that must have been and nice write up

    • The volunteering is really rewarding in ways I didn't expect. I work harder than I expected, patient due to we've been short-handed until this week, but it's very rewarding.

      I see animals that I didn't even know we had in this area. I get to see up close the way they all live. And all the people are there because they care, so they're all very nice, helpful, and fun to be around.

      I'm glad I decided to try it out. I've really been learning a lot, and it's very fulfilling.

      Glad you enjoyed all the extra bits of story as well. Hopefully much more to come!

6 comments