Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research

MONTHLY FLYER
A Volunteer Newsletter
November 2015

Celebrating 39 years of excellence in

wildlife rehabilitation and research
Photo by snyders/moonbeampublishing

Editor: Loretta Carlson

YARD SALE BREAKS RECORD AGAIN

Tri-States Giant Yard Sale has come and gone, the
treasure hunters went home happy again, and we
raised much-needed funds to help sustain our
operations. More than 1,000 shoppers discovered
hidden bargains at the Aetna Fire Hall in Newark on
October 3, generating an increased net profit of just
over $14,000. This would not have been possible
without the help of many hard-working individuals.
Special thanks go out to Julie Bartley and the planning
committee members for their guidance and all the
dedicated
volunteers who helped set up on October 2,
Eager shoppers look for bargains.
Staff Photo
executed a flawless event, and cleaned up on October 3.
We couldnt have done it without you. Remember, every dollar raised ensures that we can continue our efforts to
help save birds lives. Mark your calendars now for the 2016 Yard Sale on October 1.
BANDING TOGETHER TO BENEFIT THE BIRDS
Tri-States annual Benefit for the Birds is less than a week away. Will you be there?
Returning to the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, this years benefit
will be held on Friday, November 6. In addition to the popular Dessert Auction,
Silent Hawktion, and Big Card Draw, we are adding a wine-bottle ring toss. Guests
will buy chances to ring a bottle of wine and win that specific selection of wine.
General admission tickets are $150; benefactor tickets are $225. Tickets include
dinner, cocktails, hors doeuvres, and caricature drawings. The event is open to all
friends of Tri-State, whether you received an invitation or not.
To purchase tickets online, visit www.tristatebird.org/benefit. You may also
purchase tickets by sending an e-mail to Duke Doblick at ddoblick@tristatebird.org
or by calling him at (302) 737-9543, extension 108. Dont miss this opportunity to
help save birds lives while enjoying delicious food and desserts, raffles, the Silent Hawktion, and more.
RECENT RELEASES
Our front desk volunteers receive many calls about birds in distress. Bald Eagles in particular generate a lot of
excitement. For one thing, they are easy to spot; for another, people seem to feel compelled to rescue eagles.
Usually passersby spot them in fields or by the woods. On September 29, one Bald Eagle attracted a lot of
attention when a car struck her on Route 13 near Boyds Corner in Middletown, Delaware. Multiple callers agreed
to stand by the bird to guard her until Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources officers arrived. They took the
eagle to a Middletown veterinarian, and volunteer Roger Suro transported her from the vet clinic to Tri-State. The
adult female was aggressive and ataxic, with abrasions on her feet and lacerations near the nares. Radiographs
showed soft tissue swelling at the right shoulder, but no fractures. We treated her for parasites and administered
pain medications. By October 1, she was self-feeding and able to reach high perches, although she had a wing

Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research

droop and her flight was unstable. With a few more days of
flight exercise, the wing droop resolved. We banded the eagle,
and on October 4, Natural Resources officer Brandon Bruce
released her back in Middletown.
A much smaller bird was also hit by a vehicle last month. A
passing motorist found a Yellow-billed Cuckoo on a Kennett
Square road in early October. The juvenile was fluffed and
breathing with difficulty on admission. He had head trauma, a
hematoma on his flank, and a slight wing droop. We cleaned
the wounds and administered pain medications. The hematoma
resolved after three days, and the birds respiration returned to
Officer Brandon Bruce poses after rescuing eagle.
normal. However, during the cuckoos first test flight on
Photo courtesy of the
Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police
October 9, he had trouble achieving lift. On October 12,
although his lift improved, the bird lacked stamina and he still
had the wing droop. After two more days of TLC and flight exercise, however, the cuckoos injuries resolved, and
his flight skills markedly improved. We released the bird on-site at Tri-State on October 14.
On October 15, a homeowner from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, called about a bird hitting a window. Later
identified as a juvenile Eastern Towhee, our patient was agitated and stressed on arrival. A night of TLC at TriState was all this young bird needed, however. By the next day, a test flight assured us that the towhee was
ready to be released. Many thanks go to volunteer Rand McIlvone who transported the bird from Downingtown
and to volunteer Jim McVoy who released him. Learn more about this handsome backyard visitor in this months
Featured Bird article.
A Black and White Warbler hit a window at a Perryville, Maryland, home and then
landed on the head of a girl sitting nearby. The juvenile male had a right scapula
fracture and a right wing droop, and he was missing all his tail feathers, but he
was active and eating well soon after admission. We anesthetized the feisty escape
artist to properly clean and suture his wounds. Within a week, his wounds had
healed, and he was eating and flying well, although he tired easily. After spending
a few days exercising in an outside cage, the young warbler was ready for release
in time to migrate to his winter grounds. We released the Black and White Warbler
on-site at Tri-State on October 22.
Staff Photo
OTHER RELEASES IN OCTOBER
In October, we also released a Barred Owl, Eastern Screech Owls, Great-Horned Owls, a Coopers Hawk, RedTailed Hawks, a Red-Shouldered Hawk, a Black Vulture, a Canada Goose, a Laughing Gull, a Fish Crow, a Rubythroated Hummingbird, Black-Throated Blue Warblers, a Hermit Thrush, an Eastern Bluebird, a Northern Flicker,
a House Wren, Carolina Wrens, Grey Catbirds, a Northern Cardinal, a House Finch, American Goldfinches,
Mourning Doves, and a Common Grackle.

VOLUNTEER ANNIVERSARIES
23 years: Dottie Colburn 14 years: Erika Schirm 12 years: Terri Shankie 6 years: Joanne Stickle
NEVER TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT SNOW
The recent plunge to near-freezing temperatures reminded us that winter weather will soon be here to stay.
When the snow and ice fly, our scheduled volunteers are sometimes unable to come in for shifts. But our patients
still need care. So if you own a 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle and are willing to come in on short notice in
bad weather, please contact Julie at (302) 737-9543, extension 102, or jbartley@tristatebird.org. Thank you!
FEATURED BIRD: EASTERN TOWHEE
One of our regions handsomest backyard birds, the Eastern Towhee is a member of the sparrow family. Towhees
have red eyes; thick, triangle-shaped bills; chunky bodies with rufous sides and white underparts; and long
rounded tails. The males have black upperparts, while females and juveniles are brown. At 7 to 7.5 inches long,

Monthly Flyer, November 2015

they are similar in size to American Robins, and some people mistake female towhees for robins. However, the
towhees chunky shape sets it apart from the slimmer robin.
Secretive birds, Eastern Towhees are more often heard than seen.
Fortunately, their distinctive toe-WHEE call and whistled drink-your-tea
song can alert birdwatchers to their presence. Towhees favor areas with
dense underbrush and plenty of leaf litter. They scratch at leaves with a
hopping motion using both feet at the same time.
Forming monogamous pairs, Eastern Towhees have two or three broods
per year. Using bark, twigs, leaves, and other plant material, the female
takes as long as five days to build the nest, which consists of a small cup
inside a larger cup. The two to six young incubate for twelve days. Both
parents feed the nestlings until they fledge at ten to twelve days old.
Listen carefully for the Eastern Towhees calls and songs or its
characteristic rustling as it forages in dry leaves. Eastern Towhees eat a
variety of seeds, fruits, and insects, and they often visit backyards that have birdfeeders, searching for fallen
seed. Towhees also breed at Middle Run and around Tri-State grounds, so volunteers working outside might hear
them singing in the spring or calling toe-WHEE in the winter.
Photo by Derek Stoner

Learn more about the Eastern Towhee at the Cornell Lab of Ornithologys All About Birds Web site,
www.allaboutbirds.org, as well as in Birds of North America, published by the Smithsonian Institution, or your
own favorite birding book.
THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR BIRD LOVERS
Tri-State now has a brand-new Tree of Life growing in the Avian Arbor in our
lobby. What better time than this holiday season to purchase commemorative
brass leaves to honor or recognize that special someone? You can visit
www.tristatebird.org/treeoflife to make your payment of $225 for each leaf
securely online or call (302) 737-9543, extension 108. Tri-State appreciates your
help with our new Avian Arbor initiative, which enables us to maintain our strong
roots and give wings to natures compromised wildlife.
SPEAKING OF THE HOLIDAYS . . .
We want to send out an early reminder about the clinics holiday hours.
Thanksgiving Day: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Christmas Eve: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Photo by Russ Carlson

Christmas Day: Open to the public from 8 to 10 a.m. Morning shift: 8 to 10 a.m.
Afternoon shift: 3 to 5 p.m.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Banding Together: Benefit for the Birds. Friday, November 6. See article above. Contact Duke Doblick in
the Development office at (302) 737-9543, extension 108, or via e-mail at ddoblick@tristatebird.org if you would
like to help with this important annual fund-raiser.
Oil Spill Training, Saturday, December 12, 8:30 a.m.4 p.m. Registration is required. Please contact
Michelle Neef at (302) 737-9543.
Open House. Sunday, May 1, 2016. Its not too early to start thinking about the 2016 Open House. Well have
the Frink Center and Wildlife Response Annex open for tours. Stop by and see Duke Doblick in the Development
office or call him at (302) 737-9543, extension 108, to learn how you can help us plan this important community
event.