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Volume 31, Number 2, Summer 2011
NYSWRC Board of Directors
Kelly Martin, President [email protected]
Steve Freiman, Vice-President [email protected]
Cheryl Hoople, Secretary [email protected]
Amy Freiman, Treasurer & Release [email protected]
Jean Alden, Membership [email protected]
Lainie Angel [email protected]
Barb Cole [email protected]
Sue Heighling [email protected]
Barb Hollands [email protected]
Beverly Jones [email protected]
Rynda McCray [email protected]
Terri Murphy [email protected]
Anne Rockmore [email protected]
Veronica Serwacki [email protected]
Matt Zymanek [email protected]
Advisory Board: Andrea Sammarco, Attorney at Law
George Kollias, DVM, PhD
Noha Abou-Madi, DVM, Msc.
Editor’s note: I welcome your articles, poems, information, questions and artwork. We are pleased to print articles from our members, but caution each reader that NYSWRC is not responsible for the accuracy of the content or information provided, and does not necessarily endorse the policies proposed. Submissions should be sent to: [email protected], or to NYSWRC, PO Box 62, Newcomb, NY 12852.
Important Dates: NYSWRC Board Meetings are open to everyone. E-mail Kelly Martin, President ([email protected]) to join us. May 1, Aug. 7, Oct. 2, & Nov. 5 Nov. 4-6, 2011 NYSWRC Annual Seminar Fort William Henry, Lake George, NY More Info: www.nyswrc.org
2011 NYSWRC Conference Kick-Off!,
By Kelly Martin, President & Program Coordinator Mark your calendar: November 4 – 6th, 2011. Map the
spot: Fort William Henry Conference Center, Lake
George, NY; Save your money: the annual NYSWRC
Seminar is coming your way. NYSWRC invites you to
our annual event and warns you to be prepared to learn,
share, and have fun too. We are offering labs/workshops
and a full slate of lectures on many different topics
presented by the best-of-the-best. Here is a list of our expert speakers and some highlights
of the program. Jean Alden (NYSWRC), Jayne Amico (Recoverywing,
CT), Dr. Jeff Baier (CO), Gordon Batcheller
(NYSDEC), Frank Belloni (NY), Barbara Bellons-Picon
(NY), Drew Bickford (University of MN Raptor
Center), Maggie Ciarcia (NY), Chris Clark (Chris‘s
Squirrel Store, CT), Barb Cole (NYSWRC),
Patrice Ferguson and Tabitha Fiero (Field of Dreams
Whitetail Deer, NY), Harriet Forrester (Turtle Rescue of
NJ), Molly Gallagher (NY), Michele Goodman
(Webbed Foot Wildlife, PA), Dr. James Gray (NY Ag
& Mkts), Dr. Alison Hazel (CO), Dr. George Kollias
(Cornell Wildlife Health Center, NY),
Barb Hollands (NYSWRC), Bev Jones (NYSWRC),
Jennifer Lewis (Bat World Dirigo, ME), Kelly Martin
(NYSWRC), Patrick Martin (NYSDEC), Dr. Erica
Miller (Tri-State Bird, DE), Diane Nickerson (Mercer
County Wildlife, NJ), Robert Rudd (NYSDOH), Dr.
Nina Schoch (NY), Jean Soprano (Kindred Kingdoms,
NY), Paul Stringer (NYSDEC), Sarah Tegtmeier (Tri-
State Bird, DE), Joe Therrion (NYSDEC)
THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE NEW YORK
STATE WILDLIFE REHABILITATION COUNCIL, INC.
Nov. 8-12, 2011 International Wildlife Rehabilitation
Council Annual Symposium
Fort Lauderdale, FL
More Info: www.theiwrc.org/symposium
Article continues on next page.
2
New Moose Response Manual Complete.
Balancing the needs and
benefits of moose with
public safety and
protection of property is
the goal of a new guidance
document prepared by
DEC staff. The complete
Moose Response Manual
(http://www.dec.ny.gov/
animals/74663.html)
found at http://
www.dec.ny.gov/
animals/74663.html
provides local law
enforcement authorities
with information on appropriate actions to take if a
moose is reported in their community. This manual
contains information to help DEC staff and other
interested parties address various situations involving
moose, including: * Moose Observations and Sightings * Moose in or near High Traffic Areas * Moose in Urban Area * Moose in an Enclosed
Structure * Aggressive Moose * Moose Calf Appears
Orphaned or Separated
from Cow * Sick or Injured Moose * Moose Agriculture
Meet your Seminar Keynote Speaker: For over thirty years Joseph Bruchac has been creating
poetry, short stories, novels, anthologies and music that
reflect his Abenaki Indian heritage and Native American
traditions. Now he will join us at Seminar 2011 to share
his love of wildlife through story and music. His books
and CD‘s will be available for sale. Be sure to request an
autograph.
Joseph Bruchac is the author of more than 70 books for
children and adults. The best selling Keepers of the
Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental
Activities for Children and others of his ―Keepers‖
series, with its remarkable integration of science and
folklore, continue to receive critical acclaim and to be
used in classrooms throughout the country.
He lives in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of
Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where
his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his
writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry.
Although his American Indian heritage is only one part
of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and
English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which
he has been most nourished.
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the
Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern
Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in
Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to
Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the
British Storytelling Festival and the National
Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee.
2011 NYSWRC Conference Kick-Off!, continued
Participate in:
Workshops & Labs (limited space pre-registration required) - Animal Basic Care, Rabies Vector Species, Raptor
Care and Maintenance, Avian and Mammal Necropsy, Songbird Exam and Wraps, Fluid Therapy, Bat Rehabilitation,
Parasitology and use of the microscope
Mammal Topics - deer, coyote, bear, porcupine, cottontail, squirrel, fox, otter, skunk, raccoon, bat
Avian Topics - raptor, waterfowl, hummingbird, woodpecker, killdeer, basic care, water/shorebirds
Medical/General Topics - lead poisoning, fluid therapy, wound management, volunteers, turtles, laboratory diagnos-
tics, euthanasia, zoonotics, parasites, medical math, ethics, housing
On Friday evening we are sporting a fun activity in the vein of ―American Idol,‖ minus the judges. If you have a talent
to share, please let us know ahead so we can leave a time slot for you to perform for your peers. It can be song or dance,
a poetry reading (original work please), artwork to display, or a stand-up comedy routine. No inhibitions allowed, we
want you to entertain us!
At the banquet on Saturday evening we will honor our ―Veterinarian of the Year,‖ conduct our annual business meet-
ing, followed by the ever amusing ―Pat and Matt‖ show for our silent auction and raffle (a fund-raiser for NYSWRC
so be prepared to donate items AND spend your money).
Look for your registration flyer coming in the mail in August. Or visit www.NYSWRC.org for an on-line form.
3
Knock on Wood,
By Sue-Ryn Burns, Wellesley Island
NYS & Federally Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator
Long ago woodcutters traditionally knocked on a tree‘s
trunk to let the Tree Spirit know the axe was coming and
express their gratitude for the wood. I suspect it was also
a way of finding out if the tree had anyone living inside
of it, like a nest of animals or a hive of bees. At any rate,
it became a ―folk charm‖ for good luck, because it was
considered wise to respect the natural world. We were
less separated from nature then.
Last week I received two sets of nestlings that became
orphaned when their tree-homes were cut down. Three
nestling Blue Jays lost their mother when their tree was
cut, and five Woodpeckers so tiny their eyes were still
closed nearly got lost in the leaf litter. I got to talk with
one landowner, who admitted it never occurred to her that
anyone might be living in that dead looking tree. She was
mostly concerned that her own home not be squashed
should the high winds take it down. The woodcutters
were at the job site for hours cutting and clearing up, so
the mother most likely took off.
I‘ve spent a several days feeding the tiniest birds every
hour, and as of this writing both sets of babies are doing
well. Hopefully they will all make it to freedom
eventually, though no one can raise baby birds like their
own mothers.
If you are a landowner thinking about having a tree
removed, please consider observing that tree for a few
days before taking action. You may be surprised to find
you have some feathered friends who only need a few
weeks to go from nestling to flight. If you can afford to
be patient, knowing you‘ve helped a few songbirds thrive
and multiply for another season in an increasingly
dangerous world may be your reward.
If you absolutely have to remove a tree, keep an eye out
for nests and birds. ―Re-nesting‖ is an option. If a nest or
surrogate nest with babies in it is thoughtfully placed at
about the same height in a nearby location, the mother
will frequently return once it becomes quiet enough for
her to hear her nestlings‘ calls. Keep watch and if that
doesn‘t work, contact your nearest wildlife rehabilitator.
Handle the baby birds carefully, the mother will not
abandon them because she ―smells‖ human scent on
them; most birds have a poor sense of smell. Not
everyone is licensed to take in birds, but most
rehabilitators are willing to help you find someone
who does.
In the news:
EAST AURORA, NY- It's an eagle! The Hawk Creek
Wildlife Center in East Aurora says a 40-year-old
female golden eagle and her 20-year-old mate have
produced an unexpected chick they've named
"Legacy".
After a combined 50 years in captivity, the pair of non
-releasable golden eagles hatched their first offspring.
According to the staff, due to their advanced age and
life in captivity, the hatching was very much a surprise
and offers hope for the declining golden eagle
populations of the wild.
You can watch on line as "Legacy" grows up and is
cared for by its attentive eagle parents. In August the
eaglet will be driven to the Wild Bird Sanctuary in
Missouri to join another young eagle for preparation
before release during the fall migration.
Scholarships Are Available to help you attend
Seminar 2011 in Lake George NYSWRC will offer two $300. scholarships to our
current NYSWRC members. These are presented in
memory of Connie Feissner. We will also offer a few free registrations to help our
members if financial assistance is necessary. To apply, write and request scholarship assistance:
Email to: [email protected] or snail mail to:
Steve Freiman, PO Box 62, Newcomb, NY 12852
4
Bev and Jean’s Excellent Adventure, by Bev Jones
It was during our fall NYSWRC seminar that Jean and I
hatched a plan to visit Dr. Erica Miller from Tri-State
and Diane Nickerson from Mercer County Wildlife
Center. As many of you know, Erica and Diane are
regulars at conference and always have wonderful
insights to share. We all agreed that a visit before baby
season would be ideal. By the time April arrived, our
plan to visit the two centers had more than doubled.
Erica and Diane made arrangements for us to visit three
additional centers located nearby. So, the final plan
outlined a visit to three states (Pennsylvania, Delaware
and New Jersey) and five centers all within four days.
The trip had personal value as we were able to stay with
friends and relatives which added to the fun.
The intention of our trip was to collect as many great
ideas as possible to bring home to our Western New
York critters. The five rehabilitation centers were unique
and had so much to offer that we could have spent pages
and pages writing about each one of them. However, as
baby season does not allow time for that, we have
decided to share just a few highlights from each, and we
encourage you to take your own adventure in the future.
Our first stop was to visit with Diane at the Mercer
County Wildlife Center, Titusville, NJ.
Mercer-1 The Mercer County Wildlife Center is
located in a new, 6,000 square foot building that left Jean
and I drooling. Not too far off stands the building of
their humble beginnings, and you can‘t help but be
excited for their amazing transformation. They care for
all wild animals and admit approximately 2,500 patients
per year.
Mercer-4 The indoor water bird pool room brought
tears to our eyes. The pool is at waist height so those of
us with aging backs don‘t need to do so much
bending .
Mercer-2 The treatment rooms sparkled and there were
so many baby bird/mammal incubators that Jean and I
went weak in the knees.
Mercer-3 And just when we thought we couldn‘t stand
it any longer, Diane toured us through their walk-in
cooler and freezer. Now, can you imagine being able to
see and just pick what you want off of a shelf instead of
having to empty out the chest freezer to get what is
inevitably at the bottom?
5
Bears 1
We met with Tracey Leaver who is the founder and
director of the Woodland Wildlife Refuge.
Bats-1 Jackie specializes in bat rehabilitation and has
a beautiful center dedicated only to bats. She is very
involved with the research and treatment of white nose
syndrome.
Bats-2 The bats enjoy the sights and sounds of nature
in their outdoor enclosures. Jackie‘s property is bucolic
and peaceful.
After we finished our tour, Diane took us to visit with
Jackie Kashmer at her Bat rehabilitation hospital.
Mercer-5 The newly built out door water bird pool and
yard were spectacular. What lucky duckies!
Bats-3 Jackie is also a wildlife educator and teaches the
public the importance of bats and bat conservation.
Walking into a room with her free flying education bats
was neater than sneakers. In the words of Jean, it was
like ―disco-bats.‖ From Jackie‘s place it was a short drive to the Woodland
Wildlife Refuge.
Bears-1 We met with Tracey Leaver who is the founder
and director of the Woodland Wildlife Refuge.
Bears-2 The center treats over 800 mammals a year,
many of which are large mammals such as foxes, bob-
cats and bears.
6
Bev and Jean’s Excellent Adventure, by Bev Jones
The next morning, we went to visit Erica at Tri-state in
Newark, Delaware.
Bears-4 Tracey is the only bear rehabilitator in New
Jersey. These bears were being prepared for release.
Bears-3 The refuge is located on eleven acres of prop-
erty that was once farmland. A beautifully renovated
barn is now home to the wildlife hospital and care ward.
Dinner We then went back to Diane‘s house for
dinner where we were joined by Erica and her husband
John. Diane prepared an amazing meal for us and John
provided us with after dinner musical entertainment. It
was a perfect ending to a great day.
Tri-state-1 Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research is
world renowned. They respond to oil spills globally and
rehabilitate all species of birds at the Frink Center for
Wildlife. They admit approximately 3,000 wild bird
patients annually.
Tri-state-2 This unit of flight chambers is so large that
it can be seen from outer space.
Tri-state-3 Erica has to accompany us inside because
we may get lost on our own.
7
TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR ANIMAL RESCUE
VOLUNTEERS By Andrea L. Sammarco, Esq.
The Sammarco Law Firm, LLP
NYSWRC Advisory Board Member
Congratulations NYSWRC members! While it may not
seem like much recognition for your efforts, take heart in
the fact that the federal government now has to take a
little less than all your hard earned money at tax time.
For those wildlife rehabilitators operating within the
purview of an IRS recognized charity, much needed
clarification has finally emerged from the United States
Tax Court concerning treatment of unreimbursed
expenses incurred during your countless hours of
volunteer service. A June, 2011 ruling issued in favor of Jan Van Dusen, a
volunteer for ―Fix Our Ferals‖ (an IRS approved charity)
in her claims for tax deductions for taking care of 70
stray cats from her home during the taxable year.
Included in the deductions (amounting to $12,068.00)
were expenses incurred for veterinarian bills, kitty litter,
part of her utility bills, paper towels and garbage bags.
The IRS initially challenged the deductions as
―nondeductible personal expenses‖ and played the part of
big bad governmental agency by failing to negotiate or
listen to reason, and, according to Ms. Van Dusen‘s
report, attempting to portray her as a ―crazy cat lady‖ in
open court. However, the IRS apparently failed to
reckon with Ms. Van Dusen‘s strong sense of fairness
(not to mention her background as a family law attorney)
and she maintained her fight for justice right up to the
U.S. Tax Court. Some 6 years after her initial filing, the
Tax Court issued an opinion siding with Ms. Van Dusen
on most of her claimed expenses, allowing them as
unreimbursed expenses incurred to help a charitable
group in its mission. The case has obvious, positive implications for wildlife
rehabilitators, many of whom spend thousands of dollars
of their own money each year to assist in the mission of
ministering to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. The
most important caveat to keep in mind is the need to get
a letter from your charitable organization which
acknowledges the donation, details the amount, and
affirms that no goods or services were received in
exchange for the donation. This letter is required for
gifts of over $250. You should also make it a habit to save and document
every expense for which you may be claiming an
exemption, and talk to your accountant about claimed
deductions for more specific guidance.
Bev and Jean’s Excellent Adventure, by Bev Jones
Tri-state-4 This one flight chamber is large enough
for us to hold conference in. Truly, we want one of
these. I really did not want to leave…
Tri-state-5 There are acres and acres of outdoor swim-
ming pools and flight enclosures. We never realized
how many ways there are to construct a water pool nor
how versatile the cage construction can be.
Tri-state-6 Video cameras allow observation without
interruption. The state of the art techniques that Tri-
State utilizes are amazing.
The next day took us back North and into New Jersey
again for our final tour, The Raptor Trust, in Millington,
NJ. Bev & Jean’s tour continues in the next issue of
Release.
8
Our NYSWRC Mission
NYSWRC, Inc. is a not for profit membership organiza-
tion dedicated to the education of wildlife rehabilitators,
improvement of the field of wildlife rehabilitation, and
the protection and preservation of the environment.
Editorial Response by Kelly Martin
I sympathize with Dr. Jenner. I have also experienced this
problem and admit to being part of this problem at times.
Consider some of the ―reasons for disappearing into the
woodwork‖:
Licensed wildlife rehabilitators for the most part are
volunteers and not obligated in any way to respond to
public demand, or demands from other rehabilitators.
An individual may not be qualified or permitted to
handle a species
The ‗inn is full‘ and no additional animals can be tak-
en
The person called is burned out or no longer taking in
wildlife
The rehabilitator getting called may very well be at
work or may be busy with other parts of their life
(kids, appointments, social commitments)
Stating the obvious does not solve the problem for the
public or an animal in need. Anyone who knows me
knows that I ―screen‖ my calls to prioritize my time and
my response. If it is a call that needs immediate attention
(or a person I want to talk to) I will pick up. Otherwise, I
return it later fitting it into a very busy and demanding
schedule. I get calls from a frustrated public, an anxious
public, a scared public, and a desperate public who after
making several calls to no avail is grateful that someone
finally answers their call to aid.
NYSWRC, in our Animal Basic Care course, advises new
rehabilitators to say ―NO‖ when appropriate, to avoid
burn out by limiting numbers of animals and to focus on
the quality of care not the quantity of animals. The fact is
that there are not enough rehabilitators evenly distributed
across the state. With the difficulty in obtaining federal
permits and the added requirements to handle rabies vec-
tor species it is even harder to find care for birds, bats,
skunks, and raccoons. Songbirds? Who has time to dedi-
cate to their feeding schedules? Consider the space re-
quired to rehabilitate deer properly. Even though any of
us can legally handle them, few of us can house them
well. The problems are numerous and the solutions not
simple. A few years ago I wrote that I think the most ideal
solution to handle public demand to help distressed wild-
life is to organize around a center. I would never do away
with home-based rehabilitators and they fit in nicely with
a center-based effort. Centers can provide a more effi-
cient response to the public. Local shelters, Humane Soci-
eties, PAWS, etc. are a good resource for the public and
can be for the rehabilitator as well. Many of these have
wildlife departments.
"The Invisible Rehabber"; editorial commentary by
Dr. Donald Jenner, licensed rehabilitator from
Manhattan and NYSWRC member
There are times when it seems I am among the very few
rehabilitators in my area that will pick up the telephone -
- not that I always do, but at least the more-or-less
dedicated landline number includes a reference to
where additional resources can be found. Almost every
time I do pick up the WiT line, the conversation
includes "you are the only person that answered" or
something of that sort.
Two examples from today:
A woman at the other end of Manhattan called
about a sparrow; the ideal place for her to go is not
me, but much closer and so on; that place has along
self-lauding message on its machine, and has a
reputation of not returning calls. My own
experience confirms this as dependent on who is
responsible for returning calls on various days.
The next call was from a man with a raccoon
youngster, familiar with the species (he's from
"upstate" which can mean many things) and having
for good or ill collected it, needed to find a suitable
rehabilitator. I actually have met the ideal person at
a "do" a week ago; she is an experienced
rehabilitator, she is an NWCO, she has RVS
credentials and she's even in the right borough. No
card, no follow-up to my card and not, so far as I
can determine, listed.
I do understand the reasons advanced for disappearing
into the woodwork, but I think they arise from mistakes
in understanding the public role of rehabilitation. Day
in and day out, calls come in; DEC is not responsive.
"Rescue" groups are not responsive. Rehabilitators are
not responsive.
In every one of these cases, the problem is not one of
wildlife-in-nature; there is already one or more instances
of human intervention and the animal is dead to nature
in some sense (this is Lynne Frink's view of the matter,
in Principles of Wildlife Rehabilitation, chapter 5, as I
recall). The only real shot for the animal is rehabilitator
intervention. In my area, it is not happening.
If as I suspect this is generally more true than otherwise,
something's wrong and NYSWRC's role should be
oriented toward solution?
9
Editorial Response by Kelly Martin, continued Ideally with more qualified and licensed individuals to
spread the workload out to a manageable degree.
Specialize to make the most of limited resources. Work
together so no one fears answering the calls. Offer to help
when someone is overwhelmed. Ask for help when
overwhelmed. Sponsor or mentor interested individuals.
This is not a cohesive plan to solve huge problems.
NYSWRC offers training. We can find experts to offer
advice. We can attempt to locate rehabilitators to help in
some cases. We can not make people answer the phone or
take in more than they can handle. NYSWRC board
members recently met with DEC Bureau of Wildlife staff
to see how to establish good working relationships in the
regions. Include regional staff if you have an organized
meeting. Establish a dialogue and open lines of
communication. How they answer phone calls may result
in fewer animals being picked up that don‘t need help.
And, those that do need help may end up in qualified hands
much quicker.
I wish I had an easy solution. NYSWRC is open to ideas as
to how we might help. As long as wildlife rehabilitation
remains a primarily volunteer response I am not sure how
to improve things on a large scale. Where we have
motivated individuals who have established good working
relationships with a network of licensed people we see the
best public response, the least burn out, and the best
response for wildlife. This kind of relationship requires
work and many of us do not have time to organize people
with all their varied interests and complicated lives.
Suggestions anyone?
Environmental News:
The 2011 draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact
Statement for high-volume hydraulic fracturing is now
available on the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation's website at http://
www.dec.ny.gov/energy/75370.html.
Editor’s comment: You‘ll have to decide for yourself, but
to me it seems to be a sad day for NY when this fracturing
process is allowed to occur.
Comments from our readers:
Concerning our May Release article that talked about the
destructiveness of outdoor cats as being even worse than
wind turbines, S.E.H. Burns wrote to us to say,
―If anyone gets a chance to see "Windfall" they will get a
balanced picture of what wind energy really does to a
place....and then, there's the fact that if the mills work, they
need a grid...which usually means more destruction of
habitat.‖
In fact, this fine film can be seen on Link TV and in the
theatre at various screenings. Look up http://
windfallthemovie.com/index_1.html to learn more about the
film.
These benefits include:
A recognized facility (shelter, zoo, nature center) in
a community dedicated to animal welfare and gener-
ally conveniently located
Staff veterinarians; access to radiographs, medica-
tions, euthanasia services
A volunteer pool to handle phone calls, receive
animals, and transport animals
Temporary housing upon intake for wildlife until a
home-based rehabilitator can arrange to get the
animal
There are a few wildlife rehabilitation centers in NY
where the ―center‖ does not actually have to be a
building. It can be a network who has agreed on how
to work together to respond to public demand and to
provide care for wildlife. Examples include North
Country Wild Care (north of Albany) that runs a wild-
life hotline. Ideally, the public is directed to a nearby
rehabilitator and animals are channeled to teams -
those with the best caging or expertise for a given spe-
cies. New York Wildlife Rescue Center
(Middleburgh), Volunteers for Wildlife (Long Island),
or the SPCA serving Erie County in Buffalo have
physical buildings but work with individual licensed
rehabilitators to get the animals to those best qualified
to care for an animal.
A problem for NYSWRC in solving these complexi-
ties is that not all rehabilitators are members of our
organization. We think they should be, but such is not
the case. We retain about a third of licensees as mem-
bers. There is approximately a third turnover every
year (drop outs and new licensees). People need to
work at a local level. Organize a meet and greet – call
and invite but also an invitation via mail – to learn
who can and will do what. Our NYSDEC directory
gives us some idea as to what people can handle but
that can change depending on the caseload and other
factors in our lives. People may be more likely to re-
spond, answer the phone, if they feel that they are not
going to be taken advantage of – not get ALL the cot-
tontail or starling calls. Someone may be responsive to
taking in a cottontail from the public if they know
they can transfer it to a willing rehabilitator the next
day.
What will happen to an animal if I don‘t take it? We
convince ourselves to take in more than we should by
that logic. What will happen if I don‘t answer that call?
The animal will die, the public will keep it, or someone
will answer the call and problem solved. We hope for the
latter. Out of sight, out of mind, never seen even better.
10
BLUE JAYS AND ACORNS
by Lindsey Duval
Reprinted with permission from the Fledgling, newsletter
of Southern Adirondack Audubon Society
As a fledgling forager (and avid birder) I‘m well aware of
the inedibility of certain types of raw acorns due to their
bitter tannins. Boiling is usually required to leach tannins
before people can find acorns a desirable treat. So during
this past autumn, as I watched several blue jays caching
acorns for the cold winter months, I began to wonder –
could they really survive on a nut chock-full of such an
unpalatable substance? Blue jays have a varied diet but
often find themselves forced to subsist mostly on acorns
during a harsh winter.
It is important to first understand that acorns are a high
energy food, high in fats, especially acorns of the red oak
and pink oak varieties, so blue jays find them desirable.
However, they are also high in tannins, bitter organic
compounds that bind with proteins and digestive
enzymes, causing them to inhibit digestion and lead to
weight loss. Acorns are low in protein so they do not
make up for the loss of protein caused by its own tannins.
One would then think, since jays have not adapted to be
able to handle these negative effects, that jays would
simply avoid acorns. But research on whether blue jays
behaviorally avoid acorns with higher tannin levels show
surprising results – the choice of acorn type by jays is
based entirely on weight of the acorns, not on their ability
to detect and tolerate tannin levels. Jays instead choose
acorns that have low seed mass (weight) and those they
have an easier time opening, as they cannot open acorns
with thick shells, such as those of red oaks (which
squirrels love), which are quite large and have hard, thick
shells. This means they are also apt to avoid shagbark
hickory nuts and black walnuts. They will instead cache
acorns of willow oak, black oak, pin oak, chinkapin, and
white oak, and also beech nuts – these acorns/nuts are of
small or medium size with softer shells (think of how
easily they break underfoot during a nice fall hike).
After finding this out, I still had questions – we still have
jays eating high tannin acorns that cause protein deficien-
cy. Are low tannin acorns better? Do tannins decline in
storage? What if jays can‘t find an alternate source of
protein? Researchers have tested all of these questions.
One paper cited that jays lose 15% of their weight three
days into an all-acorn diet. Even with acorns that only
contain a small amount of tannin, this large weight loss
still occurs because of the binding to protein and diges-
tive enzymes. And tannin levels do not decline in over-
winter storage, so our hungry jays in March can really
suffer if we get a late winter storm.
So it‘s obviously important that jays find protein
sources in winter and spring. For birders, this is great
justification for buying lots of peanuts and nut-infused
suet and putting it out on cold winter days. Maybe even
a treat of mealworms would be enjoyed by our corvids.
In the wild, jays may be finding this protein inside some
of those acorns – weevils are notorious for damaging
oaks, and their high protein larvae can be found in
acorns. Even so, the next time a birder is asked why
they have a yard crammed full of feeders, he or she can
now excitedly talk about the winter hardships of the
acorn-caching jays and maybe encourage more people
to feed and enjoy our lovely feathered friends.
A few other interesting notes from research with the
jays: blue jays may have been a keystone species in the
spread of oaks after the last Ice Age, since they carry
acorns up to 2.5 miles and cache them in spots ripe for
germination (other birds cache them in trees, and
squirrels cache them too closely to the parent tree). Blue
jays don‘t cache in areas of high squirrel activity. And
in modern fragmented areas, they are the only known
being transporting nuts and acorns across barriers such
as roads, therefore maintaining biodiversity in isolated
plots of forest.
Dixon, M. D., Johnson, W. C., & Adkisson, C. S.
(1997). Effects of Caching on Acorn Tannin
Levels and Blue Jay Dietary Performance. The
Condor, 99, 756-764.
Johnson, W. C., Adkisson, C. S., Crow, T. R., & Dixon,
M. D. (1997). Nut Caching by Blue Jays
(Cyanocitta cristata L.): Implications for Tree
Demography. American Midland Naturalist,
138(2), 357-370.
Moore, J. E. & Swihart, R. K. (2006). Nut Selection by
Captive Blue Jays: Importance of Availability
and Implications for Seed Dispersal. The Con-
NYSWRC Annual Meeting - at Seminar
Come express your opinions, learn more about
NYSWRC, and participate in the election of board
members.
Vacancies exist and new board members are wanted.
Contact NYSWRC if you wish a proxy ballet, or you can
vote in person at the Annual Meeting.
11
little remuneration, is all so they can speak for our
benefit. The program committee is conscious of the
bottom line, and we attempt to break even on the
conferences. In fact, much of the income comes from the
raffle and silent auction proceeds, not from registration
fees. Consider sponsoring a scholarship, speaker, lecture
session, or workshop. Make a donation to NYSWRC.
Contact Amy Freiman, treasurer for details at
See your name in lights, so to speak … ―Welcome Dr.
Jeff Baier to the 2011 NYSWRC Conference‖ –
compliments of (insert your name)
―Back by Popular Demand, Dr. Erica Miller‖ sponsored
by (insert your name)
The ever popular and much needed coffee break hosted
by (insert your name)
Oh, the possibilities are endless!
NYSWRC Wants Your Help!
By Kelly Martin, NYSWRC President
Picture ―Uncle Sam.‖ Now picture your favorite animal
with the slogan ―(Your name here) Wants You!‖ Really,
it is your organization that wants help from its member-
ship. Your board of directors works hard to represent
your interests, to publish a high quality newsletter, and
to host a conference that few can rival. We rarely ask
for extras from our membership.
There are few things that you as a member can do to
contribute to your organization.
Feedback – suggest articles for the newsletter or
potential speakers and topics for the conference.
Though we may not always be able to make
those suggestions a reality, we do take them
under serious consideration.
Write – suggestions for articles are great, but,
consider writing one. It can be a serious, well
researched article on ‗how to rehab‘, an
interesting case study, a profile on a fellow
rehabilitator, or obtain permission from another
source to reprint a substantive rehab article.
Volunteer - volunteer time to serve on one of our
committees. Most of our committee work
would not require so much time as to be
prohibitive.
Contribute – sponsor a speaker, lecture session, or
workshop; finance a conference coffee break, or
donate to our scholarship funds.
It is this last point that I would like to elaborate upon. In
the 30 years since NYSWRC was founded we have
never asked for monetary contributions from our
membership. Some generous donors have set up
scholarships to help us support individuals to attend our
conferences. Compared to corporate donations, these
are meager dollars always in need of bolstering. The
more money in the scholarship funds, the more people
who will benefit. What an incredible valuable use of
funds and terrific opportunity to support new people
interested in caring for wildlife.
Our conference program committee works hard to offer
a high quality program for an affordable price to our
members. One principle never compromised is that we
try to not have it cost a speaker to present at our
conferences. Compared to other wildlife rehabilitation
organizations, we are considered generous. Speakers are
given a small honorarium, which some even donate
back to the organization. It is one reason we are able to
host such an impressive array of speakers. Their
dedication and generosity, willingness to take time with Photo by Gordie Ellmers
12
Blame the Babies, by Victoria Campbell
NYSWRC member, NYS licensed rehabilitator & RVS
Yes, yes, I know that this month's eNewsletter is late!
It's not my fault: blame the babies! Wild Things has
admitted about 75 new patients, many of them babies.
Babies are adorable, but need A LOT of TLC! Also,
many of them who arrive at Wild Things have been
separated from their mother for days and are in very dire
condition. It often takes an hour or more just to clean up
the little ones, and often many days to get them
rehydrated and strong enough to take full strength
formula. And, if they are baby raccoons, like
"FuzzBall" (pictured above) they can SCREAM their
little head's off until you attend to them!
"FuzzBall," as his finders named him, was the first
raccoon baby to arrive at Wild Things this year. He was
born in the middle of May and was only a week old
when he was separated from his mother. The finders
knew that there had been raccoons in their attic and
assumed that this little baby, who was discovered in
their flower bed, was probably one that had been
separated from that litter. Being responsible wildlife
heroes, the finders kept him in a little box near where he
was found to allow the mother to retrieve him. When
babies are separated from their mothers, the moms will
usually do anything to come back for their babies.
But after 36 hours no MamaFuzz showed up. Who knows
what happened. Did something happen to her? Was
FuzzyB from a different litter altogether? Did she have
too many babies to care for and decide to leave one
behind? Or was she perhaps a first time mother and still
learning all the nuances of motherhood, like how you
mustn't forget your children in people's flowerbeds? We
will never know for sure. But FuzzBall now has a good
home at Wild Things.
This picture was taken soon after he arrived; he is perhaps
2-3 weeks old in this picture, about the size of a human
hand. He looks like a little angel in this picture, but he
can be a terror! I don't think I've ever had a baby raccoon
who cries so much and wants so much attention. I've even
wondered whether the mother left him because he was
drawing attention to the nest and jeopardizing his family.
I have been worried that something is wrong with him,
but he seems all fine, and calms down if you take time to
hold him....and loves his bottle.
Wild Things Sanctuary is one of the only rehabilitation
centers in the area that are licensed to admit raccoons. In
New York State, raccoons, skunks and bats are
considered "Rabies Vector Species." Though all animals,
including humans, can have and transmit rabies, raccoons
may carry the virus without showing any signs of the
disease. However, and this is very important, animals are
not contagious until they start showing symptoms of the
disease. Foxes, skunks, raccoons, groundhogs, and bats
are all "RVS" animals, but NY State specifies RVS as
only raccoons, skunks and bats.
Every spring I have a terrible crisis of conscience as I
receive more calls concerning orphaned RVS species than
I can possibly handle. (And the fact that I'm allergic
specifically to raccoons- how's that for irony!- doesn't
help either!). Do I take that extra litter? But then the ones
that I already have won't get fed on time or have proper
care, and what about the other bunch of little ones who all
came in close to death and need a lot of extra time and
care? But the people have already called so many others
and no one will accept these babies; should I??? It's tough
making these decisions!
I became licensed to take RVS species so that I can admit
and triage any animal that is in trouble, including these
species. But in reality I cannot rehabilitate all the RVS
animals that I get calls about. There is no time and it is
expensive. Raccoons in particular require a lot of care and
are much more dependent on their adoptive "mother" than
skunks and bats. Many veterinarians are also unlicensed,
unwilling or too busy to help with RVS species. Wild
Things is grateful to the vets who have been able to help
the RVS patients here.
13
Why don't more rehabilitators become licensed to work
with RVS species? Well, in NY state, RVS rehabilitators
are required to have additional training, special caging,
and a rabies vaccination (can cost well over $1000) that
must be titred every two years. Our facilities must be
inspected by the USDA. Separate logs must be kept for
each RVS animal. RVS rehabilitators are supposed to
pick RVS patients up, even if hours away, and because
all RVS animals are required to be released from where
they came, we often have to drive them back "home" as
well. Finally, we must be registered with all Heath
Departments in the counties from which we accept RVS
animals. This all requires a tremendous amount of money
and time; and to top it off, bringing up more than even a
litter of little mischievous raccoon babies can drive
anyone half crazy!
Wild Things does its best to help as many animals as we
can. We have no staff and only a handful of volunteers
under one rehabilitator who help with the animals. Of
course, the volunteers are not permitted to handle RVS
species, but they can help look after other patients. As the
lone rehabilitator, I am also responsible for all phone
calls. Please forgive me if it takes a while to get back to
you. Don't blame me: blame the babies! I will call you
back. If I can't take your animal I will try to help you find
another rehabilitator. Presently I feed animals from 6-9,
work at my fulltime job 9-6 (thanks to the volunteers this
is possible, though I often have to return mid-day to work
with RVS species), and feed animals again from 6-past
midnight. In the last month I've received a few hundred
phone calls; so be patient and take a look at the Wild
Things website while you are waiting. You may find an
answer to your question here, and there are also links to
directories of rehabilitators all over the country on the
"What to Do if you Find an Injured Animal" page.
ANYWAY, FuzzBall is now about 6 weeks old and
doing great! He is a lovely blonde color and is very
fuzzy. Because he came in alone as a "singleton" I
wanted to put him with other raccoon babies, despite the
fact that we are supposed to keep different litters separate
(in case they may be sick or harboring rabies). But after
isolating him and another litter (whose tree was cut down
and their mother and sibling killed by the chainsaw) and
confirming that they are very healthy, I marked them all
and later added him to the others. He is very happy to be
with his new brothers and sisters.
And PLEASE REMEMBER that no matter how
adorable Fuzzy is in this picture, he is a wild animal,
NOT A PET. Please do not try to keep baby wild
animals as pets. It will end in heartbreak for everyone.
People and domestic animals can get hurt and sick.
Wildlife babies will suffer physically and behaviorally.
Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator!
Blame the Babies, by Victoria Campbell
DEC RELEASES DRAFT DEER MANAGEMENT
PLAN — The Plan Will Guide Deer Management
for the Next Five Years
The New York State Department of Environmental Con-
servation (DEC) today announced that a proposed five-
year deer management plan is now available for public
review and comment. The plan is available at http://
www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7211.html .
The draft plan describes six primary goals that encom-
pass the current priorities for deer management and the
values and issues expressed by the public:
Manage deer populations at levels that are appropri-
ate for human and ecological concerns;
Promote and enhance deer hunting as an important
recreational activity, tradition, and population man-
agement tool in New York;
Reduce negative impacts caused by deer;
Foster public understanding and communication
about deer ecology, deer management, economic
aspects and recreational opportunities;
Manage deer to promote healthy and sustainable
forests and enhance habitat conservation efforts to
benefit deer and other species; and
Ensure that the necessary resources are available to
support sound management of white-tailed deer in
New York.
14
A TINY ENEMY Vampiric ticks are draining region’s
moose of blood
By Kyle Jarvis Sentinel Staff | Posted: Monday, May 9, 2011
This is shaping up to be the year of the tick, a fatal
development for some animals. In some parts of the Granite
State, moose are dropping dead, and not because of what‘s
often called "moose sickness,‖ a neurological disorder
brought on by a parasitic worm that affects the moose‘s
ability to function normally. What‘s killing them now is
anemia — a lack of healthy red blood cells — the result of
winter tick infestation. ―It takes a lot of blood out of the
moose,‖ said Ted W. Walski, a wildlife biologist for N.H.
Fish and Game in Keene.―Particularly, the 1-year-olds (and
younger moose) don‘t have the blood volume or body size (to
cope with tick infestations), which makes them more
susceptible to things like pneumonia.‖ As one might imagine,
it takes a lot of winter ticks to take down a moose. ―In a
regular year, you can have up to 30,000 ticks on a single
moose (in a given season),‖ said Kristine M. Rines, the
moose project leader for Fish and Game in New Hampton.
―In a bad year, like it‘s shaping up to be this year, you can
have up to 150,000 ticks per moose in late winter/early
spring.‖
Rines said part of the problem for moose is they haven‘t had
the luxury of evolving over many generations to deal with
ticks, the way deer have. ―The white-tailed deer have a
tendency to groom them off immediately,‖ she said. ―But it
takes thousands of years for that kind of change in attitude, so
the moose ignore them because they‘re not sure what‘s going
on.‖
Spring is a time of year when moose need rest, which is more
difficult to achieve when they‘re constantly being bitten by
ticks, Rines said.
And it‘s not just moose who are suffering this season,
according to local veterinarians. ―I do think it‘s been a banner
year for ticks,‖ said Dr. Lee A. Pearson, a veterinarian at
Cheshire Animal Hospital in Keene. ―We‘ve seen more this
spring than in the past, but it seems that over the last decade,
maybe two, that there‘s been a gradual increase in their
population.‖
Pearson, a 29-year veteran of animal medicine, said it used to
be rare for him to find ticks on dogs or cats during winter.
―Over the last three or four winters, I‘ve had dogs come in
with ticks on them,‖ he said. While it‘s usually only one or
two dogs per winter, Pearson said that‘s something he never
used to see.
Alan Eaton of the University of New Hampshire‘s
Cooperative Extension said there are 15 species of ticks
living in New Hampshire, but the most common, the
American dog tick and the black-legged tick, appear to be
increasing in certain parts of the state, including
Southwestern New Hampshire.
And while he‘s not quite sure why the dog tick‘s
numbers are increasing, he can say what he believes are
the contributing factors in the rise of black-legged ticks.
―One thing that helps for sure is making human
modifications to the environment,‖ Eaton said. ―Creating
a lot of ‗edge habitat, 'for example.‖
Edge habitat is any area at the edge of a wooded area
where the sun can shine and where dense shrubbery
grows, which is ideal tick territory, Eaton said. ―They
don‘t survive well in open areas at all,‖ he said. ―They
prefer thick, shrubby areas.‖
Eaton also believes controlling the deer population — so
deer numbers dip or rise dramatically over several years
— plays a factor in tick populations.
Some have theorized climate change could be to blame
for rising numbers of ticks, but Eaton is skeptical of that
assessment. ―My guess is, if they are (affected), then
those effects are subtle,‖ he said. ―Other things we‘re
doing to the environment are much bigger.‖
Whatever the cause, veterinarians agree ticks are thriving
more than ever before. ―They‘re out in force right now,‖
said Debbie J. Gode, a veterinary technician for the
Court Street Veterinarian Hospital in Keene. Gode, who
also works as a wildlife rehabilitator in Winchester, said
smaller mammals such as raccoons and skunks are also
susceptible to tick infestations when populations are as
high as they are this year. Like Pearson, Gode has seen a
spike in tick populations in recent years, with more cases
of Lyme disease resulting. ―Lyme disease originated in
Connecticut,‖ she said. ―Now it‘s all along the Eastern
seaboard.‖
Walski pulled three ticks off his dog in four days two
weeks ago, he said. ―It‘s a little earlier than normal for
that,‖ he said.
As for moose, it‘s not the first time their numbers have
dipped due to ticks, Rines said. ―There was a really bad
worldwide die-off back in 2001,‖ she said. ―Of the
collared moose in New Hampshire, 75 percent of the
calves died. Cows lost 20 percent of their population as
well.‖
The good news for moose is that they‘re nearly as
resilient as the ticks themselves, Rines said. ―They
rebounded quite easily,‖ she said. ―It‘s a pretty simple
thing to recover from when it‘s mostly calves that are
affected; it‘s when you have a few years in a row like
that where it can become a problem. ―The big question
for moose is how this year will play out,‖ she said.
Kyle Jarvis can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1433,
15
Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, Volume 17,
Number 5–May 2011
June 20, 2011, from NY TIMES
Once Rare, Infection by Tick Bites Spreads
By LAURIE TARKAN
A potentially devastating infection caused by tick bites
has gained a foothold in the Lower Hudson Valley and in
coastal areas of the Northeast, government researchers
have found.
The condition, called babesiosis, is a malaria-like illness
that results from infection with Babesia microti, a
parasite that lives in red blood cells and is carried by deer
ticks. Though far less common than Lyme disease,
babesiosis can be fatal, particularly in people with
compromised immune systems.
Because there is no widely used screening test for
babesiosis, its spread poses a particular threat to the blood
supply, scientists said. ―We are very worried about it and
are doing everything in our power to address this,‖ said
Sanjai Kumar, chief of the laboratory of emerging
pathogens at the Food and Drug Administration.
According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, there were six cases of
babesiosis in the Lower Hudson Valley in 2001 and 119
cases in 2008, a 20-fold increase. In areas where
Lyme disease is endemic, like coastal Rhode Island,
Massachusetts, Connecticut and Long Island, babesiosis
also is becoming very common, said Dr. Peter Krause,
senior research scientist at the Yale School of
Public Health.
In one study of residents of Block Island, R.I., Dr. Krause
found babesiosis to be just 25 percent less common than
Lyme disease. Babesiosis also is spreading slowly into
other regions where it did not exist before, like the Upper
Midwest, said Dr. Krause.
Many people who are infected with the parasite have no
symptoms at all, while others experience mild to
moderate flu-like symptoms that may last for a few days
or as long as six months. ―But some people get so sick
that they wind up hospitalized, put into an intensive care
unit, or even dying,‖ said Dr. Gary Wormser, chief of
infectious diseases atWestchester Medical Center in New
York.
In states that track the disease, there are an estimated
1,000 reported cases a year, said Dr. Krause, but he and
other experts believe this represents a fraction of the
people who are infected. In the Block Island study,
researchers tested about 70 percent of the islanders and
found that about one quarter of adults and half of children
who were infected had no symptoms and were therefore
not reported. Even people with mild to moderate symptoms
may never see a physician. Even if they do, the condition
may not be accurately diagnosed.
Experts fear that many undiagnosed patients may be
donating blood. Currently, blood banks do not screen for
Babesia because the Food and Drug Administration has not
licensed a test for this purpose. The only way to screen a
patient is by using a questionnaire, which simply asks
blood donors if they are infected.
Babesiosis already is the most frequently reported infection
transmitted through transfusion in the United States,
responsible for at least 12 deaths. In New York City, six
transfusion-associated cases of babesiosis were reported in
2009. Infection by this route can be serious: One study
found approximately 30 percent of people who were
infected by a transfusion died.
Between 1999 and 2007, several infants in Rhode Island
developed babesiosis following blood transfusions. The
Rhode Island Blood Center has become the first in the
country to use an experimental new test to screen blood for
the parasite.
Experts urge blood transfusion patients and their doctors to
be aware of symptoms of babesiosis, which can occur up to
nine weeks after a transfusion.
The symptoms can be vague (there is no tell-tale rash as
there may be with Lyme disease) and include fever, sweats,
chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches and pains. In
people who also have Lyme disease, doctors might suspect
babesiosis if the symptoms are particularly severe or the
antibiotics are not working, said Dr. Krause. A diagnosis
can be confirmed through blood testing.
Infants and adults over age 50 are more likely to get
moderate to severe symptoms if infected. People at
increased risk of complications include patients with
compromised immune systems (such as people
receiving immune suppressants), those who‘ve had their
spleens removed, and those with lymphoma or H.I.V. or
who are being treated for cancer.
If not caught and treated early, babesiosis can lead to such
complications as kidney, lung or heart failure. The
infection can be treated with antimicrobial medications, but
people with serious complications are less responsive to the
drugs.
Why the parasite is spreading and why it‘s spreading more
slowly than Lyme disease are not well understood. One
theory is that Babesia may be carried primarily in mice,
which don‘t tend to travel far afield. The bacterium causing
Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, can be carried by
birds.
16
NYSWRC
P.O. Box 62
Newcomb, NY 12852
NYSWRC MEMBERS Please check the address label on this issue of RELEASE to determine your current membership type. Your membership in the New
York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (NYSWRC) expires on this date. To guarantee uninterrupted membership services please
utilize the application below to renew your membership. We encourage you to share your issue of RELEASE with new rehabilitators and
other interested persons.
RELEASE is the quarterly newsletter of the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, Inc. and is included with member-
ship. Papers, photographs, illustrations and materials relating to wildlife rehabilitation are welcomed and encouraged. Please send
materials to:
RELEASE, PO Box 62, Newcomb, NY 12852, Attention: Editor. All materials are copyrighted, For permission to reprint portions, contact Editor.
NEW YORK STATE WILDLIFE REHABILITATION COUNCIL, INC.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
_____NEW _____RENEWAL
Complete all information below and make checks payable to: NYS Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, Inc. Please print clearly.
____GENERAL: $25.00 ____HOUSEHOLD: $40.00 ____ORGANIZATION: $50.00
NAME(S): ______________________________________________________________________________
AFFILIATION: __________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP: ______________________________________________________________________
PHONE home: (___)___________ work: (___)____________ e-mail: _____________________________
Species handled: _________________________________________________________________________
Knowledge and skills willing to share: _______________________________________________________
Return form to: Jean Alden, NYSWRC Membership, 1850 N. Forest Rd, Williamsville, NY 14221
