Black Bear Den cam

If you go to www.bear.org or http://www.wildearth.tv/static/bearden you'll see a pregnant black bear in her cave for the winter.

I guess she's been finnicky about what cave to go in and fortunately picked this one with the camera in it of three she has tried out for her hibernation. Once she realized the camera was in there she was upset, hit it a few times, but settled in. I think that was days ago.

Now, just a few minutes ago, the guys did something in to adjust the camera and she left the cave again. I hope she returns and we can watch her in there as she will have her babies and they will grow enough to be really cute by springtime, when they will leave the cave and enter the world.

OOh, there she is... I think. I keep seeing a bunch of hair block the camera, then moving back... Must be the bear standing close to the mouth of the cave, figuring she will reenter.... let's hope. Like when I gave out the Bald Eagle nest cam (thank you to commenter Sizzie for the link), I often tuned in in the morning and left the thing open in the corner of my screen so I could see movement as I worked on other things. It was so great to see the baby left in the nest and what it would do to not get bored... and as it grew, how it would try out flapping it's wings til one day it flew. And it was really exciting to see the mother fly back with a fish for her baby to eat.

Hey, now I can see a little bit of snowflakes falling.. and woah! Breath from someone's mouth or nostrils is showing up in the air!!! Cool! I can hear her breathing too!

I have always wondered how bears, who get hungry like us, and want to eat daily like us, go into some kind of altered state and manage through frigid winters to stay curled up in some kind of den for several months, with no need to eat, go outside or even get up to pee. I mean, we are all stiff after 8 hours of sleeping (well, at least I am these days) and if we don't get up in the middle of the night, using the restroom is top priority when we get up. How do you submerge all those things for 3+ months at a time? And giving birth while in this state? Is that the equivalent of a full body/mind epidural?

Oh wow, it is DEFINITELY the bear standing to the side of the lens now, deciding whether or not to go back in that cave. Whew, it's almost like she is right next to me. I expect this is more action than I'll see most of the winter, until the little ones are born, that is.

I guess this bear has been named Lily and has a Facebook page all her own (little does she know). You can Friend her, lol, if you get on the website. Let me know if you sign in, and if you know of other sites like this...

thanks to the website mentioned above for her FB pix

Today's Giggle

I will try to find out who this cartoonist is. Until then I can't give away credit, where credit is due.

Squirrel Gone Wild

Another post about squirrels, I know. I'm sorry to those who aren't fired up about them. I have been trying to mix it up a little but I have so much footage of them... bear with me.

One day I heard an insistent, ongoing noise of some kind. I located the direction it was coming from and realized it was a squirrel in a tree, who was NOT happy about a cat that was coming his way. The cat, in usual feline form, was so nonchalant, he looked like he didn't even hear the squirrel, let alone was scared off by it. But whether or not the cat revealed any emotion, it indeed walked on by. At which point, the squirrel directed it's displeasure at ME for filming her too.



Probably much to her continued dismay I got a different angle and continued filming, for my own education. It seems like an eternity to re-watch it but it passed pretty quickly in real time. I quit as quickly as I could when I saw she was not going to calm down.
But I'd never seen one doing this before... Never hear squirrels making much noise, because I haven't lived outside a city apartment building since I was 18. And for all the work I've done with them in the last few years, it hasn't been a time that I've heard them talking to each other or expressing anger. I've seen a little chasing but no vocalizing. In rehabbing I occasionally hear the baby cry for attention or call for mom, and when we introduce juveniles who are new to each other, about 10% of the time you hear a moment's spat until they decide to get along. Watch where this sound comes from in the body, and how the effort to make this sound propelled the body forward, like a little leap. In the first video the tail was twitching, in this one it's not.

I could not believe it when I was walking out of the Rothko Chapel after some kind of mediation meeting there, and I saw a squirrel in a tree actually pulling the newly forming, probably tender and succulent acorns off the branches and having a little snack while balanced within the branches! I whipped out my still camera and took some little movies -- very excited about this first little snippet of footage... He goes to another branch and hopefully you can see his little hands actually grab a pair of acorns, rip them off the branch and clear away the remaining leaves before popping it in his mouth to scurry away. The screen becomes so little on blogger that it might be hard to make out.

As you can see, this was end of Sept or early October, as the branches are still full of leaves. The acorns mature and drop in late October or so; there are many still on the ground everywhere, so it's an extensive Thanksgiving bounty.

And here the little guy pauses at the base of the tree to secure the two nuts in his mouth before heading off with an adorable little hop to bury them....



Sorry about the focus problems... I am always caught with just my little digital still camera and whatever it will capture. Focus in moving pictures is not it's strong point.

I love how thorough they are, little paws covering the thing up with dirt from each side of the hole then patting it down hard with both little paws and all their shoulder muscle put into it... making sure there will be no acorn recession in 2010!!

Cute Pic of the Day

Been so busy over at my gift blog, I am just posting a pic today. It's of BIG AL taking a sunbath when he was finally getting a little bit bigger. I hoped that putting him in the sun to sleep after his morning milk would give him vitamins and help make the bones he was developing get a little stronger. If nothing more, it was warm, and that's how squirrels like things to be -- warm. cozy and cuddly. Here, I made his little bed of a scrap of fleece fabric and a cereal bowl. The magazine in the back ground and candle stick holder should give you an idea of his size.

His little tail was finally beginning to fill out and his forearms were getting fur. You can read about big Al by clicking HERE and HERE-- and I encourage you to do so if you have any kind of holiday blues, his little squirrel story is only one of the things you'll find to lift you right out of that. You've come to the right place...

Another Miracle of Life

Today I added to the mounting list of once in a lifetime experiences I've racked up since moving to Houston (whoda thunk it): I fed two tiny baby flying squirrels. Now, we've had humming bird babies and baby rats, both of which are very small (and fascinating, not to mention cute), but these are the tiniest things I've ever held in my hand. And boy, they are eager to eat and grow.

We got them in the other day and before closing, D, the same woman who brought the pregnant dog over (see post below), asked if I'd feed the little ones before we all left. I went over to the tank and could not believe what I saw when I lifted the lid. I slipped my hand in there so when you view the video below you can get a sense of their size. I had no idea how I was going to hold something so small. It feels like you are holding nothing at all, and they seem terribly delicate. It's a miracle that they have life in them, but they do.

A drop of milk seems the size of a kiddie pool compared their little mouths, and one slip up from me and they could suffer dire concequences... but it all went fine.

LOOK at that tiny puss! And those feet! It is not an insect, or a little leaf that'd blown in the door. Nope, there is a nose, a little bit of whiskers, fur, ears and eyes, albeit closed.. and little paws and even littler nails. Check it this teeny weeny fella. When you are involved with nature, and all the creatures we share the planet with, the stunning miracle of it all becomes apparent. Incomprehensible really. All I know is... I'm grateful to be a part of it.

Prepare to Melt

Or should I have titled this "Prepare to Replay"?

Because that is what you are going to want to do with this video. It beings new meaning to the term short, but oh so very very sweet.

Early in November, someone found a young, little white dog wandering around terribly matted and very very pregnant. It was brought to the SPCA but one of the soft-hearted women who runs The Center spotted her and decided to bring her over where we are. Since it's slow season (baby squirrel time was just about over and baby opossum and bird time is a long way off), we could keep an eye on her -- while giving her tons of love and affection, which I have to say she soaked right up without hesitation.

The dog was cleaned and all that horrible fur was cut away. She seemed so grateful to be somewhere warm and safe, with plenty of food and love. She looked at everyone with huge saucer eyes -- a candidate for those collectible figurines you find in the back of magazines.

We thought she was going to have those puppies day one, but two weeks later she was still trotting around, quite content, demanding our constant attention. Just around Thanksgiving she put forth her own bounty in the form of 5 tiny puppies... most were all white and either one or two had a little caramel coloring. When I came in today they were nursing and had their eyes open. I had to scrape myself off the floor. I'd lost consciousness due to cuteness overload.

After doing some work I came back to where the little play pen with the babies were. I heard a little lapping --quite distinct from nursing sounds -- and spotted the caramel one tentatively licking at some real food. I whipped out my camera and caught a moment of it.



OMaGeeeeee! LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!

You replayed it, right?

Marvels and Ingenuity

I've begun to look in trees now that I have raised baby squirrels. I wonder how they possibly survive out in the wind and the rain when they are so little and fragile. I have seen a few squirrels peeking out of a rare cubbyhole in a tree trunk, though they probably had to fight a pileated woodpecker for the real estate. But I learned that squirrels usually make a nest (called a drey) of leaves and twigs positioned between two sturdy branches... high enough to be safe from predators but not so high that they will fall victim to high winds, pelting rain and such. The nests are lined with soft things like feathers and moss. I would love to see one up close someday, or find a film of babies nursing from their mother in the nest. Having fed them myself, and watched them sleep and grow, I have wondered many times how it occurs in the wild.

Back to nests---

I thought this was a squirrel nest when I took it... though it's pretty big. This is what it looks like from the ground:

Then closer:

And closer.


This looks so big that it may be some kind of larger bird's nest. It's a marvel in any case... how is it balancing? While it may be in the fork of two branches, it's extended so far out into space, so far from the trunk of the tree. Considering whatever made this has to carry the materials in their mouth or beak, to get something this big had to be made of many many small deposits of found stuff. How does that first little pile of leaves or twigs stay in place while the critter scurries or flies to find more?

Do any of you know? Have you seen a nest being built by any species? Any related stories or tidbits on the topic? Oh please, do tell!

Sunbath

This is a photo I'd print large and frame --one of my favorite for all the blurry, poorly cropped snaps I've taken of animals, because I am more focused on feeding them or am in some crazy situation or only have one hand free, etc...

This was my first rehab baby, Rocky a.k.a. Mouse. To me it says everything innocent, soft and sweet. Look at that little curled up foot... those tiny nails extended on that little hand behind his head. The soft pink tummy, the teeny whiskers starting to sprout. This is one to click on to enlarge! It will bring a little aaaaah to your day.

(I know, I have conspicuously left out mention of his little weenie. Even his tiny bits are cute)


Every day, after I'd fed a baby squirrel and it was nice and sleepy (the only guarantee they will stay somewhat still for about 20 minutes), I'd put it in a bowl lined with a fuzzy piece of cloth in the sun on my table. Besides that it was pleasantly warm and cozy, the way squirrels like life, I hoped each would absorb vitamin D to strengthen their growing bones.

You think he looks big here until you realize I have him in a fairly small cereal bowl... with all that room to spare. Only way you can tell this is a movie at first is by watching his breathing (if you ignore my swift camera moves).



A week or so later, when Rocky had finally opened his eyes and doubled in size (still tiny as you can see below), I caught him looking out the window at the world he would be a part of in all too short a time.

A cold front blew in last night. Lots of rain and in the mid 40's. I was driving home from Christmas shopping in a chilly downpour and wondered where he was right then. I hoped it was in a warm squirrel box in some kind rehabber's back yard, since he is only about 4 months old now. It's not as cold or snowy as squirrels in other parts of the country endure this time of year, I know. Maybe he is curled up, shielded by his now-bushy tail, dreaming of these blissful naps taken in the Indian summer's morning sun.

THIS is Why

I carry catfood (and nuts, water, chick feed, cracked corn, towels, plastic bowls, a net, thick gloves and various sized carriers) in my car...

I took my first few boxes of gifts to be mailed off to the post office and when I came out I saw two furry but a bit raggedy cats. Couldn't tell if they were emaciated because they were long haired. I assumed they were feral because they looked quite scared and dodgy, though when I approached them holding a handful of dry cat food they looked at me, wheels turning as to whether or not they could trust it. I figure that spelled hunger. So I got as small as I could and moved very slowly, holding out my palm. When I got too close, both scampered behind the fence but didn't run away. They were too interested in what I might have. I quickly poured the food onto the ground (then was upset with myself that I didn't do it where they could be more hidden while eating), and backed away.

The white cat came more easily but both took a few bites. Meanwhile I searched my trunk for anything that I could put a little fresh water in, since they might be parched after the dry, salty meow mix. When I brought a little blue bowl over with water, the black one leapt up on the fence post mostly hidden behind a wall of leaves. It took a long time before he came down.

I watched until the black one came down, though he stayed quite jumpy the entire time he ate. I took a movie of him jumping down and eating and looking nervously around while the white one sat nearby, licking it's chops and looking satiated. But it won't load -- tried it several times. So for now, a few pictures of the same scene.

I admit, I had many things to do but I sat in my car until they were done. I was parked right in front of them so I could shield them from anyone else coming along before they could eat. Had y been able to view the movie-that-wouldn't-load, you'd see that the white one is more relaxed, compared to the black one who stopped, looked up and around every few seconds. They both sniffed the blue bowl several times, but weren't interested in drinking. But it's there in case they needed to go back to it when I was gone. There was enough food for a second meal, which I hope they got in before the rain came in torrents last night.

I Spy A Golden Eye

I may feel like I'm not as sharp as I used to be in so many ways (I word search, am tired way too often, can be distracted by the multitasking overwhelm that modern life has become) BUT when I'm in nature, I'm highly alert. Every formerly dull sense is tuned in to the smallest of things. If something flickers in the lake, if there is a small movement in the trees, if there is a barely audible cry I pick up on it like I have SUPERPOWERS!

So I was out walking one early summer afternoon in The Park and there was the tiniest rustling.  I wasn't quite sure what had gotten my attention, just that it had. There was a ghostly sense of something, almost imperceptible really. I could not be sure I wasn't just mistaken. I squinted into the blue sky and the mass of newly full, vibrant lime green leaves and even with glasses on, could not make anything out. 

I just took a picture of the general area that got my attention, figuring if there was something there I might see it if I went home and enlarged the pic.
Sure enough, the below is what I got when I cropped it!!!!!

How cool is that? Owls are so mysterious, and usually are heard and not seen. I've just recently seen owls up close --which is saying a lot considering I've lived half a century. I saw one flying out of the smoke when I was stranded on the side of the one and only road during a giant fire on the island of Maui, the night before I eloped. Under the circumstances, I considered that it might be a spirit totem or something (either that or the prenuptial fire was a sign, lol). It had a very long wingspan but an abnormally large head for a regular bird, which until then were the only ones I'd seen. The eyes were so large and dark, and while all it's feathers stretched out when it was in flight, the fluffiness of it's head remained the same and that accounted for the proportion. It's one of those moments I'll never forget. 

Flash forward two years and I was face to face with several owls at The Center which you can read about HERE for starters (or simply click on the tag OWLS to your left on this page...).

Maybe one of you can identify what kind of owl it is. I know what kind it isn't. Not a screech owl... not a barn owl, not a great horned owl.  Any birders out there know? 

This Chinese Goose came to The Center a while back with a broken leg which happened when a dog ran after it and got it in it's mouth. I've seen it happen too often-- people are out walking their doggies and encourage them to chase after squirrels, ducks and geese. I'm not sure why. Maybe they assume the animals will be quick and get away and just provide a harmless romp for their pup. But we see some terrible stuff come in from this so I recommend bringing a ball/frisbee or tossing them a stick....

We'd had this duck for about a week. Cleaned and dressed the wounds, gave an antibiotic to fight infection and depending, an anti-inflam medication or something to help with pain. Made sure the visiting vets would check how things were progressing. This one was not stepping on the leg, so we tried to put him in a tub of water (seen below) to help him exercise the leg but he wasn't too interested at first. So we took him out, toweled him off, set him down and let him preen. We'd try it again another day.



We kept her for several weeks, and like most geese, she was very talkative. Since Geese mate for life and bond very deeply with another of it's kind, I always worry about their partner who has been left alone, wondering what happened to their buddy. And when I hear the plaintative wail from the one we are treating, I wonder if it is wondering the same thing. In a lull, I might go sit with a goose for a little, and they often calm down. I'm told that they don't relate this way, and that as a human, I may be stressing them out rather than comforting them. But I don't get this response. I don't try to talk to a goose, I just sit very still, like a friend at a bedside, and mentally I send love and thoughts of healing to them. (Don't think I'm nuts... it can't hurt can it? The world would probably be a bit better off it we all did this for each other, right?)

I'm partial to geese, since meeting and becoming quite involved in the partnership of Mr and Mrs Goose who you can read about HERE and more if you click on their names or just the label Geese on the right of this page. We've seen several cases of really bad wounds come in. But the woman who heads the center said. "Geese are really hardy and resilient." I held onto those words when I worried for them, and sure enough she was right.

This goose healed up well enough and now lives happily on that very woman's couple of acres with many other waterfowl. If I ever find a place to buy a home I plan have land and a little pond so I can provide a safe haven too. Don't think he's at all lonely now! :-)

I Give Thanks

Oh I feel wonderful and my heart is full (as my stomach was yesterday). Why? Because I finally got a chance to run up to The Center to volunteer for a few hours, and saw the two Fox squirrels that I wrote about last post. Last Friday I had to go out of town so I took them both in Thursday afternoon. It helps me to give them back if I get to be the one to settle them into their new tank, and put in some of the little things I know each squirrel needs... one might like a bowl to sleep in, another, fuzzy fabric, and yet another might need favor apples or avocado to chew on. I can make sure they have that, so the first night in the strange new place with it's strange new sounds won't seem completely foreign. I also get to give them the last feeding of the day, again to normalize their adjustment to new surroundings... I go home feeling OK to leave the little ones I've cared for night and day...

But within a few days, I see their pictures and begin to wonder how they are. As soon as I got back, I had out of town company and much holiday prep, so I just couldn't go in. I really found myself missing them, which I try not to do. My job is to be a foster mother, getting them from point B to C (A being that they are born and D being that they are big enough to eat on their own and begin the process of soft release).

But after I waved to my step-kids as they each drove to Austin and San Marcos and dropped my sister off at the airport, and I raced up to The Center... All the squirrels were gone but my two foxes. I was so happy to see them! They were still together, had just transitioned to eating only solid foods, and for the first time, I felt like they really knew me... I know we are not to imprint but I picked up the female and she curled right up under my neck and put her little nose to my chin and mouth to say hello.



She even posed with me for a self-pic of the two of us. And then I picked up the male and also took pics. I gave them each a pecan, which they heartily accepted, and I took some movies of them both eating them... marvelling how far they'd come in just a weeks time.

I got to check in on them over the next two hours, and that just made me feel good. Instead of wondering 200 times a day how they are, I can just look over and see. It will carry me for a good long while now.





After finishing their pecan, they curled up to take a nap...


And just before I left I looked in and there they were, sleeping on top of each other, just as they always had. I was so glad to know they were still close and have each other. Wonderful little beings...

Love is Letting Go...

Some of you know I had a very sick set of baby fox squirrels about 2 weeks ago, a male and a female, eyes closed.
They both came in, as many did, with some kind of terrible virus. Both had very stuffed noses and the female had it really bad. She was wheezing and clicking, though it was not the clicking you hear in their lungs that's associated with aspiration or pneumonia. Though I gave them each a drop of liquid benadryl 15 minutes before I went to feed them (to help them breathe easier while nursing) and had them on an antibiotic twice a day, it would not do much to relieve the symptoms.

The little female got worse as the night came on. I could take her back to The Center in the morning to see the vet, but was very concerned she would not make it though the night. I'd have been happy to pay anything for a vet in the city to see her that night, but when I called one of the expert rehabber ladies who run the center for advice, she said most vets are not familiar with wildlife and would not be able to do much more than we were doing.

Knowing I could get help in the morning, I prepared myself for a very difficult night. The little girl was gasping and her rib cage would jump with each breath due to the effort involved. I tried to set up a steam tent and sat under a towel holding her sleeping body. I tried to prop her up in her little bed in case it would make breathing easier, but squirrels are just too flexible and jumpy. So I sat upright in the chair in my bedroom with her on my chest for over two hours hoping it would make breathing easier.  I kept falling asleep sitting there with her, but I was determined to not let her down.  So I did something I rarely do -- I prayed and prayed hard over her... And I got online and asked my blog friends to pray for her, send her healing thoughts, or keep her health and wholeness in mind... whatever they felt comfortable doing. I have known this kind of thing to be very powerful, and thankfully, it was successful in the case.

She indeed made it through the night, and the next morning I got trained to give her very powerful medicine... one I had to wear gloves to measure out and administer, as it would do something to me if it got absorbed through my skin (tho safe for squirrels). It took a lot, but I finally got her on the mend. And then her little brother, who was never as bad off as she, started to get more congested and wheeze a little!  So I started him on the heavy duty medicine. After several long days and nights they both got better. I think the experience made them very attached to each other.
Unlike other squirrels who sleep then spend several hours exploring or playing, they spent most of their time together sleeping in dozens of uh-dor-able positions.

Maybe the medicine was the reason, or perhaps it was the cozy cereal bowl I stuffed with soft fleece fabric! But even days after they opened their eyes and were beginning to chew on nuts and apples, they were so attached that when I'd take one out to nurse, the other would cry after about 10 minutes of being alone. It was a heart wrenching sound and I'd rush to the tank, holding the other one happily feeding on milk, and the crying would stop. Sweet babies. Look at them!

But below is a hysterical photo of the female who grew stronger and healthier every day, fast asleep, hopefully soooo relaxed because she felt safe and secure. Nose always tucked under or against something... and look at those little feet! Click on any picture to see them enlarged.

Last Thursday, the morning I had to bring them back, I saw something unusual. The female was awake and in a very quiet mood. With her little buddy still curled up beneath her, she stared out at me. I don't ascribe thoughts to squirrels, but after I shot this and looked at it days after I wondered, did she know I was going to have to give her back that day? Did she know that she was all better now, brought back to health from a very serious illness?  Did I catch her reflecting in her squirrel way in that moment of transition, the ones we all have spent just before our lives are about to change? Did she know that she was moving on to the next stage of her little life?




Lol, probably not. But for a baby who would most likely have died, she did have a second shot at life. Fat, furry and bright eyed, maybe she was just saying thank you to her foster mommy and to all her unseen blog pals who prayed for her to get well. I think that's it. And I heartily join her in deep and sincere gratitude for all those who cared about her when I reached out (via e-mail and Jackie's Blog) and kept vigil with me through your good thoughts that night.

I hope it's gratifying to see these pictures and know you made a difference.

Lil' Sweetie's Chinny Chin Chin

One of the few squirrels I actually named was a female Gray. You don't want to think of the wildlife you are rehabbing as pets, or get too attached as you are returning them to the wild as soon as you can get them well and big enough.

But this one got a name kind of by accident.

She was so delicate and feminine. Instead of the usual rambunctious scrambling that happens when it's feeding time with squirrels, she'd settle into my hand to eat. When I needed to refill the syringe with milk, instead of the usual panic that food seems to be going away and the frantic hunting all around as I try to reintroduce the nipple that's standard behavior, she'd stay in my palm and calmly accept the next course. The little pumping motion they make with their paws was extra cute because she pushed very gently with the pads of her paws, her long, thin little fingers held up like a little lady with a new manicure. I found myself calling her Lil' Sweetie and it stuck.

Here she is as a weenie little babe.

THAT is a lil sweetie if I've ever seen one... don't you agree?

There was something else that was special about her. If I scratched her on her neck, she'd pull her shoulder back and lift her chin at an angle to get the most out of it. It is too hard to get movies of much of the adorable things baby squirrels do. I have only two hands and they are very active... and when they are sleeping, you have to snap quick, since they jump in their sleep and move 360 degrees at the slightest sound. Not to mention shooting through the glass of their tank, etc.... so I figured I'd never record this phenomenon.

But this was so much a part of Lil' Sweetie that to my surprise she even did it when deeply asleep. Here I was just filming her and went to give her a little love and... well, see for yourself.

BTW, squirrels jump and startle in their sleep like she did when I petted her paw whether you are touching them or not. I have no idea how they get any rest. They must have wired up little nervous systems that later account for the antics that amuse us when we watch them scurrying around trees or leaping from branch to branch.

I've since had a few who like their chins scratched... though it usually sets into motion an automatic scratching motion with their back leg. Don't dogs do that?

One last picture of her sleeping. I just love their little paws. When they put them on your hands, it feels just like a human hand... cat paws are more fur than skin and dogs paw pads can be a little rough, so when a squirrel puts it's little hand on you, it is always a big of a shock to feel the soft and warm skin against yours.

Stop back for more of Lil' Sweetie... !

Lunchtime!

I haven't had time to write a whole post for this but I'm just going to load it. This is more of the little girl gray, my 14th little rehab baby (see last post). Not a squirmy little squirrel. Some sit right in your palm like she does. Others get so excited they can't keep the nipple in their mouths and frantically hunt around for what they just spit out. Or they kick with their big back feet, a little like babies kick when you hold them in those chest harnesses... it's cute but it can make it a little tougher to feed them. Not my baby #14. She was easy.



Oh those bright little almond shaped eyes looking right at you!

It's hard to feed a squirrel with one hand and shoot a movie with the other. I figure the subject matter is so engaging you'll forgive me.



And when they shut their eyes because they are in bliss nursing! Only the hardest of hearts would not melt into a puddle....

I just took her back to The Center yesterday and stayed to feed her and be the one to see her go into her new tank with two grays who are a little bigger than her... and make sure that they all got along. Which they did. No problems whatsoever. I stayed to give her the last feeing of the day as well, and that always makes me feel better about returning them.

Today I went back and saw someone else feeding her and she is still the same sweet little love as she is here.

Late Baby

I've got a new squirrel I'm nursing for a few days. That would be #14 or 15 I think, since August. Didn't expect to have any more since baby season is long over, and the ones people may be finding and turning in to The Center are juveniles (between 5-10 weeks) who are half way weaned. We will care for them until they can be given to at-home rehabbers who have the room for outdoor cages and can oversee their several month process of transitioning back into the wild (called a soft release).

But I went in Thursday and there was a little girl with her eyes still sealed shut. She would probably need a late night feeding -- long past the hours at The Center --and I was way too happy to do it. I stopped to consider that I was just over the problems my allergies gave me from the last bunch -- eye infections, a terrible cough, a raspy voice-- and just getting back to normal in my life routines. I'd cleaned, put away all the squirrel stuff and started to get to sleep when I was tired and get up when I wanted without the babies needs ruling my life. With Thanksgiving just a few weeks off, and guests coming in, I thought better of it. But when I checked her chart I saw that she also hadn't --- TMI alert!!!--- pooped for the 2 days since she came in. And she was a really fussy eater. Not every volunteer at The Center is good with squirrels so I was concerned about her feeding too. I knew a few days of my attention and the added security of the quiet and dark I could provide at my home would get her past the shock of whatever had happened to her, and she'd be normalized in no time.

Sure enough, by Friday night she was eating more easily and her systems became regular. Yay. I like to think she feels secure now-- here she is sleeping after milk in the pocket of my flannel pajamas. She looked so blissful, I let her do that for a bit before I tucked her in in her tank. If you click on the picture you can see that sweet little face and outstretched paw close up. (SO worth it!)

Her eyes opened Saturday and she's gotten more active, climbing up the little fleece fabric I put on one wall of the tank, developing muscles and learning to hang upside down by her back feet. She began doing the instinctive gesturing for holding and eating nuts before her eyes were open, so I introduced a raw Macademia nut (the softest, for baby teeth) for her to chew on, and later put some walnuts and pecans in her tank. Those are soft and too big for her to pick up but she won't get anything lodged in her throat if I'm not around either. In the morning I find she's chewed on them... and quite adorably, has collected and stored them all under the little tree branch I put in.

All in all, I think she's going to be a fine, healthy squirrel!

Sky Series

A few nights ago the sky from our patio awed us once again. It's getting to the time of year that the sun has moved across the horizon and sets in a place that peeks out from the side of our apartment building. The building we lived in before is is just across the street. We faced west and while only on the 8th floor, we were just above the tree line, with nothing else blocking the way, and had a spectacular sunset view each night. We'd mark the calendar and the seasons by the setting position, which shifted slowly across the horizon line from left to right then back again once we hit solstice. It was our own sundial.

Now we face east and south, bringing us an magnificent sweep from the skyscrapers downtown past the Zoo to Rice University Village. The Mecom fountain, and beyond it, The Park's reflection pool and the blue lake sparkle back at me from my windows -- a refreshing break amid streets and low lying buildings. Some days we can make out clear to Galveston and the ship channel.

We always see the sunrise and the moon rise, but the sky on the west side only looks like this for a few months in winter.


As much as I have struggled at times with living in a city that doesn't offer much of what I thrive on, I think I need to focus more on things that I have been brought into my life that I would not necessarily find elsewhere. For all the "big sky', the gulf breezes and the storms that run fast and furious through Houston, we always have uniquely changing cloudscapes and air texture... and they make for some of the most beautiful skies, changing in every moment as dusk descends.

Whether or not our conditions in this moment are ideal, there is beauty to be found, and a wealth of extraordinary in the ordinary to be mined if we only can take it in.
What are those things in your day, where you live? Whether it's a bit of nature, moments with your child or pet or aging parent, your health or the fact that you have this thing called a car and it takes you places, are there small miracles around you which don't register enough?

A Magical Moment

It's not often that I use footage or pictures that I don't take myself but commenter Becky brought this to my attention and I had to share it with you. I can't imagine what someone did to get this footage. It's totally in focus (unlike mine) and is such a random moment, I don't know how it could have been captured except for an extreme case of being at the right place at the right time. Commenter DonnainAL suggested it might have been a camera mount in the forest.




Then commenter SIZZIE found a link on YouTube that apparently is the guy who took it. I subscribed to his "channel"right away.

So thanks to all those commenters who participated in YOU seeing this post, and especially to David Neils whose footage I think this is, and especially to the Elk and Mother Nature, who are responsible for the giant smile I hope you join me in wearing after seeing this!

Really!

One morning I was at the zoo and I actually caught an early bird getting a worm (and if you look closely you'll see her snatch a little insect or something as an appetizer just before digging for larger fare).

Looks like a Robin Red Breast to me, though I am not a birder. Anyone know if I'm right or wrong on that one?

Two Free Tickets to Feast for the Beast, Houston Zoo Contest

I have two new blog posts on the Houston Zoo website, and they happen to be back to back. CLICK HERE or go to http://houstonzooblogs.org/zoo/ to read them. This is part of a whole campaign with the gorilla that I helped develop, and includes pretty funny movie clips that will continue on the next few blog posts I write next week.

The first is at least somewhat in what I feel to be my style -- a little humorous/tongue in cheek -- a contest to name a Gorilla and an interview I wrote up to help promote a great annual event at the zoo called Feast with the Beasts.

If anyone lives in the Houston area or wants to come in and visit for the Feast, they are giving away 2 free tickets to the event, so feel free to enter the contest!!! It's such a beautiful zoo, especially at night, and it's a rare thing to go visit with the animals then, so many of whom are nocturnal. And it's one of the few events that is adult only there. 50 area restaurants are participating, from simple to swanky and there is beer and wine, keeper chats, animal encounters and a live band and dancing -- this year it's a fabulous swing band called BIG VOODOO DADDY.

Directly beneath that is the second in my Volunteer Extraordinaire Series on Dale Martin, a long time volunteer at the zoo. As with all blogging, comments are always encouraged! :-)

And I wish you much good luck if you enter the contest!

Rocky a.k.a Mouse the First Squirrel

The first orphaned squirrel I got to rehab at home came in about half hour before The Center was closing. A man from an animal shelter brought him, in a little cardboard carrier. I saw it coming in and wanted to know: What is in the box? I remember that now and smile. Little did I know then that destiny was unfolding...

Once the paperwork was done, I took the baby to Triage. I hovered nearby while he was checked out; I always do that as I want to learn all I can. But when squirrels come in I'm especially interested (quel suprise).

You never know when they come in what they've been through, but there are some signs. You look for bruises from falls, cuts, listen for wheezing, look for mites, etc. If you pinch the skin between their little shoulder blades and it stays pinched when you release it, that's your clue they're dehydrated. While subcutaneous fluids can be injected and will work it's way into their system, there are some circumstances where it's not the best thing to do. This little one was definitely dehydrated and had a few ant bites, but overall seemed OK and would not have to stay for a vet. I eagerly asked if I could feed him. When I was done I went to put him in with the rest but realized he needed to be fed at least twice more that night. I called out, "who is going to take him home?" and much to my shock and delight, the bosses said, "YOU ARE!"

I had filled out my own paperwork to be sub contracted as a rehabber with Texas Parks and Wildlife under The Center's boss's license, but I didn't think about when I'd take something home.

They knew I had an affinity for nursing squirrels. They set me up with all I needed and sent me packing with my precious cargo. I must have driven 10 MPH with my hand on his little carrier the entire way. I was excited and scared. I had a little baby to bring home!

I started him on a program of warm Ringers with a little esbilac for taste. Here's a picture of his scrawny little legs and his ribs still visible AFTER I'd been feeding for him for over 24 hours....

(click to enlarge any photo)

The next day I went 4 to 1 Ringers/Esbilac, then 3 to 1 then 2 to 1, the normal strength. That gave his system time to cleanse while hydrating him and getting increasing nutrition in there. For days he showed interest in the first half cc but the lay limp in my hand while I painstakingly gave him another 2-3.5 cc's, 6 times a day. It was like he was asleep, but I saw that his little throat was swallowing, so I continued, literally one drop at a time. The whole time I affirmed him -- that he was strong, and would grow and be furry and get to play in the trees and chase little girl squirrels and have babies one day. It was not by design that I did this; It was more like my inner monologue turned outward.

Soon he looked like this -- still small but much, much better. I was officially hooked.

In noticed he had a few little bumps on his back, on his right ear... and you can see one on his knuckle above. And the skin on his tail, chest and thighs was flaking. I took him in to The Center and he was given a little drop of something between his shoulders for parasites (internal and external), and a mild steroid cream for his skin, which, over the next several days, I continued to apply at home. They say if you find bugs or scabs on a squirrel get them off, and they took off the his ear, leaving a an indentation.

I didn't yet have a tank with a heated top yet, and he was too small for that anyway, so I had him in a long shoebox with holes on the top over a heating pad that never turned off. I heated a rice sock in the microwave and put it in with him among fresh fleece and soft cotton cloths, which I changed every day for my boy.

After feedings, I put him back in his box and watched him use all his might to push his little nose under the rice sock. I didn't know then then that most squirrels like to have their nose under something to sleep. When he was still weak, I'd help him out by denting the underside of the thing with my index finger and lifting it up so he could get his nose under. He'd completely relax into sweet dreams. Here he's got his sniffer nestled under his bedding.

Unsure if he'd make it, and keenly aware that I was responsible for this little life, I kept vigil night and day. I must have looked in on him with trepidation 100 times every 24 hours, but each peek filled my heart to the brim with gratitude and joy. Not only was he breathing, I literally saw significant growth each time I lifted that lid. I kid you not. It was like high speed photography or something. And his poses grew to be so amusing I started taking pictures. I kept the camera next to his box because squirrels leap a lot when dead asleep, and hence never hold a position for long. It's amazing they don't wake up but I figure it's a byproduct of their wired up systems.

I did a whole post HERE on his positions. It's hilarious so please check it out. Guaranteed to make you smile.

To be continued!

Getting Your Omega-3's

There we were on Martha's Vineyard, sauntering around the docks in Edgartown. It was near dusk. Private boats were coming in from the day out, and we saw a guy gutting the daily catch off the back end. I'd never seen such a thing, but then I don't fish much. And in New England, I'm quite sure it's quite common.

I'm not sure if it's official, but certainly the mascot dog of the island is the black lab, made famous by the Black Dog cafes and shops that dot the tiny map. So it was no surprise to see this one standing dutifully beside these guys, having a good dog day. To me, any day in the Vineyard is a good one, dog or otherwise.

What caught my imagination was how, little by little, the dog grew more intent on the guy cutting the fish. He edged closer -- and closer still -- while all the people were distracted by the knife and this guy's technique.

The process was mesmerizing. One after another, said guy pulled out what I could only guess were cod, catfish and bass and deftly sliced each's belly. Within a few strokes, and no apparent show of blood, he'd have filleted the entire thing, tossing some goo into the water in between. Scales were gone, bones were lifted clean from the flesh and voila! someone had their succulent dinner ready to dress and grill. I could barely see it happen --the entire process took less than a minute. But SOMEBODY certainly saw it all .... Click on this pic (to enlarge it) and take a good look at that dog's face!

I guess that black dog knew somethin' I didn't because he got tossed some nice juicy chunks, wolfed it down and was lazer-fixated on "more" the way only a dog can. My camera never quite captured the exact moment of the snatch. But I got something here... think he's mid-gulp.

Here's a closer crop, but it might not be close enough to see on Blogger, unless you click the picture to enlarge it.

Dogs. Love 'em!

How Big Al Got His Name

As promised, the story of Big Al. He was the littlest that came to me, a title held until him by the precious Lawnmower Girl.

When you first get them you're not sure what really happened to them -- were they hurt by a fall from the nest or a scramble with a predator? Were they a runt of the litter, or born with some defect and the mother left them behind? Were they fed something by well meaning people who found them before they got them to us that unwittingly caused problems? It's hard to know, but you learn to look for signs, and often there are signs you can't read. You take the baby on and in my case, observe, call for advice, wake up 10 times a night to check on them, use available medicines if needed, and celebrate the victory of each gram gained and each day of healing until you have a rambunctious, bright eyed little critter, ready to go enjoy their life in the wild. This process has brought me such joy, even though I have paid a personal price -- which I'll write about at some point. For this post, I intend to share the joy... as that is what I had in abundance in rehabbing baby squirrels.

Besides being tiny when I first got him, he moved in s-l-o-w motion. I certainly expected this to mean he was weak. But I was quite AMAZED at the strength with which he held on to my thumb with both his little hairless paws. And that will to live is worth any lost sleep, and all that it took to get him well. Oh please click on any picture to see it bigger. I"m sorry it's a bit out of focus but I am not a great one handed picture taker.

His skin was kind of yellow, like my dad's (who was Mediterranean), and he was strong as a bull, even with his eyes closed and in a vulnerable state, which was exactly how I'd describe my dad in his last three years of his life (he had some neurological problems that did not allow him to open his eyes). And for some reason he had a thick lower lip, which became more pronounced when he was sucking down his milk. You guessed it, Dad did a little of that too.

My dad's name was Albert, and sometimes guys who dated his daughters would refer to him as Big AL, as he was quite intimidating back in the day. Perhaps because this one was so teeny, I thought Big AL was totally fitting.

When I picked him up from his little bed to bring him to the chair in which I fed him he would hunt around jerkily with his little nose, looking all over "mom" for the source of the milk. It just endeared me to the baby even more. Here is a little video of it. 



I just love seeing that again.

He had a sensitive digestive system that I worked hard to balance. He was not an easy eater. Though he clearly had an appetite, he often would not open his mouth when the syringe nipple was right at his lips. It was a real trick to get him to open up. Once he finally latched on, he'd try to swallow the whole thing, always straining toward it instead of just relaxing and settling in to nurse. And just as I did get him drinking -- by which time I was often contorted into some really painful position but was not going to move till he was done -- he'd inexplicably pull away from the nipple after only half a cc, then hunt wildly for it again!

I aimed for 3-4 cc's every 4 hours but he would only drink 2cc's -- at best. So I began feeding Al every two hours to compensate experimenting with different strengths of formula and temperatures to see if it would help. Nothing really did. *Sigh*

It was always tough, but eventually he'd have his fill and snuggle up in my hand, content. And I would feel relief and satisfaction -- for at least a few hours before starting all over again. This went on day after day but indeed, he put on weight. and the hair on his back began to grow, which looked different (as did the color on his nose) from the squirrels I'd been raising. His fur looked silky (see above pic) but was more coarse than soft like the others.  And I still couldn't explain the yellow skin.

After three days it dawned on me that he was yellow instead of pink because I had a Red or Fox Squirrel here. Sure enough his little forearms began to sprout reddish hair, followed by a little tuft of red on his chin. I had never had a Fox who was so young before ... and this is how you learn, lol.

Big Al made me better understand parents who love their good kids and the ones who cause trouble/heartache/incredible sacrifice. The good ones are, well--good. Easy to love. The ones who are tough you have to work harder with,. They may tax and vex you but you don't give up on them. And that makes you realize how much you love them too. Hopefully that love is felt and taken in. Every time I looked down at Big Al finally asleep in my hand, I hoped somehow, in his little squirrel way, he indeed felt loved.

Meet Big Al

A little Fox squirrel who, in his own way, crept into my heart.

He was so little.

Made me smile...

A LOT!




I will post much more about him, but for today, a picture... one that needs no words.

Good Product

Commenter Teri and the Cats of Furrydance recommended a product in the comment area of THIS POST and it is such a good thing I thought I'd post it here.

It's called Snuggle Safe and it's a microwaveable heating pad for pets that won't burn them but will stay warm for about 12 hours. She endorses it, and that's enough for me. I have put rice into an athletic sock and heated it up to travel with baby squirrels that can't regulate their body temp when young... It also feels like an adult squirrel so I have put those in with solo baby squirrels so they don't feel all alone in a big, dark world. But that only lasts about 45 minutes. This looks ideal for elderly as well as newborn pets of all kinds, and everything inbetween.

Thank you to commenter Laurie for her expert research. One common Pet store has them for $39 but she found them for only $24 at THIS SITE... or see the link below.

http://www.entirelypets.com/snugglesafe.html

Thank you to both of you! Keep those tips comin' please.

Microwave pic is from entirelypets.com Pic of disc alone is from Amazon.com

Tres Amigos

I got to The Park, finally. For the first time in a long time I went for a walk by myself and reveled in all the things that have always nourished me there. I used to go several times a week and enjoy the water, the trees, and all the critters. I've been so busy -- and adding rehabbing baby squirrels at home has barely left me energy to brush my teeth let alone get "me time" like a meandering hour in nature. But it is just the thing to revive a tired gal, and I will try to go again very soon.

To spare you seeing only squirrel pictures for the next few thousand posts, I took a picture of three new ducks I'd never seen before. They made a handsome trio and if I were a duck I think I might want to join their little gang.

Too bad you know who wasn't standing in the middle and we could come up with all kinds of nicknames for them like The Reverse Oreos or Piano Keys or something like that. I guess the latter could still apply....

I love the little poof of feathers on the top of the black one's head. Such a Dandy that one.

Ah, Such Sweetness!

The newest baby squirrel, who I've had for about 8 days, is a little girl Gray. Half her tail and half her left foot was cut off by a lawnmower when she was just past the pinkie stage... barely an infant. I just had to show you her sweet little face... I can tell you how much she looks like a little puppy but this one shows it I think. A tad blurred, as she's so small I couldn't even get my macro setting to fully focus!


And my blog pal, commenter Margo, sent me a stuffed dog toy that made a realistic squirrel mommy for this orphaned little one to snuggle up to. Since she's so small and has these injuries, I don't want to take a chance putting her in a box on a heating pad as you can with little critters. I am keeping her in a tank that's got an expensive heat regulated top, but that leaves a REALLY big space for her to fumble around in. NOT the secure, warm, cuddly feeling squirrels like. And with no little squirrel sibs or buddies to curl up to, I'm telling you this was the perfect thing. Every time I look now, she's curled up to the squirrel you sent me Margo. Thank you so much.


Here she is with her nose tucked under "Mom's" tail.


And kind of spooning against "Mom's" belly. Just two of the many ways I've peeked in and seen her curled up to this toy. As she's gotten a little stronger, she's crawled up and over and even completely under it. You can see these are later pictures because she is certainly bigger and has the start of white fur on her chest.

But here's how small she was when I got her. Notice the wide smooth baby belly, pink skin, no fur on her arms or tummy at all. And that white stuff is wound medicine on her tail and foot. This is one to click to enlarge. :-)She made little kicking motions with her feet and tiny little squeaks and noises of content when I fed her. It amazes me how much she resembles human babies in this way. I don't have any kids, but boy, I think I am getting my fill of all those maternal, I'm-in-love-with-my-baby feelings.

It's been so much fun watching her grow every day, and develop the ability to suck, attempt to crawl and see her ears pop off her head, then develop. First her chin got some fur, then the littlest coating of it covered her little arms and legs, then her some sprouted on her tail, and finally, I am seeing a little white fur coming up on her chest. The tummy gets fur last. She smells so sweet, she's warm, and so incredibly soft -- really, there are no words to describe it. And she is completely innocent and vulnerable. How can you not be in love with all that?

Sleep tight little girl, you are safe, and warm, and cared for. Sleep and heal and grow.