Friday the 9th of June was a day of non-stop rescue. Wes posted on Facebook about the animals that came in (and went out, as two successful releases):
“Patient 1. Baby Screech Owl with cat troubles.
Patient 2. Baby Raven. Wing issue.
Patient 3. Duck with a snapping turtle leg issue
Patient 4. 4 skunks by dead mom in road.
Patient 5. Coon without a mom.
Patient 6. Mallard ducklings.
Releasing an owl. Bat release…..
Busy day. Urghhh.”
(Click a thumbnail to view the slideshow, and the “x” to close it.)
Whooooo Should We Choose for our Wildlife Facts?
The Eastern Screech Owl is one of our more common owls, though is so well-camouflaged that they are rarely seen during the day. Their eerie sounding trill can often be heard at night in eastern wooded areas, and there are more of them around than people might realize.
Screech Owls come in two color phases: mostly gray, or mostly red (“rufous”). They, like many owls, are cavity-nesters, and have been known to readily accept nest boxes. The boxes we at New York Wildlife Rescue have put out for American Kestrels, if moved into the forest, will also be welcome to Screech Owls.
These tiny owls, only 6 – 9 inches in length, raise one brood of 3 – 6 eggs per season, and the chicks leave the nest at around 30 days.
They are good little mousers, so you like to have them around the property (though you have to have woods nearby, or the owls won’t be interested in being your neighbors). They also eat other small prey, from insects to snakes, and even smaller birds.
New York Wildlife Rescue Center, Inc. 