Megan Mosby
Executive Director
The second in our Sippin’ the Spirit of the Southwest is presented this weekend on Sunday from 11:00 to 3:00. We are hoping to see you and your families at our Family Festival. Pop up taco stands, local beers, local infused distillations, aguas frescas, entertainment, and edible and medicinal food walk/talk…just to mention a bit of the program. We will capitalize on the shade of our mesquite grove and our amphitheater so don’t let the fear of heat deter you. The market will also be indoors so shopping will be a snap. See the program below, and go to our website for more information and to buy tickets, or buy them at the door. $10.00 a person and anyone under 12 gets in for FREE.
I will look forward to seeing all of you at this fun event. See the schedule below and put it on your calendars.
This Week @ Liberty – April 23, 2018
Yes, you read the number correctly. We have taken in over 600 animals in the last two weeks. The red flag warning winds arose and blew down nests and their contents with them. Orphan Care opened up and is now filled with the peeping of hungry baby birds begging for food from mothers that are not there. Luckily, the dedicated volunteers of Liberty are ready to fill in and hundreds of starving orphans are getting a second chance at life.
The first California condor came in, and the injured bald and golden eagles are recovering in their own enclosures. Plus a very lucky lizard gets rescued by one of our friends. More orphans of other species are also arriving and are being cared for in the usual professional manner.
Education is moving along towards the end of the season as we plan some more fun-filled events at the facility. Let’s see what happened in the last two weeks…
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The bald eagle with the severely fractured leg (see last TW@L) is now out in an outside enclosure and is recovering from his surgery. The leg has responded well so far and we hope the progress continues.
The first California condor came in and is also in an outside enclosure. Somewhat of a rare event, this bird is only a few months old and is one of the few condors to come to us not presenting lead poisoning symptoms. It was flying in the canyon area during the big windstorm of two weeks ago and was blown into the canyon wall, injuring a wing.
(Look for 2 photos)
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The parade of babies is comprised of every species you can think of, and probably some you wouldn’t imagine. From multiple baby barn owls – 4,5,and 6 at a time – to baby roadrunners (who knew they had black skin under those colorful feathers?) and the never-ending steam of baby sparrows, doves, mockingbirds, and the rest, all making OC the happiest place on earth – next to DisneyLand!
(Look for 3 photos)
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As we grow into our new home at the Elwood facility, we have shuffled some of the rooms from when new first moved in. What was originally the Non-eagle Feather Repository is now the Bunny Care center. Medical Services has staffed it with volunteers who are charged with feeding and maintaining the fuzzy little rabbits as they grow from one terrarium to another. They are all segregated by weight as this seems to produce the best results in terms of longevity. From here they go across the walk to the outside enclosures prior to release.
(Look for 2 photos)
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Recently a call came in to the hotline that a man had painted his garage floor with epoxy paint. When he left the door open a couple of inches, a desert spiney lizard crawled in and became stuck to the newly painted surface. I was going to go to try to extricate him the next morning but as I was working the window, our friend Dr. Todd Driggers arrived to drop off a baby GHO. He said he had a day off and asked if we had any surgeries we needed to have done. No surgeries, but when I explained about the lizard up in Scottsdale, Dr. Todd immediately said, “I’ll do THAT!” He took the tool I bought, went north to Scottsdale, and after expertly separating the lizard from the floor, brought him back to Liberty. In just a couple of days, the animal was released and showed no ill effects from his adventure. Like I told the man (Mr. Sindelar), having Dr. Driggers come and rescue your lizard was like having Tom Sneva come and change the oil in your Ford Escort…
(Look for 3 photos)
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A couple of months ago, Mr; Andy Baldwin, chairman of the MCC biology Dept. brought in a Harris’ hawk with some puncture wounds from the Gold Canyon area. It turned out that though we thought it might have been shot, it was more likely an attack by another raptor or other animal. The bird healed well and a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Baldwin drove to Liberty and picked up the hawk and took it back to it’s territory for release. Another success story for the annals of Liberty Wildlife!
(Look for 1 photo)
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As temperatures climb, the Education season draws to a close for the year. We will still do some programs on site as the birds won’t have to travel, but we don’t make them ride in travel carriers in the heat of the summer. Here’s a couple of parting shots from this Education Year…
(Look for 2 photo)
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And this just in from our own Laura Hackett…
“This weekend Channel 5’s Preston Phillips brought his son “Arizona Cobra” to Liberty Wildlife to film a series they are airing starting in June. Young Arizona Cobra followed the journey that a baby sparrow took once their family brought her to Liberty Wildlife – from our orphan care room (pictured here with volunteer Leslie Watkins) to our pre-release flight cages and even to meet Sonora, our non-releasable bald eagle. Keep an eye out for this upcoming star and conservationist!”
(Look for 1 photo)
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Posted by Terry Stevens
Operations Director