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Our Newsletters and Wildlife Stories
Take a look at our recent newsletters. They include reports on the wildlife we've treated, general information about the Shelter, stories of animals we've treated, and information about living in harmony with wildlife. Go to our newsletter page to see our recent newsletters.

More wildlife stories are below: The Wide World of Turtles, An Osprey Goes Home, and A Fledling Owl Returns Home. (Archived story: Eaglet Rescue, 2004)


The Wide World of Turtles
(written Fall 2005)

We don't receive a huge number of turtles for care here at WSWS, but they certainly do come each year. For the most part, we receive escaped or discarded non-native species that never survive well in our climate. By far the most common species received for care is the red (or yellow) earred slider. These are pond turtles that belong in the Midwest, south, and eastern parts of our nation. They almost always have 'shell rot' and commonly suffer from shell fractures and predatory wounds. Automobiles and domestic dogs are their most frequent predators.

Less common but not rare are the common snapping turtles. These guys are often very large and are in generally good health when found. Unfortunately, they challenge our native turtles and amphibians for habitat and resources. We have received snappers that range from eight to fifteen pounds! Very rarely, we receive species of land turtles such as exotic box turtles and tortoises. We try to get all of these non-natives healthy and transferred to other facilities either locally or in their native regions of the country.

Our local population of turtles has a challenge keeping its populations up and healthy. They are competing, of course, with all of those non-natives for habitat and resources. Washington State has only two native land based turtles. They are both pond turtles which live exclusively in freshwater ponds and streams.

We have been privileged to treat two rare western pond turtles since we opened our doors in 1999. More commonly we receive our lovely western painted turtles -- we've received three this year. We received the first one in May. We were able to affect a good repair of its shell fractures and wounds and release it back to the wild in August. It was very eager to race into its familiar waters and quickly engaged a large (non-native) bull frog in a 'stare-down.' He finally disappeared into the deep cover of the lilies and aquatic grasses of the lake.

This year we have received more turtles than usual and they have also suffered more serious injuries. RE05-006 was found in a parking lot in Gig Harbor, most likely hit by a car. While its shell fractures were significant, they responded to treatment well. It had shell rot infection, which has finally begun to clear up. We are very pleased with this turtle's recovery progress.

RE05-007 is quite another matter. This one was very seriously mauled by a bulldog! Apparently this dog had a lot of time to chew on the poor turtle before it was rescued. The dog owner was great and got it to us as soon as they could. The Doctors at All Creatures Animal Hospital provided its immediate care and a complicated surgery to put this humpty dumpty back together again! This one's recovery is much slower and its prognosis is unsure. We keep on working and hoping. It has another surgery or two ahead of it to achieve a full recovery. RE05-007 will be with us for some time to come.

But RE05-007 is not a quitter! He has gained weight nearly every day since his arrival and is very active and aggressive. These two turtles are living together. RE05-006 quickly discovered its submissive place in their pecking order! We shall continue to hope for the best.

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This bird came to WSWS from the Vashon Island Golf Course on July 9th this summer. He had been caught in the netting designed to protect the public from golf balls that could land on cars and houses. The good folks at Wolfetown were able to receive, triage and transport this bird to All Creatures Animal Hospital for its emergency needs. They determined that no bones were broken and that there were no significant internal injuries. We took him in later that day.

The first week of recovery was very painful due to many pulled muscles and stretched ligaments. "Number 34" then had a rather smooth recovery. Since hisinjuries were mainly soft tissue in nature, rest and recovery was all that he needed. Our main problem was getting food into this bird. Generally, Osprey do not eat in captivity. We had to either tube feed or force feed this bird until the day he was finally ready to go free.

That day was grand! It took a lot of planning and coordination, but we were blessed with perfect weather. The trip from Bainbridge Island to Vashon Island was very pleasant. We found our way to the Golf Course, and as we walked up to the first tee we looked about to see why the osprey was spending so much time there. It soon became obvious -- his nest was atop a cell tower just to our left! We had hopes of potentially sighting his mate, but had no luck. So we set about performing our mission.

We positioned the crate to open facing the manicured greens that would give him a clear flight path. We reached into the crate with a towel, gently lifted the frightened patient out, then turned and opened our arms. The osprey put on quite a show. It flew and flew and flew in grandiose circles, swooping up into the sky. While I am sure that he did not provide this "air show" as a means to thank us, we were all tremendously gratified just the same.

This bird was challenging to care for, but the difficulties all paid off. It was extremely rewarding see him exhibit such robust health and agility.

A Fledgling Owl Returns Home
(written Summer 2005)

I elevated the rake up as high as I could, holding only the tip of its handle. I stretched it so far out that I nearly tumbled over the edge and down into the ravine which was covered densely with brambles.

We were on the side of Thorndyke Road near Port Ludlow. The mosquitoes were out in force and the sun was fast descending behind the Olympic Mountains. In the distance we could hear the echo of the loud calls of peacocks and a light mist was climbing up out of the ravine from the streambed far below.

We clearly needed to get this task done and quickly. I was thankful that our volunteer, Karen, was with me and that her reflexes were good. She grabbed me for stability as I reached out once more to position the baby owl, bravely perched at the opposite end of the rake, onto the branch of a tree deemed suitable for his return home.

We held our breath as the fledgling Barred Owl wobbled and wavered desperately trying to achieve balance. He finally decided to hop over to a branch in the tree next to the one we had chosen (of course!), but there he gained the stable perch and footing we all were hoping to see.

He seemed to look down at us with an indignant attitude. We backed away and joined the folks who had rescued him from the road in the middle of the night on May 19th. They were as thrilled as we were to see this little bird return to his territory in such a short period of time. Only three days had passed.

On the night that the Holtgraves brought this fuzzy owlet to us, it was very dazed, confused, and unable to focus its eyes. He did have a number of minor bruises and abrasions but no truly serious injuries. We were able to treathimt for a mild concussion and saw a fast response the next day. By the third day this little guy was eating like crazy and suffering more from cabin fever than anything else.

We had an opportunity to get this baby back into the care of its parents, if we acted quickly. So we packed him up and took him to Port Ludlow just before sunset. With only two nights having past since his parents had last seen him we had high expectations of his successful return to the family.

The light was beginning to disappear altogether and the mosquitoes were very hungry so we decided to say goodbye and step out of his life. We hope to never see him in trouble again.

Amazingly, we repeated this entire process only three and a half weeks later with another Barred Owl found just three miles farther west of this location. That Barred Owl had a very similar story and recovery. We now wonder if they will grow up, meet one another and start their own family. Hmmm . . . who knows?

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Archived Stories

My Life as an Eagle--an insider's account of saving the eaglets
by Susan LeVan, Shelter volunteer
(written in 2004)

Today, thanks to lots of generous help from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Bainbridge Island residents Dan and Kathy Huxley, and Island Wildlife Shelter (IWS) director, Sandy Fletcher, and volunteers, we can report on two healthy young eagles. Eagle #12 is in the wild, perhaps still at home on Bainbridge Island. Eagle #9 thrives at IWS. This is the story of eaglet #12.

On May 30, Dan and Kathy Huxley alerted Sandy Fletcher that an eagle had been displaced from the nest tree in their yard. Halfway down the drive, Sandy spotted an eaglet on the ground. This bird became #9, and returned with Fletcher to IWS for emergency treatment and monitoring. No one knew there was a second eaglet until Sandy returned the next week to check on the viablity of the nest for a recuperated #9. Scanning the large fir that had been a nest tree for many generations of eagles, Sandy was amazed to see a wobbly eaglet and an adult eagle perched side by side on a lower branch.

Shelley Ament of the WDFW arrived the next day hoping to find an intact nest. What they found at the foot of the tree was scattered nest material and an eaglet. This bird became #12 and was returned to IWS for emergency treatment. Fast forward a week later to our eaglets, re-hydrated and nourished, and eager to return home. Thanks to the work of arborist Tim K. Brown the two birds are hoisted to their newly rebuilt nest, complete with a video camera. 48 hours later, more drama unfolds when #9, having disappeared from the monitor, is found once again on the ground. He is returned to IWS for evaluation and emergency care.

Back at the nest, filled with food at the time of Tim's renovations, there is evidence of adult eagles nearby, but no video footage of parental feeding. Because Fletcher and other experts felt that #12 appeared quite healthy, she argued to give the parents more time to resume care and feeding. Prior to this, eaglets were raised in a foster nest or in captivity by humans, not in their own nest with supplemental food deliveries. Tim Brown once again scaled the towering nest tree to deliver a fresh supply of salmon to #12. Now, as I describe below, the watching and waiting began in earnest.

Two days into my screening of daily video footage, I saw an adult eagle (mother/father?) land on a branch overhanging the nest. Was an actual feeding next? The ticking clock began. We had 5 to 7 days to let this eaglet go without food. On day 6, the Huxleys called to tell us they smelled fish. I reviewed the most recent tape with Sandy to determine if the chunk of something I'd seen was indeed new food. On the screen, an adult eagle flew to the overhanging branch and released a fish.

Unfortunately, the food dropped behind the nest, but we were ecstatic! This told us the parents were perhaps wary of this newly configured nest, but beginning to do their duty, feeding and engaging #12. Over the next few days, it rained fish!

Day by day, #12 devoured heaps of fish, and thrived. The parent(s) soon routinely entered the nest and fed #12. The first visitation and feeding was a milestone. Now, the parents were not just delivering food, they were bonding with their offspring. It was common to see the eaglet in her anticipatory posture, hunched over and screaming, awaiting a food delivery and visit.

We looked forward to #12's next big event, fledging. To develop her flight muscles, 'fly hopping' or 'branching' came first. Then in the middle of July, the Huxleys' son spotted two adults and an immature eagle flying overhead. Dan Huxley saw #12 herself, flying as if she were born to the air, effortlessly returning to the nest. Often, newly fledged eaglets are clumsy and need time and practice to master air travel. Many do not survive their first flight. But, not #12! The fledgling soon spent hours away from the nest, returning home only to eat and sleep. We had done our job. Her parents had raised #12 to be a strong and healthy bird, alive and well in the world.

Because my flexible schedule allowed me to rise before dawn to retrieve and review the video tapes daily, I had the virtual experience of nesting and experiencing life with #12. With her, I tracked big sky birds--both adult eagles and 747s. I made a mess of my nest as I expanded and outgrew it, eating pounds and pounds of fish. I practiced flying, then experienced lift-off, weightlessness, joining the big birds. I saw fireworks from the nest on the 4th of July, cruise ships and freighters, fishing boats, sunrises and sunsets. Eighty-seven hours of work later, I offer thanks to the birds, to the people at IWS, and to all involved from WDFW. I'd happily do it again tomorrow!

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These and other wildlife rehabilitation stories are part of the Shelter's periodic newsletter. If you would like to receive the newsletter, please consider becoming an WSWS member.