On our cruise this morning all of a sudden Captain Doug said “Doc do you see that smallish long-legged bird standing on that log over there?” Goodness! It was an immature white ibis. They are common in our coastal areas but don’t often come this far inland.
neighdoctor
AuthorDisgruntled Chipping Sparrow
Jordan Lake. Dawn this morning was nicely cool and crisp… at least to me! However, this immature chipping sparrow was definitely not happy about the drop in temperature. Most birds have a body temperature of 105 to 109°F. So this morning when the air temperature was 67°F this little bird fluffed up to trap its own body heat because it was actually feeling cold.
Doc Ellen’s Snippets August 18, 2023
Jordan Lake. The following critters show up as brief clips from this morning: adult chipping sparrow feeding its fledgling, immature red-headed woodpecker, blue-gray gnatcatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, pennant dragonfly, great egret and an osprey. I hope you enjoy these little pieces of my morning!
Osprey Sunrise
Jordan Lake. It is 23 minutes after sunrise. Mom Osprey has gone fishing and is returning to the nest area to feed her two fledglings. They’ve been out flying and trying to catch fish on their own but she is quite willing to help them along – especially first thing in the morning with a nutritious breakfast.
Soaking Wet
Jordan Lake. The overnight storms soaked everything. This tiny wee blue-gray gnatcatcher was wet down to the skin. It had to take time out before looking for breakfast to get all of its feahters straight and ready for flight.
If You Find an Injured Bald Eagle
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU FIND AN INJURED BALD EAGLE. Please read and keep the information handy.
REMEMBER: bald eagles are very DANGEROUS to handle and human safety comes FIRST in a rescue attempt.BEFORE TRYING TO GET THE INJURED EAGLE IN HAND FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW!!!
1) call the US Fish and Wildlife Services, southeast division (404) 679-7070
2) call the NC Wildlife Resources Commission 1 (800) 662-7137
3) reach out to the people who are Federally licensed to care for bald eagles:
Carolina Raptor Center (704) 875-6521, website https://carolinaraptorcenter.org
Wild at Heart Wildlife Sanctuary (910) 430-0794, website https://wildatheartsanctuary.org
Cape Fear Raptor Center (910) 687-6888 http://www.capefearraptorcenter.org
Joni Shimp, DVM, Rocky Point Animal Hospital, (910) 602-6633 http://www.rockypointvet.com
4) if you have not been able to reach anyone above or need additional info text me, Doc Ellen at (919) 801-2702
My thanks once again to Jim Stafford, Keith Megginson, Barbara Driscoll and the Carolina Raptor Center for trying so hard to help the bald eagle last week!
doc ellen's journey 