Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research

MONTHLY FLYER
A Volunteer Newsletter

December 2017

Celebrating 41 years of excellence in

wildlife rehabilitation and research

Photo: snyders/moonbeampublishing Editor: Loretta Carlson

A FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY FREE SUCCESS

Friends of Tri-State gathered at Deerfield in Newark, Delaware, on November 10 to enjoy a casual and fun
evening in support of our wild patients. After sampling a delicious buffet dinner, guests had plenty to see and
do, with unique “hawk”tion items to bid on and amazing prizes to be won at the Cork Pull and 250 Raffle. The
University of Delaware Swing Club helped our guests learn how to kick up their heels to the sounds of Amber
Rae and the Swinging Foxes.
At this year’s event, we were happy to honor several partners who help sustain Tri-State operations. The
Corporate Wildlife Stewardship Award was presented to Colin Frazier from the American Petroleum Institute.
Kathy and Charles Shattuck of Wild Birds Unlimited in Hockessin were honored with the Outstanding Wildlife
Leadership (OWL) award. Longtime supporters Joyce and Ray Goldbacher received this year’s Lynne Frink
Award.
We thank all our generous partners, enthusiastic guests, numerous supporters, and dedicated volunteers who
helped make this year’s event a success. Because of you, Tri-State will continue to save birds’ lives every day
of the year. Save the date now for next year’s benefit, which will take place on Friday, November 9, at the
Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.

Photography courtesy of
Donna Harding and D.C. Cebula of Perfect Moments Photography
Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research 2

SHARE YOUR GOOD FORTUNE WITH THE LESS FORTUNATE

For the eighth year in a row, Tri-State is sponsoring a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Delaware. From
December 1 through January 1, we will collect food for distribution in our community through hunger relief
agencies such as food pantries, soup kitchens, daycare centers, senior centers, homeless shelters, nursing
homes, and faith-based organizations. Items in demand include canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned
meats and tuna, soups, stew and chili, peanut butter, cereal, pasta, and rice. Holiday items that would be
greatly appreciated include canned sweet potatoes, canned gravy, canned cranberry sauce, and stuffing mix.
The Food Bank also accepts donations of pet food. Collection bins are in the Tri-State lobby. Please open your
hearts and share your bounty with our neighbors in need by cleaning out your pantries at home or by
shopping for items urgently needed during this holiday season. For more information on the Food Bank of
Delaware, go to www.fbd.org.

HOLIDAYS HOURS
Thanksgiving has come and gone, but the holiday season is far from ended. Below are clinic hours for
Christmas and New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Day, we are open from 9 to 5 as usual.
Christmas Eve: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Christmas Day: Open to the public from 8 to 10 a.m. Morning shift: 8 to 10 a.m. Afternoon shift: 3 to 5 p.m.
New Year’s Eve: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

CONSIDER HOLIDAY GIFTS FROM TRI-STATE

While we’re on the subject of the holidays, why not consider
purchasing a unique gift for your family and friends that will
help Tri-State Bird Rescue at the same time? Tri-State’s Wing
& a Prayer appeal is in full swing and features hand-painted
bird ornaments showcasing three familiar species, Adopt-A-
Bird plush birds, and the 2018 Tri-State calendar of stunning
baby bird photos. Mail back the response form you received
with your Wing & a Prayer materials or purchase the gifts
online at the Tri-State website. Ornaments and calendars are
also available in the lobby at Tri-State.

CONGRATULATIONS TO AIMEE FEDERER

Clinic Director Andrea Howey-Newcomb says, “I am beyond pleased to announce that Aimee Federer has been
promoted to Rehabilitation Manager. In the nearly thirteen years she has been a staff member, Aimee has
taken on a leadership role in the clinic. Her oversight of the caseload has been a critical element of our
success. She has thrown all her energy, dedication, and passion into this organization, and I hope the rest of
you will join me in congratulating Aimee on this very deserving advancement.”
Aimee came through our doors in the year 2000. She was a meek and quiet soul who could barely make eye
contact let alone talk to another volunteer or staff member. After five years of volunteering and being an
intern, she joined the staff as a full-time employee in 2005. Now Aimee has blossomed into a young woman
who is not only knowledgeable and dedicated but also one who openly shares her passion with others. She
has become a leader, a guide, and a teacher in the field.
Aimee will still be running a shift on both Sunday and Monday, but the rest of the week you will see her
working with staff and mentoring volunteers to manage the clinic caseload and everything behind the scenes
that goes with it.
Monthly Flyer, December 2017 3

RECENT RELEASES
Our Year of the Eagle continues. Fortunately, Patient 17-3110 will be counted under the success stories for
2017. Coming to us on October 25 from Calvert County, Maryland, the adult eagle sustained puncture wounds
over its right thigh and leg, and radiographs revealed pellets lodged at the elbow. We cleaned and sutured the
wounds and treated the bird for lice and parasites. Although the eagle was not able to fully extend its right
wing in flight, it was perching on the low perches provided in its outdoor enclosure. Its flight skills steadily
improved after we added more perches at varying levels and a sawhorse to encourage the bird to exercise.
Over the next two weeks, the eagle’s wounds healed and its stamina and strength improved. After acing its
flight test, the eagle was ready to go. We banded it and released this Bald Eagle on-site at Tri-State on
November 14.

Rehabilitation Manager Aimee Federer releases the Bald Eagle. Staff Photo

The town dump is no place for a duck, but that’s exactly where a Good Samaritan spotted a Long-tailed Duck
on November 4. The adult male was alert on admission, and the lacerations on its feet did not prevent it from
swimming in the hydrotherapy room. Later that day, Dr. Cristin Kelley cleaned and sutured the foot injuries
while the duck was under anesthesia. By the next day, the duck was eating well, diving, and swimming under
water. Over the next two days, the bird continued to improve and gain weight. With excellent waterproofing
and feather condition, the Long-tailed Duck was ready for release into a suitable habitat in Newark on
November 8. Learn more about the Long-tailed Duck in this month’s Featured Bird article.
A jewel of a bird, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet came into our clinic on November 5 after apparently hitting a
window in Malvern, Pennsylvania. To relieve its stress and labored breathing, we placed the bird in the oxygen
chamber until it was active and perching. Although our examination revealed slight bruising on the kinglet’s
right shoulder, we palpated no fractures and its wing carriage was good. With pain medication and cage rest
overnight, this Ruby-crowned Kinglet was ready for release by the next day.
Injuries due to mislandings occur all too
frequently to loons and other seabirds that
mistake shiny road surfaces for water. A Red-
throated Loon came to us on November 8 with a
fractured sternum sustained when she mislanded
on a road in Dewey Beach, Delaware. We
prescribed pain medications and cage rest and
thoroughly washed silversides and mullet for her
meals to ensure her feathers did not become
contaminated. By November 14, she was eating
Staff Photo and diving well, and her waterproofing was
excellent. After another week’s rest, the
Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research 4

Red-throated Loon’s injuries were well healed, and she was ready for release. Volunteer Ray Bryant released
her into the Atlantic Ocean on November 21.

OTHER RELEASES IN NOVEMBER

In November, we also released Broad-winged Hawks, a Cooper’s Hawk, Eastern Screech Owls, a Ruddy Duck,
a Hermit Thrush, a Northern Flicker, a Carolina Wren, and an American Robin.

FEATURED BIRD: LONG-TAILED DUCK

A medium-sized duck at 15 to 23 inches long, the Long-tailed Duck spends more time under water than any
other diving duck, and it dives as deep as 200 feet to forage for its preferred diet of aquatic invertebrates. This
species will also eat bivalves, fish, and plants.
The Long-tailed Duck undergoes a complex series of overlapping partial molts and has three distinct plumages
each year. Among males, the long central tail feathers make this bird unmistakable, and both males and
females have black wings in all plumage stages. During breeding season, males have a black head, chest, and
wings and a gray face patch; during the winter, males are mostly white and have a large black spot from the
cheek down the neck. During the summer, females are mostly brown or gray with white around the eyes that
extends in a thin line toward the ear; during the winter, females have a white head and neck with dark brown
cheek patches.

Male Long-tailed Duck in breeding plumage Photo by snyders/moonbeampublishing

Monthly Flyer, December 2017 5

Although this species winters on the ocean, it breeds in arctic freshwater ponds, streams, and wetlands. The
Long-tailed Duck forms monogamous pairs and lays five to ten eggs each year. The female incubates the eggs
for 24 to 29 days. The downy young leave the nest soon after hatching and are able to feed themselves
immediately.
A notoriously vocal bird, the Long-tailed Duck’s loud call can be heard as far as a mile away. Although this
species is abundant, its habit of diving deeply can put individuals in considerable danger. Large numbers of
these ducks have drowned when they became entangled in fishing nets. Learn more about the Long-tailed
Duck at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds Web site, www.allaboutbirds.org. See also Birds of
North America, published by the Smithsonian Institution, or your own favorite birding book.

WINTER WEATHER JUST AROUND THE CORNER

The recent plunge to near-freezing temperatures reminded us that winter weather will soon be here to stay.
When the snow and ice fly, our scheduled volunteers are sometimes unable to come in for shifts. But our
patients still need care. So if you own a 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle and are willing to come in on short
notice in bad weather, please contact Julie at (302) 737-9543, extension 102, or jbartley@tristatebird.org.
Thank you!

SUPPORT OUR CRAFTY VOLUNTEERS

Stop by the Appoquinimink Craft Fair on Saturday, December 9, and say hello to the Tri-State volunteers who
will be selling their beautiful handmade items. The fair runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1080 Bunker Hill Road in
Middletown, Delaware.
Our volunteers have worked hard all year long, creating jewelry, hats, and other one-of-a-kind treasures to
help raise funds for our patients. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to help the birds while also
finding special gifts for the special people in your life?

UPCOMING EVENTS
Information Sessions. Do you have friends or family members who think they may be interested in
volunteering for Tri-State, but who are concerned that this may not be the right choice for them? We have the
perfect solution: a one-hour Information Session that gives prospective volunteers a good overview of our
operations and expectations. All those interested in volunteering at Tri-State must attend one Information
Session before they can register for a bird-care workshop.
Winter Information Sessions: February 24 and March 10 and 24. All sessions will take place on Saturdays
at 11 a.m.
Spring Information Sessions: April 7, 14, 21, and 28, and May 12, 19, and 26. All sessions will take place
on Saturdays at 11 a.m.
Open House. Sunday, May 6, 2018. It’s never too early to start thinking about Tri-State’s annual Open
House. Stop by to see Rebecca Stansell in the Development office or contact her at rstansell@tristatebird.org
or (302) 737-9543, extension 110 to learn how you can help with this important community event.