It's raining nestlings

STORY BY MERRILEE PRIOR, PHOTOS BY MICHELLE PENNELL

The busy baby season has begun at PROWLS and we have a variety of species, all needy, all different and all heart-warming.

1. A flock of baby robins, very young

Frequent feeding required every 10 minutes, we are able to watch them actually increase in size, snuggling on their heating pad or in their nest, blinking away a feather in an eye. They want to sleep, but also make sure that they do not miss a meal!

2. A barred owlet

3. Five tiny fawns

They have come from all parts of town and have stolen everyone’s hearts, with their large eyes and trusting natures. They quickly learned what the baby bottle held and would push to get their milk. They are now in the care of Critter Care, in Langley, where they will grow and learn to forage and browse before their release. They will not return to Powell River, as transporting them when they are older is not possible.

When people call us with fawns we are quick to advise them to leave them alone when possible. The does leave their fragile infants in safe locations for hours at a time, returning only to feed them. Imagine the distressed mother who returns to find her baby gone! It is also important not to feed the fawns if they have been picked up: cows milk can be deadly for a fawn!

4. Three squirrels from Ruby Lake

Their mother was killed by a cat, so they were placed on the ferry and brought to PROWLS. Initially hiding deep inside their crocheted nest, they periodically poked their little noses out. Now they are busy scrambling about, each wanting the other’s peanut!

5. A crow chick

6. A leveret (baby hare)

7. Wood ducklings

We also cared for: Two Steller’s jays: In the Trailer Park in Cranberry, one Steller’s Jay fell out? pushed out? jumped out? followed by another, two days later. They both were treated successfully for millions of mites. Even though loving their heating pad, they were still keen on escape, busy looking all around, sooty black in color at this point with their unmistakable crest.

Now one year old, the flying squirrel who was sent for over-winter care to MARS in Merville last October, has returned and will require a healthy standing forest in which to survive, let alone thrive. It came as a nestling and will be enjoying its first freedom.

The calls now are frequent, and the animals diverse: ravens, a seal pup, chickadees and many more. Our nursery is filling up!