State College Bird Club

November 18, 2015


State College Bird Club Meeting, 11/18/2015
Meeting location: Foxdale Village. Approximately 29 attendees. Diane Bierly presided. Debra Grim recorded.

Business

•    Minutes of October 28 meeting were read.
•    Treasurer report: Current balance $2,174.59.
•    The reading of the checklist reported 93 species, including Cackling Goose, American Bittern, Northern Shrike, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren, and Rusty Blackbird.
•    Reminder to pay dues.
•    Wiscoy is a supporting member.
•    No field trip information. Christmas bird count season will be December 14 to January 5.
•    Next meeting December 9, Jim Dunn on “Birding in New Zealand.”
•    Dorothy Bordner displayed a totally black “woolly bear” caterpillar, which is supposed to be a sign of the type of winter we will have. It was identified as the larva of Giant Leopard Moth, which is always entirely black, unlike the famous black and orange woolly bear.

Presentation:

Robyn Graboski of Centre Wildlife Care, “Wildlife Rehabilitation.”
Robyn has been a rehabilitator since 1988. Centre Wildlife Care is a 501c3 charity that is licensed by the Game Commission, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Fish and Boat Commission to care for wild animals.

At one time, there were 65 such rehabilitation organizations in Pennsylvania, but half have disappeared. Center Wildlife Care is the only one remaining in Centre County. There is no state or federal funding, and often no salaries. To operate requires facilities, permits, veterinary support, and a lot of paperwork. Without the permits, it is illegal to keep any wild animals, even house sparrows and starlings.

Spring is very busy at Centre Wildlife as many babies, especially bunnies, are displaced by human activity and brought in for care. Robyn sees her work as a means of remediation for human impact on these animals.

In late spring, reports of diseased animals increase. Distemper and rabies can only be distinguished by necropsy and can be carried by skunks, foxes and raccoons. Bats, groundhogs and coyotes can also carry rabies. Corvids and raptors are susceptible to West Nile Virus. Contain the sick animal and call for assistance.
Bird strikes on windows can be prevented by mounting translucent stickers on the windows or by marking a yellow grid on the panes with yellow highlighter.
Lead poisoning is very common--Robyn has treated trumpeter swan, Corey shearwater, sooty tern, white pelican, various hawks, owls, eagles,  red-necked grebe and even an emu for this condition.

Robyn brought and displayed Isis, a peregrine falcon whose injuries prevent her return to the wild.