We Otter Detour Here........

Yes, I know...that was bad...really bad. I can hear you groaning all the way from there. But we needed to take a quick jump back to the near past, as I thought we might wrap up our otter adventures for this year.

They came in so long ago, some of them all the way back in April!!!

They were so teeny tiny when they came in. The first group was so small that their eyes were still shut!

They quickly grew, however, and went from being bottle-fed and then going comatose....

...to the weaning stage...

...where you desperately try to teach them that what's in the bowl is to be eaten, not played in!! Needless to say, there were quite a few baths given at this stage.

They also started getting to go out for swims in a tub.

This was the highlight of their day!! They had started to eat solid food by this point and they definitely weren't looking or acting like babies anymore.

It wasn't long after that, after the Wet Pen was vacated of its current resident, that they were moved outside.

They got used to more space and had a deeper pool to swim in. Oh yeah, and the slide. Can't forget about the slide!

Part of getting them ready to go back into the wild is helping them with food choices. So, we decided to introduce them to a food source that we thought, when they saw it, they should be able to identify as food. So out came the crabs!

We weren't so cruel as to give them live Dungeness crabs, as we didn't want to set them up for failure right from the start. And it's a good thing, too, as they were totally baffled by this alien being!

A few got brave and gave it the once over.....

...while one just viewed things from afar...

...until it was deemed safe enough to come in for a closer look.

We ended up having to break a leg off so they could figure out that yes, there was something edible under that tough exterior.

Once we did that, the crab was up for grabs, with it being drug into the pool...

...then back out again...

...and then back in again...

...you get the idea!

Then, a few weeks ago, it was finally time to let them go and have at it on their own. A really nice volunteer, Chad Foley , took us by boat to a secluded area, away from any houses, where there was suitable places for them to hole up and find food. Thanks for the help Chad!!

One never knows if they stay there, but at least we know they were dropped off in a good location. They were released from their carriers...

...and the exploring began!

And then comes the first dip into salt water!

And then they are swimming!

It's always at this stage, and I wonder the same thing with the seals, if the salt water initially bothers their eyes, as they have been in fresh water up until then.

This guy swam back to shore and looked at us, just like little kids are wont to do, with that "Did ya see me?! Did ya see me swimmin'?!!!" air about him.

The time had come to say goodbye. I picked up some garbage off of that little beach and then hopped back into the boat with the others and we left them to continue exploring their wonderful new surroundings.

They otter be just fine! Sorry...I just couldn't resist!!! Til next time...

A Stroll Down Memory Lane 2004-2006

I realized a bit ago that I passed my five year mark as a volunteer at Wolf Hollow! To celebrate, I thought I would do a photo posting of these past 5 wonderful years, breaking it down between two postings, as it would be just too unwieldy otherwise. Some of these you haven't seen, as I didn't start this blog until about 2 years in, and some you may have, depending on how long you have been following along with me on this always enlightening, mostly joyful, and yet sometimes sorrowful, journey. I have also met some amazing people along the way! Having said that, I want to thank ALL of the staff and volunteers of Wolf Hollow for making these past 5 years an absolute joy for me. You know who you are!!

2004

My first seal release and, frankly, the ONLY halfway decent pic I have for this year! I wasn't as rabid a photographer back then as I am now!

2005











Cobbles - At 12 lbs, is one of the smallest preemie seals we have ever had in. And no, he is not being patted. The hand is there for size comparison ONLY!







2006



Miss You, Serena!!

Til next time...

I'm Still Here! I'm Still Here! Part 2

I'm not gonna bore you with excuses. Let's just get started...shall we?

When we last left off, I spoke about some "firsts" for Wolf Hollow. Well the first "first" I will tell you about is this wee one!

It's a baby mink! We know this because someone actually saw the mother crossing the road with it in her mouth when it was hit by a car. The mother died and this guy was sent to us. He came in pretty badly bruised and with two incisions in his neck where mom must have bitten him when she was hit. I know we have had an adult mink come in, but never a baby.

He was eating pretty well and, what with minks being the hearty animals that they are, we were hoping that he would make it. Unfortunately, it didn't.

The other "first" is this!!!!

Care to take a guess at what this is? Anyone?! It's a squirrel of the flying variety!! We got in 3 of them from off-island after the tree they were in was cut down. Again, as with any being this tiny, we always hold our breath, hoping they will do well but expecting the worse. And, since we have never had flying squirrel babies in, it made it extra touch-and-go there for awhile. But thrive they have!

Their eyes opened up and they started eating better. Their cuteness level, as they got older, went off the charts!

They are now at the stage where they are eating solid foods...

...and are very close to adult weight, which means we will be saying goodbye to them soon. What a trip, and a treat, it has been having them and watching them grow!

This has also been the summer of the Kingfishers.

I believe we have gotten more in this past summer than we have in all the years I have been volunteering combined. Isn't it just a gorgeous bird?!

This has definitely been a very odd eagle year for us. It's almost like word got out in the eagle community about the new Eagle Flight Cage being finished and therefore it was okay for them to start getting sick/hurt, as we could now properly accommodate them. We have just been slammed with eagles, including this beauty.

This juvi eagle was found on the ground and it was so weak that it couldn't stand up and was pretty skinny. After force feeding it for a week or so, it started eating on its own. Things just got better and better, soon it was moved outside....

...and it now resides in the Eagle Flight Cage! It should be released soon.

Alright, let's chitty-chat-chat about the seals. Seal season has been a relatively quiet one this year.

We've had some skinny ones come in this year. Almost all have needed some kind of fluid given when they first came in.

And all have needed to be tube-fed formula.

And then of course is the sucking. The sucking on anything and everything for comfort, the tub being the first thing that's tried out...

...and if nothing else, one can always make do with a flipper in a pinch.

And then there is bath time.....

...which, over time, becomes pool time!

It's at this stage that we start trying to convince them that fish are yummy and good for them!

All of this leads to fat and healthy seals...

...some of which are fat enough to release this upcoming Saturday!!! WOOHOO! For me, that's when it officially feels like "baby season" is coming to a close...when we start kicking their furry butts back out into the open ocean.

I told you about the Wood ducklings we had in and I tagged along with Jenn and Kailee for their release.

About half of the ducks looked like they might be trying to start having bumble foot, which can be caused by many things but the main reason is a bird standing on a surface for too long that it shouldn't. So, before they got released, this group got inspected...

...and had a bit o' the balm put on their feet before being released.

But really, just them being in deep water and off their feet like they are supposed to be most of the time, is the fastest cure.

I always find it funny how different each bird's reaction is to being released. Some take off like a shot while some are content to just paddle, albeit quickly, away.

And then there are the ones who obviously feel like they have been defiled and will bathe themselves for a minute or two before flying off.

It was, of course, right after we released the last of them that I heard Jenn gasp. "What?! What's wrong?!!" I asked. "Look across the pond!" she said. So I did.

What? Is? That? OH MY GOD, BETTY!

We COULD NOT believe it!! But more importantly, as Jenn quickly pointed out, was did it have one of our newly released ducks in its talons and therefore was it about to eat THE MOST expensive meal of its life?

Saying nice things to my new camera with its 80x combined zoom, I aimed, maxed out the zoom, and...

...NOTHING! Whew! We all expelled a breath we didn't even realize we had been holding! I mean, we all know that once they are released back into the wild they are fair game...literally...but still...yeesh!

Well, that's all for now. In my next post I will tell you all how we are trying to teach the otters not to be so "crabby." Til next time...