Seventh week at drumlin

7/11 7/12

       This week was another camper week. I spent Thursday morning getting the wildlife care building ready for them to come in and help clean.
       After everything was set up I go to go with my supervisor to the Odd Pet Vet in North Grafton MA. It was an amazing wildlife rehabilitation and veterinary clinic that accepts essentially every animal except for cats and dogs as patients. When I went I got to see a lot of different wildlife including raccons, birds of prey, and a blue jay with an underdeveloped wing that Drumlin may accept as a new education animal.
       We brought opossum and Louie the Peking duck -
     

Louie for the grapefruit sized lump that develops

 on his chest and rump after he eats

And opossum for her puncture wound that had developed

 an abscess on the back of her neck

         I'm glad I got the opportunity to go to the Odd Pet Vet because they performed an on-the-spot surgery for the opossum which I got to play a (minor) role in. I learned the procedure to put the animal to sleep, and the steps of flushing an abscess including cleaning, cutting, and clearing out the puss and blood. I also learned how to give fluids subcutaneously (under the skin). Opossum made it out fine. Louie had no official diagnosis, but the vet believes that his swollen mass had to do with him eating too quickly. Staff will try to feed him more slowly from now on. The opossum will be given medicine (SMZ - antibiotic, and Maloxicam - anti-inflammatory) through injections into her food.

sixth week at Drumlin

7/4, 7/5

My sixth week at Drumlin was a very hot camp week. The came kids came in and did most of our morning chores while we supervised and educated, which was really nice. When they were finished with cleaning the ducks and mammals I got to go outside and help clean the ARK raptor cages. It was a lot of fun seeing all the different raptors we have close up, like the American kestrel and the eastern screech owl.

We also had to spend a lot of time this week hosing the animals down. Its really important to keep them cool on such hot days

I had a talk with Flavio, my internship supervisor as well. He helped me decide that I will do a write up on how to incorporate a better feeding regiment for the white-tailed deer that is as nutritious as possible. I'll have to do a research paper for it but at least that will help me get back in the swing of writing again for school!

On Friday I got to do more bird handling with the eastern screech owl. It was a lot of fun. Hopefully I'll be doing a visitor education with the screech soon.


 As a side note, on the fourth my friend Laura and I got to leave early to enjoy the holiday. I went out to Hampton beach with my roommate and family to have fun and watch fireworks. It was a really nice day once the sun went down and the heat went away.

fifth week

6/28 6/29


This week was one of the first times I worked with the Drumlin Farm camp kids. They are in assigned groups and come by to help clean cages and learn about the animals we have. I helped with the duck group that was sent out to put the ducks in their outdoor pens and clean the indoor pens. After ducks we went on to supervise mammal cage cleaning. This week was the first time I was able to go out into the three ARK cages to help the staff clean them. It was a lot like cleaning the cages on bird hill but more intense because the enclosures aren't as large.

After the campers left we had some extra time for bird handling. I was able to handle the American kestrel we have in one of the ARK cages. The kestrel was very loud but I had an enjoyable time.I'm getting better at bird handling and soon hope to do a visitor education with one.

On a side note, I caught Paddy the Peking duck attempting to rip female mallard's head-feathers out, so they got separated again. Paddy also has to continue wearing his ridiculous booties for the bumblefoot. I can't imagine he's too happy right now. But his bumblefoot is improving and soon will no longer need them!