Tuesday, June 26, 2001

Fliers find helpful hands

A sighting of blue jays is considered unusual here. On our checklist they are "Wr" - winter, rare, very hard to find. Some winters we have what is called an irruption of them, meaning a band of them come together, usually when the food supply is inadequate. They turn up at Aransas Wildlife Refuge, or in Flour Bluff. Local birders all hurry out to look at them, to put them on the year's list of birds seen here.
   Blue jays are crested birds with pale blue backs and strong black and white marks on face, wings and tail. When one was brought recently, in very poor condition, to bird rehabilitator Rachel Wilkin, it created a stir. How did it happen to be here, especially at this time of year?
   Wilkin worked her magic, administering heavy doses of TLC besides physical therapy, and has now sent the bird to San Antonio to be released in a park where it will find others of its kind. I had intended to go to see the bird but was not surprised when I called Wilkin early this week to learn that it had been cured and released.
   Frantic season
   This is the most frantic season for bird rehabilitators. Besides migration, there is nesting. Migrants, parents and baby birds are under terrible pressure and are susceptible to accidents.
   It was not surprising to learn that Wilkin has a house full of injured and recovering birds. One of her most interesting patients has been a baby roadrunner, brought in by a motorist who almost hit it when it showed up in his headlights in the middle of a country road, outside of McAllen. Wilkin says she has learned much from this bird.
   It still did not have its eyes open when it was brought in. She said she has learned that roadrunners have to have dust baths. This one tried to dust bathe on concrete till she caught on. Snakes are part of their preferred diet and Wilkin believes they stand in water, hoping a snake will come along.
   Among other birds for which she is now caring is a titmouse, also crested, and also unusual for here.
   Variety of colors, sizes
   Whole condos of purple martins have come in, Wilkin says. The 25 babies in one group were probably lucky their house blew down because they were covered with life-threatening bird lice. Wilkin recommends that martin house owners use a mite disk to control this condition. This device was intended for use with captive birds and may be purchased at Pampered Pets. It comes in two sizes, small for canary-sized birds, and large for cockatiel-sized.
   Other birds at Wilkin's hospital are sparrows, doves, European starlings, mallards and black-bellied whistling ducks.
   The day of the big wind storm last week brought 73 birds in one day. Among these were five golden-fronted woodpecker babies.
   Remember, any baby is better off and has a better chance of survival with its parents. If you find a chick that has fallen from a nest, replace it if possible. If not, put it on a high branch and leave it unless you are sure it is not being cared for.
  
  

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Phyllis Yochem, a Corpus Christi resident, has studied birds in Texas since 1960.

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