Wildlife MattersQuarterly newsletter of the St. Francis Wildlife Association

Route 159 / P.O. Box 38160, Tallahassee, FL 32315 - (850) 627-4151

www.stfranciswildlife.org

St. Francis Wildlife is a local, nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of native wildlifethrough the rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife and public education since 1978.

v.8, No. 1 Winter 2010

Inside this issue

Page 2 = Thanking our wildlife angels Page 3 = Empower young animal loversPage 4 = SFW rescues fox from Bankruptcy

Court; How to help SFWPage 5 = Secretive neighbors: Flying

Squirrels; A lucky snake; Shop at 10,000 Villages and help wildlife

Page 6 = Grebes and Loons; Teresa Colvin,wildlife advocate; Donation Form

Page 7 = SFW’s 2009 Wild Patients Page 8 = Events; Wish List; How to rescue

wildlife

Caring

for w

ildlife

for 3

2 ye

ars!

St. Francis Wildlife releases two juvenile Bald Eagles on the shores ofLake Jackson By Sandy Beck

Two more Bald Eagles are soaring in the skiesabove Tallahassee. On a sunny morning withsparkling blue skies, St. Francis Wildlife releasedthe two juvenile Bald Eagles we rescued last spring.

High winds had blown a female from her nest atPiney-Z. Unable to fly or fend for herself, we foundher from the middle of Doyle Conner Blvd.

A male fell from his nest, in the Lake Breeze sub-division on Lake Jackson and hid in thick vegetationfor more than a week. Bob and Irene Wolfe calledus on July 1st to say that the young eagle was on abench in their lakeside backyard.

When we rescued him, he was dehydrated, ema-ciated and had a shoulder injury. For two weeks,wildlife rehabilitator, Teresa Stevenson nursed himback to life.

Read the story of the eagles’ dramatic rescues inour Summer 2009 newsletter, online at www.stfran-ciswildlife.org.

When they were stabilized, we transported botheagles to the Wildlife Sanctuary of NorthwestFlorida in Pensacola for "flight training" in their 100-foot flight cage.

The eagles spent three months together at thePensacola center where director Dorothy Kaufmannsupervised their rehabilitation, care and condition-ing. A non-releasable adult Bald Eagle served astheir "role model."

When both young eagles could successfully huntand fly, Dorothy returned them to Tallahassee.

The eagles wore leather hoods over their eyes tokeep them calm during the three-hour car trip to

the Wolfes’ backyard in Lake Breeze.They were greeted by at least 30 neighbors, sev-

eral proud St. Francis Wildlife staff members andvolunteers and a WCTV news crew.

Two adult Bald Eagles – likely the Lake Breezejuvenile’s parents – were perched in a tree about1,000 feet down the shoreline. They appeared to bewaiting and watching.

Dorothy Kaufmann released the female, and Ihad the privilege (and lifetime thrill) of releasingthe male. The experience was pure poetry – breath-taking and unforgettable.

Both eagles pumped their powerful wings andflew, without hesitation, straight toward the waitingadult eagles.

There were big smiles, tears of joy and shouts of“Yes!” and “Beautiful!” from the crowd.

Teresa Stevenson said, “It’s so exciting to see

them fly off, with rich, long lifetimes ahead ofthem.”

LEFT: In preparation for release, Sandy Beck (left) holds the male eagle rescued at Lake Breeze and DorothyKaufmann (right) holds the female eagle rescued at Piney-Z. Videographer Joe Bonner records the event forthe WCTV Eyewitness News. CENTER: The Piney-Z female flies to freedom. BELOW: WCTV reporter JulieMontanaro (left) interviews Irene Wolfe (right), in whose backyard the Bald Eagles were set free.Photos/J.W. Callis RIGHT: The male flaps his powerful wings and lifts into the sky. Photo/Pat Simmons

Bald Eagle population soars

In 1963, there were just 417 nestingpairs of Bald Eagles in the U.S. Thanks tohabitat protections and a ban on the insec-ticide DDT, 10,000 pairs of Bald Eagles areflying today.

In Florida, 1,000 to 1,200 mated pairs ofthese magnificent birds nest every year.

There are 18 known Bald Eagle nests inLeon County, one in Gadsden County, sixin Jefferson County and 28 known BaldEagle nests in Wakulla County.

Winter 2010

P.O. Box 38160Tallahassee, FL 32315

850.627.4151www.stfranciswildlife.org

Board of Directors

Laura Phipps,

President

John L. Brennan III, Esq.

Vice President

Elenita Gomez, Esq.

Secretary

JoAnn Fletcher

Treasurer

James R. Kiser, Jr.

Heather Terhune, DVM

Brad Parker

Teresa Colvin

Full and Part-time Staff

Teresa StevensonWildlife Rehabilitator

Donna CrossHospital Supervisor

Dean HumphreyFacilities Manager

Administrative AssistantPaula Boney

Wildlife Care TechniciansKelly Pollock, Michelle Osborne,

Amy Darling

Wildlife RescuersDean Humphrey, Jordan Sirosky

Volunteer Staff

Sandy Beck

Education Director, Newsletter Editor & Web Mistress

Barbara Barnett

Squirrel Foster Care Coordinator& Business Partnership Program

Alice Coryn & Mary WestAmy HausAndrew JonesApple Lane FoundationBarbara JohnsonBelita MoretonBill & Dianna NorwoodBilly & Gina VinsonBob & Maureen ShoemakerBradford SpringBruce StaskiewsC.A. MooreCapelouto Termite & Pest ControlCarol Chenoweth & Mark GoldmanCeleste PaquetteCharles & Frederick MaddoxCharles & Maureen AlldredgeCharles & Maxine DealCharles & Meredith ManningCharles & Patricia MitchellClay & Kay SchnitkerColin PhippsCraig & Patricia WilliamsonDave BrightDavid & Deborah FonvielleDavid & Dorothy JonesDavid YonDenford & Barbara BradfordDiana OrrickDonald RitchieDorothy Webb & Catherine HarrisDouglas PerryDr. & Mrs. Galt AlleeDr. Frances Carter, Buck Lake AnimalHospitalDr. James F. Walton III, D.D.S.Dr. Joseph Barnett, D.D.S.Dr. Mike FrancisDr. Ray & Jann BellamyDr. Steven & Jo OstrovEden's Heating & AirElizabeth GardnerEugenia ScottEverall PerkinsFletcher BraswellFlorida Cable Telecom. Assoc.Francois Frazier & Mary HarrisFred & Jayne StandleyGerald & Alice HoneaGloria RounsavilleIda Jean SappJack & Doris OhlhaberJames & Mary VanceJames BrooksJames KiserJay & Gail VailJeffrey Craig ShawJeffery & Marguerite SoffJesse & Catherine HopeJim CosperJoanna KenyonJohn & Bety HernandezJohn & Peggy McRaeJohn HainesJohn T. PhippsJohnny RichardsonJonathan & Tracey VanHookJudith GrahamJulie FerrisJulie Montanaro GibsonKatherine ScottKeith & Becky McNeillKool Beanz CafeLarry & Pam NicholsLarry & Susan SchuerenLarry Peterson & Linda McCarthyLaura HigdonLaura Phipps

Lawrence & Kitty EvansLinda & Frank CarterLinda PeersonLynne LiskaM.P. FeasterMadeleine MartinMargaret & Gary GriffinMary Beall & Melanie LaHurdMary WestMelinda RamseyMichael & Judy HannaMichael BuchlerMichele MayoNikki YoungO’Toole’s Herb FarmPaige & William BreyPat SimmonsPatsy PaschalPatterson Lamb & Patterson PoulsonPerry DouglasPetina & John ClarkPhoenix Environmental GroupRichard & Jane WolfarthRichard & Karen LazzariniRita LeBlancRobert & Caryl PierceRobert & Maureen ShoemakerRobert SniffenRoger & Patricia RegisterRonald & Shirley RicknerSonya WhiteStephen FoySusan & D.R. GlaserSusan & Timothy CrossTallulah & James WhitesellTed & Lassie LeeTeresa McKenzieThomas YeomanTina SeagerWalter & Patty ThomasWalton & Betty TaylorWilderness Way

IN MEMORY OF

Helen StaskiewsFromBruce Staskiews

Mary LoeppFrom

Her sister, Carrol Brittain

Mildred CainFrom

William & Charlotte Clayton Jr.

Diane OhlhaberFrom

Lee & Arlene FagelsonJack & Doris Ohlhaber

Edna QuickeFrom

Ruth & Bobby Kendricks

Pierson Hill

From

Brooks & Almena Pettit

Dennis Boothe

FromTerry & Frances Lewis

IN HONOR OF

Cindy ConeyFrom

Carolyn Coney & Joshua Ali

The Lake Breeze Eagle

From

Lake Breeze Homeowners AssociationLarry Peterson & Linda McCarthy

Lealand & Kathleen McCharen

Lynn Markell & Tara Tanaka

From

Susan Hensley

My Dad

From

Mary Hall Lester

Betty Bender

From

Jeffrey Craig Shaw

Mary Lou Falls’ Birthday

From

Jo Schaden

Chris Johnson’s Birthday

From

Mary Falconer

Claudia Mason & Peggy Smyly

From

Lynda DeMarsh-Mathues

Laurie & Nick Nixon

From

Lawrence & Kitty Evans

Kent & Melissa Griffin

From

Lou Ambrose

IN APPRECIATION OF

Teresa Stevenson

From

Amy Haus

Sandy Beck’s bald eagle story

From

Katheryn Scott

ADOPT-AN-ANIMAL PROGRAMNEW PARENTS

Keith & Becky McNeil

Elizabeth Gannon Hunt & son Beau

This newsletter is madepossible in part by agenerous contributionfrom the Suzanne E.Plescia Endowed Education Fundestablished by Dr. Louis W. &Elizabeth N. Bender.

Thank you from the bottom of our wild hearts for your recent donations.

Because of space constraints we are listing donations of $100 or more, but please know that we appreciate every single donation.

Wildlife Matters, Newsletter of the St. Francis Wildlife Association page 2

Sincere thanks toVeterinary Hospitals= Animal Eye Clinic= Bevis Veterinary Hospital= Bradfordville Animal Hospital= Lakewood Animal Hospital= North Florida Animal Hospital= Northhampton Animal Health= Northwood Animal Hospital = Quincy Animal Hospital= Seminole Animal Health Clinic= Shannon Lakes Paws & Claws

We greatly appreciate the following donations

= Modern Mailers for their invalu-able mailing services.= ElectroNet for hosting our website and email.= DQP for printing our wildlife intakeforms, posters, brochures and more!= Post-Searchlight in Bainbridgefor printing this newsletter at areduced rate.= Brogan and TallahasseeMuseums and for memberships andadmission passes for Owl-O-Ween. = Jackie Frye for a refrigerator.= Barbara Barnett for a laminator.

= Dr. Steve & Jo Ostrov for turtlesupplies.= The Nature Conservancy andCallie DeHaven for donating thechildren’s prizes for Owl-O-Ween.

Winter 2010 Wildlife Matters, Newsletter of the St. Francis Wildlife Association page 3

Young animal lovers feelempowered when they help St. Francis WildlifeBy Sandy Beck

When children are saddened to learn about theproblems affecting animals, also learning specificactions they can take empowers them to help theanimals and promotes a life-long, humane ethictoward all living things.

Parents, teachers and scout leaders often askhow their children can help.

While the law will not allow children youngerthan 18 to work in our wildlife hospital, there areplenty of things they can do.

Rewarding projects that are creative and great fun l For her Bat Mitzvah project, Emily Molineand her family collected items from friends andneighbors and held a big garage sale. By theend of the day, the thirteen-year-old girl hadraised more than $600 to help wildlife.l Other children have held car washes, dogwashes and bake sales.l Children have organized races, a read-a-thon and a student/faculty softball gamewith proceeds going to the animals. l Amelia Linn and her friends held a bike-a-thon. Neighbors pledged money for every timekids circled the neighborhood on their bikes. Atthe end of the day, the girls proudly handed St.Francis Wildlife $300.l Zoe Brigham and Hanna Buchanan madeposters and collected donations for St. FrancisWildlife in front of Hanna's grandmother’s store,Sally Rude Antiques and Fine Art Gallery. l In lieu of gifts, Andrew Colvin asked thekids who came to his birthday party to help theanimals at St. Francis Wildlife. They raised hun-dreds of dollars in donations and supplies. l Rob Sniffen donates his allowance to helpthe animals.l School groups, like the Maclay PAWS Club,Pets and Wildlife for Students (photo below, left),and scouting groups, like Girl Scout Troop 79(photo below), collect funds and Wish Listitems (page 8). l Several young men have chosen St. FrancisWildlife as the beneficiary of their Eagle Scoutproject. See photos and story, above left.

The ways that children and young adults canhelp is limited only by their will and imagination,both of which are infinite.

Never doubt that a small group ofthoughtful, concerned citizens canchange the world. Indeed, it is the onlything that ever has. Margaret Mead

Above, left to right: Dean Humphrey and Marcia,Tom and David Friedman in front of David’s cageproject. Below, finished cage. Photos/Donna Cross

Boy Scout helps SFW and earns EagleScout badge

David Friedman, age 18, said, “We foundorphaned baby birds and took them to you.When I saw St. Francis Wildlife, I just knewthat I wanted to help. When it came time forme to do my Eagle Scout project, I decided tobuild a cage.”

“To purchase materials, I got donations fromthe Northside Rotary Club and my family. Myparents, friends and neighbors helped me buildit.

“Dean Humphrey picked up the finished cagein a truck, and we followed him back to St.Francis where we unloaded and set it up(photo below).

“I do like animals, and I think St. FrancisWildlife is a great cause.”

Plans for this cage are on our web site:www.stfranciswildlife.org/PortCagePlans.html.

Above, left to right: Permanently disabled barredowl “Cedar,” St. Francis Wildlife volunteer BrianBryson and his daughters Hannah and Emma.

Photo/Sandy Beck

Last month, Hannah and Emma Bryson col-lected big longleaf pine cones from their yardand sold each for a donation to St. Francis Wildlife.The $70 they collected will purchase a Bald Eaglehood that will enable injured eagles to remain calmwhile we transport and handle them.

The girls, who attend first grade and fifth gradeat the Holy Comforter School, also helped theirdad, Brian Bryson, build a roost box for a perma-nently disabled barred owl (See photo above).

Children are enthralled by our disabled AmericanKestrel and Eastern Screech Owl at a recentNative Nurseries event. Photo/Sandy Beck

Unique education programs feature disabled birds of prey, mammals and

reptiles from St. Francis Wildlife.

850.528.0823

www.wildclassroom.net .

Winter 2010 Wildlife Matters, Newsletter of the St. Francis Wildlife Association page 4

St. Francis Wildlife rescues foxfrom U.S. Bankruptcy CourtWe could use a hand in this challenging economy too. There are many ways you can help.

Story by Sandy Beck. Photos by Debra Cook.

On a recent chilly morning, peopledodged a soaking rain as they scur-ried to their offices at the U.S.Bankruptcy Court on East Park Avenuein downtown Tallahassee.

As they shook out their wet rain-coats and umbrellas, case administra-tor Debra Cook glanced out the win-dow and noticed someone huddling onthe windowsill, cold and wet.

A court security officer called St.Francis Wildlife.

“We get calls about all kinds of ani-mals in distress,” said DeanHumphrey, who does many of ourwildlife rescues, “but seldom do theseanimals decide to file for bankruptcy.”

An adult grey fox had fallen into adeep hole next to the building,climbed out on the building side andwas marooned.

Dean learned that they had remod-eled the building’s basement andincluded a 12 foot deep, 10 foot widemoat around it so they could installwindows on the lower level.

While Cook and other court staffquietly cheered him on from insidethe building and took pictures (theseare her photos), Security and Maintenance staff lowered a ladder inthe moat so Humphrey could reachthe animal.

“Foxes, by nature, are shy crea-tures, and this one was no exception.I was able to pick him up and placehim in a carrier. The fox didn't resistor try to escape.” Dean said.

“After a short drive to our center inHavana, I released the fox in a peace-ful habitat, rich with food, water andshelter - where we hope he will notever need to worry about filing forbankruptcy.”

Thanks to the quick thinking ofBankruptcy Court staff, St. FrancisWildlife was able to humanely rescueand relocate this fox to happier hunt-ing grounds.

For St. Francis Wildlife, this is all ina day’s work – responding to calls tohelp wildlife, 24 hours a day, seven

days a week, and we’ve been doing itfor 32 years.

But now, we need your help. While fewer people donate in a bad

economy, wildlife still suffer fromunfortunate interactions with people.

They are hit by cars, fly into win-dows and glass doors, fly into guywires on cell towers, are caught byour pets, fall into chimneys, are runover by lawn mowers and weed wack-ers, are orphaned when trees are cut,and are victims of poisoning and ille-gal gunshots. You get the idea.

Trying to tighten our belt, while stillproviding our invaluable and uniqueservices is a difficult balancing act.

What you can do to helpPainless with PayPal

If you have already sent us yourannual membership donation, thankyou! If not, please fill out the form onPage 6 and mail it with your check ormake a secure online donation withPayPal at www.stfranciswildlife.org/member.html

One hundred percent of your dona-tion is tax-deductible because it all helps wildlife.

When you find wildlife thatneeds our help

If you are able to bring wildlife tous, it would be a big help.

You can imagine how much wespend every day driving from one endof town to the other rescuing wildlifeand picking up the critters you dropoff at Northwood Animal Hospital,then transporting them all to ourwildlife hospital in Havana.

Bringing wildlife to us, saves usmoney and time. On our web site,www.stfranciswildlife.org, click on“MapQuest” for directions and infor-mation about how to rescue andtransport wildlife.

However, NEVER handle raccoons,foxes, bats or any mammals (evenbabies) that could carry rabies.Always call us. Florida’s squirrels,opossums and rabbits are not known

to carry rabies.

Save wildlife and trees tooWhen you send your donation, con-

sider including your email address andindicating that you would prefer toread Wildlife Matters online.

We will also send you our monthlye-Newsletter. We promise not toannoy you with frequent emails. Justonce each month.

If you do not have a high-speedInternet connection or just like hold-ing a printed newsletter – it’s not aproblem; we’ll be happy to send them.

Who needs more stuff?If you’re like me, you’re always

cleaning out closets and giving awayold stuff to make room for more stuff(remember George Carlin?).

So, instead of getting more stuff,for your next birthday or anniversaryask friends and family to help wildlife.

They can send us a check or usePayPal, noting that their donation is inhonor of your big day, or you can col-lect stuff for us. We need more stuff.

Our Wildlife Wish List is on page 8and at www.stfranciswildlife.org/wish-list.html.

Do good with Good SearchGoodSearch.com is a new search

engine that donates a penny persearch to the charities its users desig-nate. You use it just as you would anysearch engine, and it’s powered byYahoo!, so you get great results.

Just go to www.goodsearch.comand enter St. Francis Wildlife as thecharity you want to support. Or, go toour web site,www.stfranciswildlife.com, and clickon the GoodSearch button.

Just 500 of us searching four timesa day will raise about $7,300 in a yearwithout anyone spending a dime!

Every time you shop online, beginat the GoodSearch site (the GoodShopportal is on the same page). If you

make a purchase – at Amazon, L.L.Bean and more – St. Francis Wildlifeearns money, approximately 3% ofyour purchase. The more you shop,the more we make!

Buy a cool SFW t-shirt www.stfranciswildlife.org/Tshirts.pdf

Build cages or help repair oldones

Many of the dozens of outdoorcages at St. Francis Wildlife are twodecades old. Some can be repaired;many need to be replaced.

We have plans for a portable cage -4' wide x 10' long x 6' high - that canbe used for many different species(See photo on Page 3).

Cage plans are on our web site at:www.stfranciswildlife.org/PortCagePlans.html.

Donate old cars and boats We will turn your tax-deductible gift

of an unneeded car, truck, trailer orboat into funds that help the animals.Please call us at 627-4151.

Wildlife ArtWe would love to have your quality

wildlife art for our next silent auction.

Volunteer If you are an animal lover at least

18 and reliable with your own healthinsurance and transportation, St.Francis Wildlife has perfect volunteeropportunities for you.

Feed animals in our hospital or fos-ter baby squirrels in your own home.

Do you like to shop? We shop foranimal food and supplies every week.

Help transport wildlife to veterinari-ans or to our Rehabilitation Center.

Prepare special diets, do laundry orclean cages.

Or tell us about your ideas andspecial skills.

Working together, we can insurethat St. Francis Wildlife will always bethere to help the birds and animalswe all treasure – and keep thosefoxes out of bankruptcy court.

Winter 2010 Wildlife Matters, Newsletter of the St. Francis Wildlife Association page 5

Standing on our backdeck, I was surprised by thehigh-pitched call of a south-ern flying squirrel - “tseet!tseet! tseet!”

Because they are tiny, rel-atively quiet and strictly noc-turnal, most people don’tnotice them. But if you seegrey squirrels during theday, you probably have fly-ing squirrels in your yardtoo. One sure sign is a pileof nuts beneath a tree withtwo holes gnawed into eachone.

The southern flying squir-rel (Glaucomys volans) iseight to 10 inches long,including the tail, and weighsonly three ounces. Theirsoft, silky fur is pepperedwith grays and brownsabove and creamy whitebelow. They have excellenthearing, long whiskers andthe large, light-sensitive,black eyes typical of manynight creatures.

Both grey and flyingsquirrels prefer habitats with mature hardwoodswhere they can dine onacorns and other nuts,seeds, bark, berries, mush-rooms and insects.

Each flying squirrel stakes out sev-eral dens throughout its home range -woodpecker holes, natural tree cavi-ties and nest boxes - where it cansafely feed or hide from pursuingpredators, and where females canraise young. They create mentalmaps that include every refuge aswell as the quickest route to it.

A flying squirrel, trying to dodge apredator like an owl, rat snake ordomestic cat, will freeze on the trunkof a tree and “melt” into the bark.

If the predator is not fooled, theflying squirrel launches off the tree,spreading all four limbs to reveal twofurred flaps of skin, the patagia,extending from the wrist on eachfront leg to the ankle on each hind leg.

Stretched out like a superhero’slong cape, the patagia become perfectairfoils, allowing her to glide as far as200 feet, three horizontal feet forevery vertical foot of descent. Hersilky coat minimizes drag. The flat tailserves as a stabilizer, and slightmovements of her front feet steer.

She lands on a trunk, scurriesaround to the other side, runs up thetree to gain altitude, then launchesagain – until she reaches one of herdens. Or not.

Like other squirrels, the southernflying squirrel can also jump frombranch to branch and forage on the

ground, where they are vulnerable tocats and raccoons.

The housecat is the flying squirrel’smost dangerous predator. Keepingkitty inside will help not only thesetiny animals (as well as birds, bunniesand many more) but also protect yourpet from larger predators, like hawks,owls, coyotes and automobiles.

You can also help flying squirrels byprotecting the old, deciduous treesthat provide their food and shelter,and by building nest boxes. Plans areat stfranciswildlife.org/refuge.html.

One way to learn more about thesefascinating, almost magical little ani-mals is to illuminate your bird feederswith a downward facing lamp, justbright enough for you to see. Turn iton at dusk, turn off the TV and waitfor things to get wild.

Flying squirrels – our most secretive neighborsBy Sandy Beck

Nocturnal southern flying squirrels arewidespread in our area and live in thesame habitats as grey squirrels.

Photo/Thomas McMullen

An orphaned flying squirrel nibbles anut at St. Francis Wildlife. Last yearwe rescued 51 flying squirrels.

Photo/Sandy Beck

The story of alucky snakeBy Jordan Siroskyand Donna Cross

The paths of snakes andpeople often cross in a placelike Tallahassee where weenjoy wooded areas right inthe middle of the city.

In neighborhoods full oflavishly landscaped yards andplenty of other wildlife, it isno surprise to find severalspecies of snakes. One ofthese, the nonvenomousblack racer, although harm-less, is known for its speedand aggression.

Last July, the staff at St. FrancisWildlife had the privilege of experienc-ing those characteristics first-hand.

It was a warm July day (as if thereis any other kind) when I received acall about an injured snake in a back-yard off Centerville Road. The womantold me that a thin, black snake hadbeen sunning on her back porch forseveral days, and it appeared to havea large wound on its back.

She had managed to lock it insidea plastic storage bin on the porchafter it had sought shelter there.

Listening to her description, Iinstantly suspected that the snake inquestion was a racer, and upon myarrival, my inference was confirmed.After a brief struggle, I bagged theunhappy racer and headed back to St.Francis Wildlife.

When Donna Cross and I examinedit, we came to the conclusion that thesnake’s deep wound had likely beeninflicted by the plastic or nylon ropeon the business end of a weed eater.

Donna flushed the wound withiodine solution and administered afew cc’s of fluids to rehydrate thesnake, an adult about three feet long.

To reduce the chance for infection,we needed to treat the wound until itclosed enough to allow the snake toshed its entire skin.

Over the course of three and a halfmonths, Teresa Stevenson and Donnamonitored the snake, periodicallycleaning and draining the wound.

At first, the snake refused to eat.After pulling out a few tricks I pickedup during my years of keepingsnakes, I was finally able to get her –we knew this after she laid eighteggs – to take a dead mouse, andthen another. Eventually she becameeasier to feed, taking food wheneverwe offered it.

During the first week of November,after several months of shedding par-tial skins, our black racer shed anentire skin, and we were able torelease her.

In her new home, this fortunatesnake won’t have to contend withpeople or their weed eaters.

Try to be conscious, when workingin your yard or garden. These benefi-cial snakes are common victims ofyard work, and many are not solucky.

Southern black racer Photo/Kevin Enge

Show your love for your honey and wildlife too!

Thursday, February 115 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Ten Thousand Villages, will donate 20% of yourValentine’s Day purchases to St. Francis Wildlife!

Meet our owls and enjoy complimentary shade-grown coffeeand homemade desserts as you shop.

Located in Market Square

1415 Timberlane Rd. 906-9010

Winter 2010 Wildlife Matters, Newsletter of the St. Francis Wildlife Association page 6

We need your help to care for thewi ldl i fe our community treasures .

Please renew your annual support for St. Francis

Wildlife today by sending in a check with this DonationForm or by making a secure online donation with PayPal atwww.stfranciswildlife.org.

Your annual donation to St. Francis Wildlife ensures thatwe’ll be there to help when you need us – and when wildlife

needs us.

For your tax-deductible donation, you will receive: The Wildlife Matters quarterly newsletter and thesatisfaction of helping wild animals unable to carefor themselves.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAYBE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800.435.7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOTIMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

St. Francis of Assisi Wildlife Association, Inc. Registration #: CH4537.

Donation Form Mail To: St. Francis Wildlife Association

(Winter 2010) P.O. Box 38160, Tallahassee, FL, 32315

PLEASE PRINT

Name_______________________________________________________ Date_________________

E-mail Address______________________________________________________________________

Home Address______________________________________________________________________

City__________________________________ State_________________ Zip Code_______________

How would you prefer to receive our quarterly newsletter, Wildlife Matters? Please check one.

____ I prefer to have a printed copy of Wildlife Matters mailed to my home.

____ I prefer to read it on-line. (It is a large PDF file, 3 MB, which would require a high-speed connection.)

Please check the appropriate boxes and return this form with your tax-deductible donation.

Donor Levels: c Chickadee, $35 c Bunny, $50 c Bluebird, $100 c Screech Owl $250 c Fox, $500

c Gopher Tortoise, $1,000 c Fawn, $2,500 c Peregrine Falcon, $5,000 c Bald Eagle, $10,000

Please contact me about: c Volunteering c Community Conservation Business Partnership c Education Programs

It was a rainy day in earlyDecember when we received a callabout a Pied-billed Grebe, possibly hitby a car, on Perkins Road near CanopyOaks Elementary.

What was this water bird doing inthe middle of a city street, at least amile from Lake Jackson?

Interestingly, St. Francis Wildlifehas also rescued Common Loons fromroadways, far fromwater.

Both loons andgrebes have evolved assuperb swimmers anddivers and spend almostall of their lives in thewater. Their legs, posi-tioned far back on theirbodies, make it hard forthem to maneuver onland.

Imagine a very preg-nant woman waddlingalong the sidewalk. Youget the picture.

To take off, the grebeor loon must run across

the surface of the water. (See photoof Common Loon below).

Many loons and grebes migrate atnight. When it gets close to dawnand they need to take a break, theylook for bodies of water on which toland. From high above, a wet roadlooks a lot like an inviting river tothese birds, but when they come infor a landing, they meet with a nastysurprise.

Even if the loon or grebe is notinjured after landing, it is groundeduntil some friendly soul comes alongand rescues it.

If you find a loon or grebe on theroad, please remember to put yourown safety first. Any wild animal willview you as a predator. A water bird– like a heron, egret, loon or grebe –may try to lunge at your face withtheir dagger-like bills.

Get someone else to stop trafficwhile you throw a towel or blanketover its head. Then, holding the beakclosed and away from you, place itinto a ventilated cardboard box, andbring it to us as soon as possible.

Once these birds have recuperated,we take them to a safe water bodywhere they happily paddle away.

Why grebes and loons are sometimesstranded on roadwaysBy Teresa Stevenson

Pied-billed grebe recuperates atthe St. Francis Wildlife hospital.

PHOTO/ Amy Darling

Teresa Colvin, a passionate wildlife advocate, is our newestboard member

By Sandy Beck

I first met Teresa Colvin severalyears ago when she attended an owlprogram I did for her son’s first gradeclass at the Maclay School. After theprogram, she told me that the ani-mals and SFW (St. Francis Wildlife)were important to her and that shewanted to help.

Teresa immediately followedthrough on her promise and also gother family, friends and her son’sscouting group involved in raisingmoney and collecting supplies.

Born and raised near Eglin AirForce Base, in Valparaiso, Florida,Teresa grew up with pristine riversand woods where she learned to loveand appreciate wildlife.

Teresa and her family – husbandRip and son Andrew – moved toTallahassee in 1993 when she becameController of Financial Services for theFlorida League of Cities.

“We love cats and have fosteredmany. We also have a miniaturePinscher, Sasha, that we adopted fromthe Broward County Humane Societywhile there on a trip.

When I asked Teresa, with heralready busy life, why she wanted towork on the SFW board of directors,she said, “Loving animals and wantingto reach out and help those injured orsick are second nature to me.

“We are so fortunate to have St.Francis Wildlife in our area. Thedonors, board of directors, staff andvolunteers all can make such a differ-ence in our community and to ourwildlife.

“However, staff and volunteers arethe key to a service oriented organi-zation like SFW. So it is important forus to provide the resources and train-ing they need.

“I would like to see SFW attractmore volunteers.

“I also hope that we can reach outto more people, especially children,about SFW’s mission and the impor-tance of respecting and conservingwildlife.

“One way to bring awareness tochildren is to sponsor school wildlifepresentations and wild birthday par-ties.

“Our son, Andrew, hassponsored wildlife parties where thebirthday presents were for the ani-mals. While it was hard to give uptoys and video games, he was veryhappy to see just how much thedonations helped SFW.

“For young adults [18 or older],volunteering at SFW is not onlyrewarding but also a great way toearn work experience and communityservice hours for college.

“I am thankful for the SFW staffand volunteers and for all they do forthe animals. And for our supportersand community partners – SFW’swork is possible only because of theirunwaivering support and generosity.

“We are so fortunate to have acommunity that appreciates and sup-ports our native wildlife.”

Her favorite quote, by MahatmaGandhi, expresses a philosophy thatguides Teresa Colvin’s life:

“The greatness of a nation and itsmoral progress can be judged by theway its animals are treated.”

Teresa Colvin with husband Rip

and son Andrew.

Winter 2010 Wildlife Matters, Newsletter of the St. Francis Wildlife Association page 7

Would you like to seeyour ad here?

For a tax-deductible donation, business partners receive ads in this

newsletter and a link on our web site.

Contact: Barbara Barnettbarbbarnett@stfranciswildlife.org

850.562.4379www.stfranciswildlife.org/

ccp.html

48 Owls, including: 30 Barred Owls, 3 BarnOwls, 8 Great HornedOwls and 7 EasternScreech Owls

86 Diurnal Raptors,including: 7 BaldEagles, 29 Red-shoul-dered Hawks, 27 Red-tailed Hawks, 6 Broad-winged Hawks, 4Coopers Hawks, 3American Kestrels, 2Mississippi Kites, 2Osprey, 3 TurkeyVultures and 5 BlackVultures.

Examples of SongbirdSpecies: 9 AmericanRobins, 56 Blue Jays,36 Brown Thrashers, 4Carolina Chickadees, 109 Carolina Wrens,9 Cedar Waxwings, 11Eastern Bluebirds, 6Great CrestedFlycatchers, 52 HouseFinches, 81 NorthernMockingbirds, 92 Mourning Doves,128 Northern Cardinals,8 Ruby-throatedHummingbirds, 5 WildTurkeys, 4 Yellow-bel-lied Sapsuckers, 13 Yellow-rumpedWarblers, 5 DownyWoodpeckers, 8 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, 11Red-headedWoodpeckers, 1Pileated Woodpecker

Examples of WaterBirds: 2 Anhingas, 4Great Blue Herons, 3Laughing Gulls, 6 Ring-

billed Gulls, 4 Mallards,15 Wood Ducks

Examples ofMammals: 21 Bats,34 Opossums, 15 GreyFoxes, 14 Red Foxes,123 Cottontail Rabbits,30 White-tailed Deer, 51 Flying Squirrels, 2 Fox Squirrels

Examples of Reptiles:21 Gopher Tortoises, 8 Soft-shelled Turtles,38 Yellow-belliedSliders, 29 Box Turtles

Some problemsour wildlifepatients faced in2009Tree cut down: 89Attacked by pets: 190Hit by car: 255Flew into window: 42Entangled in fishing lineor hook: 13Illegal gunshot: 3

Interesting rescues= Ruby-throatedHummingbird got billstuck in window screen.= White-tailed Deerhit by car, then ran intoAAA office.= Coyote on secondfloor of a hotel on WestTennessee Street.= Barred Owl removedfrom a car grill (thenreleased).= Great Horned Owlimpaled on barbed wirefence.= Mockingbird entan-gled in cobwebs.

We cared for 3,171 wildbirds, mammals and reptiles in 2009.

Photos of 2009 wildlife patientsClockwise from bottom, left: Cottontail Bunnies/TeresaStevenson, Barred Owl and Downy Woodpecker/DonnaCross, Gopher Tortoise/Teresa Stevenson, Wood Ducksand Juvenile Bald Eagle/Sandy Beck

Left to right, Henry Vogt, Karen andJackson Stump admire our disabledbarred owl “Cedar” at Native Nurseries.

Winter 2010 Wildlife Matters, Newsletter of the St. Francis Wildlife Association page 8

St. Francis WildlifeAssociation

P.O. Box 38160Tallahassee, FL 32315

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Tallahassee, Florida

PERMIT NO. 50

If you find sick, injured or orphaned wildlife

= Call us at 850.627.4151;

Take it to our wildlife rehabilita-tion hospital near Havana – direc-tions at www.stfranciswildlife.org;or

Take it (day or night) to theNorthwood Animal Hospital, 1881 N.Martin Luther King Blvd., Tallahassee(just north of the Post Office).

= Transport wildlife in a warm, darkbox with holes punched in the lid. Keep itquiet, and handle it as little as possible.

= Do NOT give it food or water.

= NEVER handle raccoons, foxes, batsor any mammals (even babies) thatcould carry rabies. CALL US. Florida’ssquirrels, opossums and rabbits are notknown to carry rabies.

= When calling to report an animal injured on a road, note exactlywhere it is (“1.4 miles west of exit 27 onthe north side of I-10”) and, if possible,leave a marker, like a towel tied to a treelimb.

For more information on wildlife rescue:

www.stfranciswildlife.org

The best little spot in Tallahassee to store

all your stuff

2424 Monticello Dr.850-385-7266

850.229.0229www.electronet.net

2701 N. Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL

850-385-5141

www.nfah.petplace.com

Animal Housingand Transport= carpenters to buildand repair cages = lumber and otherbuilding materials= 1/4” hardware cloth = heating pads, notauto shut-off= aquarium tankswith tops= pet carriers= humane, live traps

Animal Food andCare= Panhandle PetSupply gift certificate= Esbilac puppy milkreplacer, powder= raw, hard-shellednuts, like walnuts,pecans= unsalted peanuts inshell= sunflower seed= wild bird seed = cracked corn

= fresh fruits andvegetables= heavy bowls= paper towels= laundry detergent = bleach, unscented = unfrayed babyblankets, T-shirts,sweatshirts, pillowcas-es & top sheets= plastic jar lids

Medical Supplies= sterile gauze = gloves= syringes= LactatedRingers

Big Items= refrigerator= washing machine= incubator= golf cart= riding mower= generator= good digital camera = outdoor patio furniture

Panhandle Pet SupplyPanhandle Pet SupplyThe Experts Who Love AnimalsThe Experts Who Love Animals

Three Convenient Locations3661 N. Monroe

Next to the Post Office

400 Capital Circle SE Harvey's shopping center

1700 N. Monroe Publix/Lake Ella Shopping Center

Help St. Francis Wildl i fe Help St. Francis Wildl i fe feed the animals!feed the animals!

St. Francis Wildlife buys their baby formula and other supplies from us.Purchase a gift certificate for themat our store at 3661 N. Monroe,

or call us at 850.562.4100.

David

Kam

pf

Wildlife MattersEditor and Layout

Sandy Beck

Writers, Photographers and ArtistsSandy Beck, Brian Bryson, J.W. Callis, Donna Cross,Debra Cook, Amy Darling, Kevin Enge, David Kampf,

Thomas McMullen, Pat Simmons, Jordan Sirosky,Teresa Stevenson

ProofreadersLouise Barker, Barbara Barnett, Bob Beck

PrintingPost Searchlight Printing, Bainbridge, GA

Mail ProcessingModern Mailers, Tallahassee, FL

The quarterly newsletter of the St. Francis WildlifeAssociation is mailed to our supporters. It is also availableat local businesses and online at www.stfranciswildlife.org.

To place a business ad, please see Page 7.Please send questions, comments and letters to the

editor to sandybeck@stfranciswildlife.org.

Thursday, February 25th, 7:00 PMAudubon Program: Native OwlsAmtrak Passenger Station, 918 Railroad Ave

Sandy Beck, Education Director, St. FrancisWildlife, and live owls explain the uniqueadaptations that make these fascinating birdssuch spectacular nocturnal hunters as well asspecific actions we can take to help protect them.

Wildl i fe Wish ListPlease drop off items at our wildlife rehabilitationcenter (directions at www.stfranciswildlife.org) or

at Northwood Animal Hospital, 1881 N. MLKBlvd., Tallahassee. Please include a note with your

name so we can thank you!

Thursday, February 11, 5 PM - 8 PM

10,000 Villages, Market Square, Tallahassee20% of your purchases benefit St. Francis Wildlife! (See Page 5)