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JULY 2024

Wild Care Director Stephanie Ellis and Julie Silva

Above Photos by Kerry Reid

Kevin Friel of The Osprey Project

Photo by Julie Silva

More information on The Osprey Project

The Birds of Summer...

A Team Effort Gives Hope to an Osprey Chick in a Story with a Few Plot Twists

Wild Care received three Osprey eggs from USDA that were removed from a boat dock in Chatham. I drove the eggs to the home of Julie Silva of Mashpee. At her home on the marsh, she has an Osprey platform with a female Osprey who returns every year to lay her eggs, but they never hatch. Knowing this history, I decided to give this Osprey the three viable eggs from Chatham. How exciting it was to receive a text message from Julie two weeks later. "We have two chicks!"

The Osprey have been great parents to their foster chicks, unbeknownst to them.

Last weekend, I received a panic message from Julie that the platform had shifted and the nest was on the ground. She dug into the marsh mud to find one chick deceased, and one still alive. Julie transported the chick to Wild Care where we determined it to be unharmed, miraculously.

The very next day Kevin Friel of The Osprey Project - Falmouth came out and repaired the platform and rebuilt the nest! I arrived at 5:30 PM to see the adult female perched atop the new nest. With much hope, we filled in the empty spaces in the nest with dried sod, and placed the chick into it.

What happened next was rather harrying, but has a happy ending. The parents did not return that evening. I had to make the difficult decision to leave the chick in the nest by itself. The tide was coming in and we were losing daylight. The chick, able to thermoregulate on its own and hunkered down in its nest, was now nestled in for the night.

We were all relieved to see the chick alive and well in the morning. We decided on a plan to feed the chick on the platform and leave it for one more day to give the parents a chance to return. Fortunately, we didn't have to intervene. The parents returned around 12:30 PM and found their chick. Dad brought a fish, and they are now one happy family once again!

Stephanie Ellis,

Executive Director

Photo Carl Jacobs

Wild Care Director Stephanie Ellis Writes

an Ode to Osprey

Osprey have become a beloved icon in New England perched atop their high nests overlooking water. Learn more about these incredible birds and the challenges they face, how the once declining population is now thriving, and how Wild Care is helping make this happen on Cape Cod.

Read: Why Wildlife Matters, An Ode To Osprey by Stephanie Ellis

For WRAM - Wildlife Rehabilitators' Association of Massachusetts

BABIES! BABIES! BABIES!

Here are a few of the recent babies in our nursery...

Fledgling Barn Swallows

Nestling Carolina Wren

Juvenile

Ruby-throated

Hummingbird

Woodpecker Family Reunited

Our hearts were overjoyed when we helped reunite a young Downy Woodpecker with its family in Harwich. The fledgling Downy had struck a window and was brought to Wild Care by the Watson family. After being treated by our caring staff we returned to the site where it was found to release the woodpecker. We could hear its family calling, and our bird immediately responded to them! Once released, the mom flew down almost immediately. They greeted each other and then flew off with the baby following close behind. It was a heartwarming sight to see.

These photos were taken shortly after the release. Thank you to Pat, Doug and Sarah Watson for your compassion for this woodpecker, and to Pat for these beautiful photos!

READ about Downey Woodpeckers

Wood Thrush Released

in Orleans

We received this beautiful Wood Thrush as a nestling from Bound Brook Island in Wellfleet. The Wood Thrush is a reclusive bird that lives in dense forest areas and are rarely seen at bird feeders. You can hear its lovely song near woodlands at dusk. Its numbers have been declining possibly due to nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds which lay their eggs in other birds’ nests. The Wood Thrush is a fairly common breeder throughout MA, but rarely on Cape Cod. This young bird was released in Orleans on Bakers Pond where Wood Thrush have been heard previously.

READ more about Wood Thrush

Red-tailed Hawk Treated for Trauma After a Vehicle Strike

in Pembroke, MA

This stunning Red-tailed Hawk suffered head trauma and a wing injury after being struck by a vehicle on Route 3 in Pembroke, MA. Fortunately he was rescued by Selin Nacar before it could have incurred any additional injuries on the highway. The bird was brought to Wild Care and treated with fluids, oxygen and pain management. After being stabilized, the bird was moved to our outdoor aviary so we can monitor its flight and behavior to prepare for a release.

Osprey Chick

Re-Homed

in honor of

Kyler Donlan's

Birthday

This baby Osprey's nest blew down after a storm. We were able to place it into a foster nest the next day, thanks to the help of Eversource.

This beautiful bird's placement into a new nest and foster family was sponsored in honor of

Kyler Donlan's birthday,

by his parents. Thank you, and Happy Birthday, Kyler!

Watch the Release of this Beautiful Red-Tailed Hawk

A beautiful Red-tailed Hawk was found in South Yarmouth after suffering a fractured wing from a possible vehicle strike. Wild Care staff applied a splint and bandage to the injured wing, and once well enough the hawk was moved to our large aviary so we could observe its flight post injury. We are happy to share this beautiful release back to the wild.

Thank you to Susan's Custom Tours & Travel for

the generous sponsorship of it’s care and release.

Video by Kerry Reid

Welcome Wild Care’s Newest Animal Ambassador a

Musk Turtle Named Tortilla

Wild Care’s newest Animal Ambassador is a cute little Musk Turtle named Tortilla. Tortilla was found as a hatchling and kept as a pet. She was fed well but never swam other than in a bowl of water. When we placed her into the water of an aquarium at Wild Care, she did not know what to do! We had to give her a 1/2 inch of water at a time in order to get her to swim. She gets food as enrichment in water to teach her how to be a turtle. (Since she was kept as a pet for 3-4years, she is unable to survive in the wild and cannot be released.)

Musk Turtles live in freshwater rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and swamps. These unique turtles are small in size averaging 3-5’’ long, and walk on the bottom of streams or ponds instead of swimming like other turtles. They will also omit an odor when threatened earning them the nickname “stinkpot”.

Tortilla is sponsored by the Battista, Carbonaro, Cicero and Schroder Families in loving memory of Vincent and Danny Battista.

Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival

Garden Tour Benefits Wild Care

Thank you to Pamela Phipps for selecting Wild Care as the recipient of donations from tours of her beautiful South Yarmouth garden as part of the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival. Our volunteer Lynn said the gardens were spectacular! We are very thankful to Pamela, our volunteers Lynn Adams, Valerie Rhodes, and everyone that came to enjoy Pamela’s garden. Wild Care received a donation of $475 from garden tours, and $111 towards our solar project!

Wild Care's Director Stephanie Ellis

to Talk About

Wildlife After Dark

Join Wild Care's Director Stephanie Ellis at the Eastham Council on Aging on Tuesday, July 30th at 5:30pm, to learn about the interesting wildlife that come out when the sun goes down. Cape Cod is home to many nocturnal and crepuscular creatures - including Southern Flying Squirrels, Red Fox, Eastern Coyotes, Spotted Salamanders and several owl species.

Learn more about the wildlife around us at night, and how we can live in harmony with these fascinating creatures.

Meet a live Eastern Screech Owl.

To register or for more information

Celebrate National

Night Out with

Wild Care

and the

Chatham Police Department

Wild Care will be joining the Chatham Police Department on Tuesday, August 6th from 5pm til 7pm as part of the annual National Night Out 2024. National Night Out is an annual event that promotes police and community camaraderie. Stop by the Chatham Police Station at 249 George Ryder Road, Chatham, MA for lots of fun and free activities for kids! Wild Care will have a fun kid’s game and wildlife information. We hope to see you there!

Photo Nestling American Robins

Kerry Reid

THANK YOU... Maybe you answered our call for donations on Facebook when we were down to our last roll of paper towels, sent some PPE or laundry detergent our way, or left a bag of sheets or towels on our front porch. It takes so much to make it all happen especially during the summer months when our clinic and nursery are filled to the brim with animal patients. Even the little things mean a lot, and we thank you for always coming through. We are grateful!

DONATE TO WILD CARE

Check out our Amazon and Chewy WISH LISTS and donate much

needed supplies to help the animals being cared for at Wild Care.

10 Smith Lane, Eastham, MA 02642

Email Us I. WildCareCapeCod.org

When in Doubt Please Call Us

508-240-2255

We Are Here To Help!