2010 Statistics

2010 has come and gone. I have finished the annual report I must send to Texas Parks & Wildlife and I am now working on the annual report required by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services. We had a busy year in 2010. I might add we had a very successful year in 2010. We missed our goal of a 70% release rate, but we get closer and closer every year. In 2009 our release rate was 66.5%. Last year we released 67.89%!

2010 Birds received = 1025
Transferred to other facilities = 1.08%
DOA = 9.46%
Died in our care = 16.38%
Euthanized = 14.66%
RELEASED = 67.89%

Our release rate continues to climb every year. This is due to our continued education in the rehabilitation field, dedicated rehabbers and volunteers and our financial supporters.

Thank You

Yesterday afternoon, volunteer Marjorie and I were on the front deck and we heard Sandhill Cranes flying overhead. I had already spotted two flocks earlier in the day. As we were searching the skies for the cranes, I noticed a large bird circling over Lake Wichita Park east of the Rescue Center. As he banked and turned the sun caught the distinguished white head and tail. I ran inside my office, grabbed my binoculars and positively ID a Bald Eagle! I gave the binoculars to Marjorie and she too had a good view of our visitor. He circled and circled, each loop carrying him further east until he was out of sight.

Both the Bald and Golden Eagle winter in the Wichita Mountains 45 minutes north of Wichita Falls. I have received numerous reports of Bald Eagles northeast in Nocona, TX. As far as I am aware, this is the first Eagle spotted over Lake Wichita in the 5 years I have been here.

Photo is from Cornell's Lab of Ornithology, "All About Birds".

Whooping Crane

One of our Game Wardens came by the Rescue Center last week. He wanted to let us know of a flock of Sandhill Cranes with a Whooping Crane amoung them. There is a plowed field of maize north of Electra where the cranes come in every day to feed and he saw the Whooper there. I put the word out to our rehabbers, board members and volunteers and the quest to see the most endangered spieces of bird in North America began. Terry and her mom, June, saw him; Elizabeth, Penny and Lila saw him. The day we went my wife saw him, but he walked down the other side of the ridge before I could get my binonculars up.

My quest for the Whooper is not over. I will go back and try again!

Even though I did not get to see the Whooper, watching approximately 20,000 Sandhill Cranes in one place is a sight well worth the drive. WOW!