Keweenaw Wild Bird REC

08/30/2026

Released the Common Merganser chicks into a multi-family unit yesterday. They ate their weight in gold in live fish while in care so we are glad they can eat the free ones in Superior now! 😆 Hoping for the best for them and glad they got a second chance at a wild life!

We also had a couple cedar waxwing fledglings in care that we released into a flock yesterday amongst a very high berry laden area, so they were happy! 🫐❤️🫐

The mallard gets his bandages off today in attempts to correct his angel wing. Fingers crossed it has worked and he and his little teal friend will get released. They will stay in care to make sure the repair worked as sometimes the wing tips can revert.

Lastly, heading out for some R&R before heading back to school. I’ll be out of town 8/26-9/1, back for a day then gone again 9/2-9/7. The ducklings will be well cared for. It’s important that family comes first, and after a few years of my human fledgling asking me to go to the Minnesota state fair, I’m finally going.

Utilize the licensed rehabber list while I’m away:

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/wildlife/wildlife-permits/wildlife-rehabilitation-permit-information/directory-of-licensed-wildlife-rehabilitators

In the meantime, get those windows treated to prevent window collisions, slow down when you see birds ahead in the road, keep cats indoors or contained outdoors, and be good stewards to our wild neighbors.

Thanks to all that keep our mission flying! 🥰🥰🥰

08/28/2026

Yay!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉 Between GoFundMe and other donations, the aviary roof repair has been fully funded and will be completed sometime in September 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Thank you!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰

08/25/2026

Thank you Dolly 🥰🥰🥰

Oh, Dolly. We’ll miss you so, so much.

We probably don’t have to tell any of you about the impact that Dolly Parton had on humanity. You all probably know about the Imagination Library, and about her contributions to children’s healthcare, and about her charities that made East Tennessee go from being one of the most destitute regions of the U.S. to a thriving, educated community, even in the wake of wildfires and other natural disasters.

But what does this have to do with wildlife rescue? A lot, actually. One of our most successful wildlife rehabilitation and education programs, the American Eagle Foundation, is headquartered at Dollywood and largely funded by her generosity. AEF began rescuing eagles and other birds of prey when they were significantly endangered in 1990, and they had a hand in bringing these birds back from the brink. To this day, visitors to Pigeon Forge get to see our native Tennessean raptors up close and learn to appreciate and protect them.

In 2021, I visited Dollywood and noticed that the Daredevil Falls attraction in particular was covered in nandina, a highly invasive plant that is toxic to native birds. I sent an email about the landscaping, expecting it to be ignored, but got a response from the groundskeeper saying that conservation is an important part of their values as a company, and that they intended to replace their landscaping with more native plants. To my surprise, when I returned the next year, the nandina was gone and there were native plants sprawling across the property, feeding birds and butterflies. I’d never expect a theme park to actually care like that, but their values as a company were evidently more than just platitudes.

Please take a moment to remember Dolly by contributing to the Dollywood Foundation, The American Eagle Foundation, or the charity of your choice today. May we all aspire to leave just a fraction of the impact on the world that this one much-loved person made.

08/23/2026

Grab some plants! Fall is an excellent time to plant natives!

08/22/2026

Always great to start a Saturday with a release! ❤️

This purple finch came in with probable mycoplasma, otherwise known as finch eye disease. This is a common  communicable disease that is usually passed amongst birds at bird feeders.

This is a great reason to plant native in lieu of feeders, and if you must continue putting feeders out, make sure that they are routinely cleaned and sanitized.

So happy that this guy responded to treatment and got another shot at a wild life! 🎉🎉🎉

Thanks to all that keep our mission flying! 🥰

08/21/2026

Five dollar FriYAY!!! Let’s get the rest of the aviary repair fundraised!! Thanks so much ❤️❤️❤️

08/19/2026

It’s getting super stressful to keep up with multiple taggings in posts for birds, specifically for the What’s up Marquette page. If you are able to scan comments to see if we’ve been already tagged, that would be great! Love that everyone is trying to help though!! ❤️

It’s also getting mentally exhausting the way wildlife rehabbers are treated online. We are doing this in the best interest of the animal. It is a real profession and we work hard to acquire and maintain our licenses, while trying to educate the public. I will need to limit the scope of counties I take birds from if it continues, as my mental health isn’t worth getting beat up, writing through the tears. Be kind and respectful to people in our profession please.