The KBS Eagle is visiting the Michigan State University Small Animal Veterinary Clinic.  He'd developed a small growth on his injured wing, so we took him to the MSU Vet School for a thorough physical and some minor surgery.  We hope he will be back to KBS sometime in the spring!

We are lucky that we have access to an Eagle Expert at MSU:  Dr. James Sikarskie. He has over 30 years experience as a zoo veterinarian and is a part of the MSU Vet School teaching faculty, as well as an experinced raptor rehabilitator.

Thank you to Dr. Sikarskie and the staff, faculty, and students at the MSU Small Animal Veterinary Clinic for looking after our eagle!  We are optimistic the eagle will be able to return to us in the spring of 2010.

• More info about Bald Eagles in the wild (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
• More info about the Bald Eagle as our National Symbol (US Veterans Affairs)
• Watch a PBS special about Bald Eagles online!

Ruffed Grouse are native to Michigan and are an uncommon site today in Northern deciduous and mixed forests.  As a part of the Bird Sanctuary's focus on native birds, two pairs of Ruffed Grouse were added to the Leslie E. Tassell Upland Gamebird display last Tuesday! The funds to purchase these birds were generously donated in memory of Bob Maier.

Introducing the Grouse to their new home at the Sanctuary was quite an adventure! The new birds traveled very luxuriously in a modified tomato box, which kept them calm and safe on their journey from Battle Creek. Upon arrival, KBS Raptor & Waterfowl Care intern Genevieve Rozhon gave the birds a thorough physical. The birds were in good shape (only a few ruffled feathers from the journey!) and had a healthy weight.

Earlier in the week Genevieve had readied two enclosures for the birds by laying down mesh flooring and adding pine boughs for shelter. The flooring will keep their feet protected and dry throughout the year, and the pine boughs provide excellent cover.

The next step was to let the birds out of their travel boxes. When the birds were released they immediately looked for a safe place to hide!

The birds are adjusting to their new environment and getting a little more curious and adventurous each day. When you come to visit, look closely through the pine boughs for two small, brown birds, each a little smaller than a football. The males and females look similar with gray, brown feathers and a black band at the tip of fan shaped tails.

The Leslie E. Tassell Upland Gamebird display is a great place to see unique birds up close. Join us for the Sanctuary Tour on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 – 11:30 to learn more about the wild habitat these birds can be found in.

Video of a Ruffed Grouse Drumming (MDNR)

Do you like to take vacations?  Me too!  I often wonder if migratory birds feel like they are going on vacation as they get ready for long flights south this time of year.

Of all animals, birds have the highest number of species that migrate.  Bird migrations are not all equal, similar to how humans vacation: some like to stay in the country, and others go all out and cross many international borders.

For example,  Broad-winged Hawks migrate over 4000 miles to their wintering grounds in Central and South America!  Broad-winged Hawks are small, about the size of a crow. These hawks are not a common sight during the breeding season because they are small and nest reclusively in the forest.   But come September these birds get the itch to travel south.  And they form "kettles," large flocks that spiral in columns of warm air.  Thousands of individual birds might be in each kettle and they travel by gliding from air column to air column.

At the Bird Sanctuary we are fortunate to have two Broad-winged Hawks on display.  Like all the Birds of Prey on exhibit, they have sustained permanent injuries and cannot be released into the wild. They have found a permanent home here at the Sanctuary.

The Broad-wings will only be out for view for another month before they go on "vacation" in a sheltered spot indoors at the Sanctuary for the winter.  Michigan winter weather is not quite the same as South America!  Please come out and observe these small but mighty birds before they "migrate" indoors until March!

Migration is happening all around us!  On Wintergreen Lake we have had many more Canada Geese but more exciting have been several species of waterfowl including Canvasback, Ruddy Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Scaup and Pied-billed Grebe.  Come out soon to look for migrants on the lake and keep your eyes to the skies for migrating song birds and birds of prey.

Tuesday, Oct. 13 is the 2nd annual No Child Left Inside (NCLI) day! Get outside and play today!  For more information on NCLI visit www.childrenandnature.org.  The Bird Sanctuary is a great place to get outside and explore. We are planning to implement more of the NCLI ideas through programming and exhibits in the future.

Help us work toward those goals by becoming a member today!  Come in or download the membership form.  All memberships are tax deductible.

I took a quick walk at the Bird Sanctuary this morning to see what was flying about.  Of course the Canada Geese, Trumpeter Swans and lots of Mallards are hanging out in the Lagoon and close to the path along Wintergreen Lake.

Looking up into the trees along the trail, I spotted a flock of blackbirds and a couple of Cedar Waxwings.  In the grasses within the restored prairie I found a Song Sparrow and Goldfinches.  What I really wanted to find were migrating ducks!

I  found a pair of Ruddy Ducks on the far side of Wintergreen Lake.  Ruddy Ducks are easy to identify because when sitting on the water their tails point up toward the sky.

A lot of waterfowl should be migrating in the next couple of weeks.  Make sure to stop out for a visit soon!  The place to look for migrating waterfowl is across the lake. Bring your scope or use one of the two mounted viewing scopes located along the trail for the best view.

Need some help with your identification?  Join us for a Fall Bird Walk on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 9 – 10:30.

It was great to see so many people at Sunday’s Share the Harvest event.  Thanks for helping to make a difference in our community, a lot of food was donated to the Food Bank of Central Michigan.  Mark your calendars for next year, the first Sunday in Ocotober!  Many thanks to the volunteers that made yesterday's event possible!

Hope to see you birding soon, Kara