Table of Contents

		Recovery Means Going Home
		Sharing Habitat
		All That Rain Promises
		A Turkey on the Doorstep
		Do it! Upcoming WildCare Events Photography Contest Winners Our Rattlesnake's Name
		Up and Flying in Olema
		Gift Ideas for November

Medical staff member Cindy Dicke examines feather damage on patient #0846. Photo by Alison Hermance

Raptor specialist Anne Ardillo bands the recovered owl before release. Photo by JoLynn Taylor

Burrowing Owls need open grassy areas. Melanie Piazza from WildCare works with other volunteers coordinated by Golden Gate Audubon to clear brush, remove invasive species and put up temporary fencing at Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley. Photo by Della Dash

Signage alerts visitors to the sensitive habitat. Photo by Della Dash

Patient #0846 surveys his new location. Photo by Pat Donaldson

Recovery Means Going Home

At WildCare we are able to treat many of the injuries and illnesses that happen to individual animals. But what happens when they are well and ready to be released if there is nowhere for them to go?  How do you go home when home is gone?

The Burrowing Owl

You may have seen the story of the Burrowing Owl Release (click to see video) on the evening news on October 21. WildCare first saw Patient #0846 on June 17. He had been found in downtown Oakland, unable to fly, and was taken to Lila Travis at Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue in Oakland, who stabilized him before transferring him to WildCare for specialized care. He had lost a number of feathers, and the remaining ones were badly frayed and damaged.

The bird ate well, but continued to lose weight and feathers for several weeks, possibly as a result of the stress of capture. Luckily, many birds molt in late summer, and by July 13 there were indications that new feathers were growing in. Patient #0846 remained stable, and by August 13 he was beginning to be able to fly again, even though his feathers were still developing.

It became apparent that the tiny owl (weighing less than 1/3 pound) would be releasable, but where? WildCare contacted Rich Stallcup, Point Reyes Bird Observatory naturalist who suggested Arrowhead Marsh near the Oakland Airport. "It has a year-round breeding colony of Burrowing Owls coexisting with ground squirrels," he told WildCare staffer Cindy Dicke. "A long time ago they poisoned the squirrels and killed the owls. They've learned their lesson about the unintended consequences of poisons," he concluded. Another potential release site was in Cesar Chavez Park in Oakland, and it was determined that this would be the best release site for our owl. 

Habitat loss

The Western Burrowing Owl population has a been in decline for decades, and it is now considered a Species of Special Concern in California. It is easy to generalize that the loss of many species is due to loss and degradation of habitat because of human development, toxic contaminants and invasive species, but it becomes personal when you are confronted with the plight of one individual animal.

This owl needed a wide open, grassy area for foraging during the winter months. In recent years, four to six Burrowing Owls have over-wintered each year in Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley where there is an ample supply of food and many California Ground Squirrel burrows, in which the owls roost at night. The owl habitat in this park is protected as a mitigation for the loss of habitat from the construction of the nearby Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex, but human visitors and dogs still sometimes cause disturbances.

Habitat restoration

The City of Berkeley and Golden Gate Audubon organized a volunteer work day on October 2 to make Cesar Chavez Park safer for the wintering Burrowing Owls. Volunteers cleared non-native weeds and erected a temporary fence to discourage disturbances. Volunteer docents regularly visit the spot to monitor the owls and provide educational materials for park visitors.

According to Mike Lynes, Golden Gate Audubon's Conservation Director, "This program provides the owls with a little safe haven in the park, and offers park visitors an opportunity to learn more about the Burrowing Owls and perhaps to see them up close. It's a chance for people, dogs and wildlife to share the park."

Home for the winter

On Friday, October 10 Patient #0846 was released. "The timing could not be better," said Golden Gate Audubon Executive Director Mark Welther. "Volunteers cleaned up the area, set up a protective fence, the first Burrowing Owls returned and now [WildCare] Patient #0846 is ready to be released-- all in the same week."

WildCare's Director of Animal Care Melanie Piazza reported, "We are thrilled that, thanks to the fine efforts of GGA and the City of Berkeley, people will have a rare opportunity to view an endangered species in an urban setting."

On October 21, an email from the GGA docent Della Dash gave us the wonderful news that WildCare Patient #0846 had established his own spot.

She emailed us to say, "Thanks again for all your hard work on this project -- we REALLY appreciate WildCare's involvement. I also wanted to let you know that I've been checking on your owl, and when I went out on Sunday, he was comfortably behind the fence, at the most southern end -- sitting atop a large boulder near a big burrow."

"Yesterday I checked again, and he was in the dirt near the rocks to the right of the large boulder he had been using, still behind the fence. So, I guess he's comfortable there, and has made peace with the other owls we saw."

Click to see more photos of the restoration work.

Click to view video of the release.

Patient #0846 release photos taken by WildCare Volunteer Steve Blackmon. Click each image to see a larger version.

Many species can successfully share habitat. The trick is to find the balance that works for everyone. This photo shows a Novato housing deveopment built over a California Ground Squirrel colony. Photo by JoLynn Taylor

California Ground Squirrel at Cesar Chavez Park by Della Dash

California Ground Squirrel. Photo by David Taylor

Sharing works for them. Are we evolved enough? Photo from WildCare archives

Sharing Habitat

WildCare's work happens in the places where wildlife and people interact. As people seek a better relationship with the earth, it is becoming more and more clear that WildCare's message of mutual respect for the needs of wild animals is the right approach. Native Americans understood this relationship better than many of us do now, because they realized they were a part of nature, not separate from it.

While we struggle to learn how to make room for wildlife, we can look at one inter-species relationship that works well. Ground squirrels and Burrowing Owls have developed a partnership that works for both.

Who's endangered here?

California Ground Squirrels, as a species, could hardly be called at-risk, even though they are being displaced by development in suburban areas. In agricultural areas they are frequently listed as a pest species. Often they are poisoned, a practice that harms other species in the food chain.

Ground Squirrels are actually a "keystone" species, like the Prairie Dog. They are important prey animals for many carnivores and assist in the aeration of soil with their excavations. Their burrows provide habitats for many other species, including the Burrowing Owl, which is listed by U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife as a "Bird of conservation concern."

Burrowing Owls and ground squirrels

Burrowing Owls have a symbiotic relationship with ground squirrels -- they have developed a strategy for acquiring burrows without having to dig them. While under some circumstances the owls are able to excavate their own burrows, most often they use burrows dug and abandoned by ground squirrels.

The two species have a lot in common. They both live in colonies and like the same habitat. Because these owls are active both day and night, the ground squirrels gain an extra pair of eyes to watch for predators. The owls gain lodging and access to dung beetles that live in the cool, moist environment of rodent burrows.

Dung beetles make up more than 65% of a Burrowing Owl's diet. Burrowing Owls have long been known to scatter bits of manure around their burrows, and there is some speculation that this might be a form of baiting to attract the beetles. A type of beetle that eats rodent dung may be an additional benefit to sharing territory with ground squirrels. Click to read more.

Habitat Preference

Burrowing Owls usually choose their homes in flat grassy areas, because they hunt by running rapidly along the ground and catching their prey, or by hovering above it and pouncing. Being only nine inches tall, they don't like the vegetation near their burrows to get taller than six inches. They will forsake their burrows if the vegetation gets too high.

Unfortunately for the owls, flat grassy areas are the preferred habitat for human housing developments, too.

It is becoming clear that, as the human population increases, the need for us to protect and restore habitat is vital. Species die out when there is no place for them to safely raise their young. If you do live in a place where California Ground Squirrels also live and work, there are things you can do to help support the Burrowing Owls that are also their neighbors.

	Don't use herbicides, pesticides and rodenticides. Ask your garden supply store to take them off the shelves and replace them with natural solutions to control weeds
	Plant native plants and flowers in your garden to encourage local insects and support the mice and voles the owls like to eat in spring
	Volunteer in habitat restoration projects to remove non-native, invasive species of plants and replace them with native grasses and flowers. It is not only good for the earth, it is great exercise for you!

Click for a look at the successful Giacomini Marsh Restoration in Point Reyes at BayNature.org

Turkey Tail (Stereum hirsutum) © Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

Witches Butter (Tremella mesenterica). The scientific name comes from "treme" – to tremble and "mesentery" – small bowel. Photo courtesy of Henderson State University

Bird's Nest Fungus (Crucibulum laeve). The force of a single raindrop can splash the spore "eggs" out of the nest as far as seven feet away. Photo by Kent Loeffler, © Cornell University

Dog Vomit Slime Mold (Physarum polycephalum) is always a favorite with little boys on our field trips. The yellow blob is a huge single cell containing millions of nuclei. This giant cell moves, but only at a top speed of 1 mm per hour! Photo accompanies article by Ransom Riggs in mentalfloss.com

Brown Slime Mold covers the limb of a redwood tree. Photo by Stephen Sillett of Humboldt State University Institute for Redwood Ecology.

All That Rain Promises...

by Marge Gibbs, Nature Van Naturalist

November is a great time for a walk in the watershed. The early rains have instigated the winter changes that begin another cycle of renewal. You'll see birds and insects, certainly. You may see a mammal – maybe a squirrel. But you are more likely to find interesting natural life forms in places few think to look – under logs. With luck you might find a salamander or a centipede, but you are certain to find some things even more interesting if you understand their place in the big scheme of things – fungi and slime molds.

In autumn, plants drop their leaves to conserve energy. Animals eke out what little moisture they can find in leaves, or move to places where they can still find a little water left in streams or ponds. But with the first rains come the promise of food, water and renewal. Where do all those fallen leaves go, anyway?

The Decomposers

Decomposition is the answer, but it doesn't happen by itself. Trees and plants decompose into a mix of water, mineral and living matter, and, with the help of microbes, gradually turn into soil with. Leaves contain cellulose and lignin, which are hard for insects to digest. Bacteria and fungi soften them, removing the tannins and breaking them down into small, easy-to-eat pieces. Insects take over, add feces, and decaying matter transforms into fertile topsoil ready to support plant life. And it all starts with a little water.

In the suburbs where voracious European earthworms have been introduced, this process is very rapid. In the forests, the job is done by other microbial organisms that work at a much slower pace. Fungi and slime molds are just two of these workers, and are some of the most interesting and beautiful organisms to look for on a walk in the woods.

Fungi

Mushrooms are the reproductive structures or "fruit" of certain fungi. The part of the fungus that digests nutrients is underground -- a web of threads called mycelium. Fungi produce enzymes that break down organic matter into chemicals that are absorbed through their cell walls.

Mycorrhizal fungi form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of plants where nutrients are exchanged. Some plants depend on this relationship to survive.

Slime Molds

A decaying log seems an unlikely place to find one of nature's most extraordinary creatures, but if you search carefully, especially after a period of rainy weather, you might find some amazing organisms called slime molds.

Slime molds, or myxomycetes, are not molds. They are protists, related to protozoans and algae. Their reproductive fruiting bodies come in diverse forms and colors, and contain the spores by which they reproduce.

Unlike fungi, which have more plant-like characteristics, slime molds have qualities normally associated with animals. Slime molds can move. For most of its life, a slime mold exists as a thin, free-living mass of protoplasm. As it moves, it feeds on bacteria and tiny bits of organic matter.

Luckily they don't move fast. Unlike "The Blob," the classic horror film based on these interesting life forms, they go about their business without showing the least bit of interest in us.

A Turkey on the Doorstep

photos by Cynthia Smith

It sounds like a gift ordered for a holiday feast, doesn't it? But one San Rafael resident was concerned because this particular turkey was looking her in the eye expectantly. Cynthia Smith called WildCare.

Living with Wildlife Hotline receptionist Joyce Bourassa talked to her at length about a situation which is becoming more common in Marin every day -- Wild Turkeys are moving in to suburban neighborhoods. Cynthia wanted to know the right thing to do.

Wild Turkeys are discovering that their natural predators – coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions – generally avoid human-inhabitated areas. This fact makes a turkey's life in suburbia much more comfortable. Ample food sources are another incentive to move to the suburbs.

Cynthia did some research and discovered that feeding turkeys bread wasn't good for them. Other suggestions were conflicting, so she called WildCare. We could tell her for certain that feeding them anything is the wrong thing to do. Feeding any wild species can create unnaturally high populations, facilitate the transmission of parasites and diseases and, in the turkeys' case, make them more susceptible to being hit by cars. 

Wild turkeys are opportunistic omnivores. Like most birds, the young ones eat large quantities of insects and other animal matter for the protein they need to develop. When they mature, about 90 percent of their diet comes from plants, such as the green foliage of grasses, vines and forbs. They will also eat acorns, buds, seeds, fruits of various types and even salamanders. During the day they forage in flocks on the ground scratching in the earth to uncover food, and roost in trees at night.

A Different Perspective

Cynthia was intrigued by the new animal in her neighborhood. She did a bit of research about turkeys and she shared some of her findings and observations with us.

Many Native American tribes view the turkey as a symbol of abundance and fertility. The turkey was the guest of honor (sacrificial, that is) in various fertility and gratitude ceremonies. The Creek tribes still practice the turkey dance during their annual fire festivals. Turkey feathers are also used in ritual.

Male turkeys were honored for their beauty and essence of cocky pride. Turkeys (like peacocks) give clear signs of agitation prior to poor weather conditions. This was often seen as the ability to foretell the weather. The turkey is also a symbol of male virility and pride. This isn't surprising when we observe male turkeys in the wild. They are quite noble looking as they strut and fan their impressive plumage.

By the end of the nineteenth century, the Wild Turkey had been hunted almost to extinction in much of its original range. If Benjamin Franklin had had his way, the wild turkey would have been the symbol of the United States. He thought the Wild Turkey was more dignified than the Bald Eagle!

If you are having a problem with Wild Turkeys -- or any other wild animal, call WildCare. Our Living with Wildlife Hotline can help with natural history information and solutions to conflicts. 415-456-SAVE (7283).

Bring friends and enjoy American comfort food at Rickey's Restaurant in Novato on November 11 and WildCare will receive 40% of their profit that night.
"Coup d'Etat" by Christine Hansen
Baltimore Canyon Waterfall. Photo by Steve Schmitz
Baltimore Canyon Trail. Photo by Steve Schmitz
Hungry Owl Project's Evening with Owls offers the chance to meet owls in person, like Wookie the Barn Owl shown here with Alex Godbe. Photo by Star Dewar
You can meet Jewels the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake in WildCare's museum seven days a week! Click for directions to WildCare.
Winter Nature Camp at WildCare is great fun for kids in Kindergarten through Second Grade.

Do it!

Dine out for WildCare at Rickey's - November 11

Rickey's Restaurant in Novato has been celebrating its fifth anniversary this year by donating 40 percent of the food and beverage revenue they earn on the second Wednesday of each month to selected non-profit organizations. Read about this great program in the Marin Scope. This month, on November 11, WildCare will be the recipient of a generous 40% of their revenue.

Rickey's Restaurant & Bar is located at Highways 37 and 101 in Novato. Serving American comfort food locally sourced, Rickey's is open for dinner and cocktails daily. This would be a great time to enjoy an evening out and benefit WildCare at the same time. Make your reservations for November 11 today by calling (415) 883-9477.

See the Winners of the Living with Wildlife Photography Contest Presented by Tamalpais Bank

It's official! "Coup d'Etat" by Christine Hansen is the Best in Show photograph in this year's contest!

But who won in the other categories? And after over 1,400 votes, which photograph is the People's Choice? Click to visit our photo contest page and find out the official results! Then join us on November 12 at 6pm for the Photographers' Reception at the Tamalpais Bank Northgate Branch. Click to RSVP.

WildCare Family Adventures/Aventuras Familiares – November 14

Join WildCare naturalists for a Saturday out in nature the whole family can enjoy. On November 14, we'll explore Baltimore Canyon Park. Take a stroll and look for wildlife in various habitats, including a redwood forest and chaparral. Meet at the Crown Road Trailhead at the end of Crown Road, off Evergreen Drive near Ridgecrest, in Kentfield.

All WildCare Family Adventures/Aventuras Familiares hikes are free to the public and start at 10:00am at the trailhead. They are offered in both English and Spanish. If you prefer to caravan to park locations, we'll meet at 9:30am at the Canal Alliance at 91 Larkspur Street in San Rafael. For more information call (415) 453-1000 x17 or email Juan-Carlos Solis at juancarlos@wildcarebayarea.org.

Spend the Evening With Owls - November 20

The Hungry Owl Project (HOP) announces its 5th annual Evening with Owls on Friday, November 20, from 6 - 9:30pm at the Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross. The $75 ticket price includes a light dinner, wine, beer and nonalcoholic drinks, with speakers, live educational owls and a live auction. This event provides major funding for all of our programs, and it sells out every year! Purchase tickets at www.hungryowl.org.

Once again the always-entertaining Joe Mueller, Biology Instructor at College of Marin, will host the event. Joe will also give a talk about local owls commonly seen in Marin County. HOP volunteers will also speak: Maggie Rufo will discuss the Western Screech Owl, a common but not-often-seen owl resident in Marin, and Trinka Marris will present a brief overview of our latest projects and accomplishments. We are excited to announce the participation of Gina Farr of WildSoundStories.com, and appearances by live birds of prey, including a Snowy Owl, presented by Native Bird Connections of Martinez.

Meet Jewels

WildCare's newest Wildlife Ambassador finally has a name! Naming a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake may seem like a challenge, but more than 440 entries were submitted in our contest.

The winning name is Jewels, which suits this young snake to a T. The diamond pattern of his scales is both distinctive and beautiful, his eponymous rattle is a gorgeous accessory (and will gain an extra rattle every time he sheds!), and the name also honors our beloved staff member and friend Julie Malet who passed away in 2008. Julie would have been delighted that WildCare now has an educational rattlesnake and that he was named in her honor. Marian Eschen submitted the winning name. Congratulations, Marian!

Click to learn more about Jewels and some amazing facts about rattlesnakes!

Winter Nature Camp at WildCare

Let your kids go wild this winter at a WildCare Winter Nature Camp!

Children in Kindergarten through First Grade can join us for Nature Detectives and learn about tracks, fur, feathers and more. December 21 - 23, 2009

Children in First or Second Grade will enjoy Winter Wonderland and learn how animals survive the cold of winter. December 28 - 30, 2009.

Click for the Winter Nature Camp flyer with more information (PDF).

Click for the print-and-mail Winter Nature Camp Registration Form (PDF).

For more information or to register by phone, contact Anya Pamplona at 415-453-1000 x12 or by email at anyapamplona@wildcarebayarea.org.

Up and Flying in Olema

photos and story by Melanie Piazza, Director of Animal Care

The Olema Raptor Aviary is well on its way to recovery, thanks to the combined efforts of the WildCare family of volunteers, staff and our fabulous donors who made it all possible!

After more than 15 years' exposure to ultraviolet light, and damage from wind and storms, we had to give up on our old aviary. The enclosure had been a pre-fabricated structure made of a metal frame covered with black shadecloth. It was only usable for raptors and other birds because it was too easy for larger mammals to break through, and for smaller predators to breach.

Doris Duncan of Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue has been building enclosures in her new facility all year, and has been very generous in housing some of our patients when she had space. Jason Gooch of Orion Homes, Inc. has worked with her to help build many of their cages. When we began to plan our new aviary, Doris and Jason came with me to Olema to inspect the existing structure to see what could be done.

The replacement materials used for the old aviary were no longer available, so that wasn't an option. In any case, we wanted the new structure to be more predator-proof and be able to accommodate large mammals as well as raptors.

We came up with a plan to build onto the existing metal frame. It will be built like our San Rafael caging, with plywood walls about four feet high and wood slats on the walls above, similar to falconers' mews and raptor rehabilitation enclosures. We will keep the center dividers so that we can use the space for more patients whenever necessary.

Jason's company agreed to do the work for this for us at an extrememly discounted rate. The new structure should last longer than the first, hopefully 20 years!

We had a volunteer work party day on Saturday, September 5 to clean up the area so Jason's workers could start work in October. Jim Cairnes of Small World Tree Company cut all the trees back around the aviary at no cost. These trees were part of the reason the old aviary was so badly damaged.

Painting and finishing work still needs to be done, but thanks to everyone who made this happen -- and that includes every member, donor and organization that helps WildCare do ALL the work we do -- we are nearly there! Watch for our grand opening event in WildCare's eNews.

Great Gift Ideas for November