News From The Mews

I abandoned the idea of obtaining accurate length measurements on our snakes several years ago after struggling with Emory. She just did not want to straighten out! Emory did not want to straighten out for me in 2018! This week I was excited to catch Digger, the hognose snake, slithering along the front window of her habitat in a mostly-straight line. I grabbed a tape measure and estimated her length at 32 inches. No struggle needed!

Naturalist Intern Rosie and I watched as Digger the hognose snake rubbed her nose along rocks and hides in her habitat. A bit of skin had separated along her neck, but she seemed to be having trouble loosening the skin on her nose. Once that end was free, Digger would be able to slither right out of her old skin. I knew Digger would figure it out, but I wanted to help. Humidity can help loosen snake skin, so I lightly misted around Digger. Normally, she would avoid the water. But today, she lifted her chin into the mist. I wonder if she knew the extra moisture would help! Digger seemed to enjoy a mist bath!

As we wrap up each live raptor program, I discuss the effect DDT, a powerful insecticide, had on raptor populations. The chemical caused eagles, osprey, and peregrine falcons to lay thinned-shelled eggs that cracked easily. DDT was eventually banned in the United States 1972 due to these environmental impacts. Since I didn't live through the time of this wonder-chemical, I enjoy hearing stories from people who experienced it. Last week, an audience member shared a childhood memory of visiting their family cabin. The old log structure hosted many mosquitos inside and out. He explained how his mother used to spray the bedroom with a fog of DDT as the kids crawled into bed.  At this week's program, one audience member shared that their father worked at the lab that received the first shipment of DDT in the US. They were amazed at how well it controlled fly populations in barns. In hindsight, of course, we know they could have tamed their enthusiasm for this chemical. But I imagine...

I peered into Carson's mew through the dusty screen. Dust was stacked high in each of the screen's little mesh holes. I imagined how many Who-villes must be established on all of these specks - Horton would have his hands full protecting them all!  Look at all those specks and potential Who-villes! Our raptor mews are covered with a layer of screen to keep mosquitoes out. The screens always become matted with dust, feather particles, pollen, and cobwebs. Wiping with a washcloth will remove some of it, but they still look grungy.  Then this mesh screen cleaner came across my internet searches. The angled fibers promised to scrub both sides of the screen at once. I thought it might be worth a try. Back in the mews, I wished all the Whos good luck as I swept the specialized brush down the screen. I was delighted to see a cloud of dust puff away from the screen. It worked better than a washcloth!

As my family waited for our pizza at Lakewoods Resort, I looked out over Lake Namakagon and remembered sharing this view with Aldo the American Kestrel. Ten years ago, I snapped a photo after a raptor program here and turned it into my third News From The Mews blog post. Here's a look back at that post: Sometimes even a kestrel needs time to relax after a busy day of work. Aldo had the opportunity to enjoy the view of Lake Namakagon after an outreach program at Lakewoods Resort this week.  As he watched boaters coming and going on the lake, I had a great view of the back of his head. In this photo, you can see the black spots on his nape. These “ocelli” are thought to act as false eyes. They might protect the kestrel from a predator like a Cooper’s or Red-tailed Hawk. The spots might also prevent angry songbirds from getting too close when trying to chase off a kestrel. In either case, they will wait to attack until they have the element of surprise. If the kestrel’s trick works, t...

If you've been following my articles, you may know that little things can delight me. One of those little things tickled my fancy this week when I spotted a few plastic dog kennels at the UCC garage sale.  I began picturing our emergency bird crate at the Museum. The crate sits outside, just in case a fire or other disaster prevents us from entering the building. The emergency crate could help us evacuate one of the birds. Unfortunately our emergency crate was pretty janky. A creative person, long ago, modified this crate to stand upright on the metal door. The old emergency crate. (click for larger image) I've only kept it because it would theoretically hold a bird in an emergency.  When I saw the crates at the UCC sale, I realized we could finally replace it with an affordable, more reliable option. My eyes lit up when I saw this particular crate. It's an old style that I can't find online anymore. The plastic is more sturdy and it has perfectly placed ergonomic hand ...