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       ACT  Wildlife  Newsletter      January  2015  

Events   Sn ak es Alive 12-18 Jan u ary O rien tation & First Aid 18 Ja nu ary Ba sic Bird trainin g 1 Fe bru ary O rien tation & First Aid 21 Febru ary AG M 22 Febru ary Ca n be rra S how st 27,28 Feb- 1 M arch Ba sic Possum Ca re 8 M arch Bu n n in gs B BQ 22 M arch Advan ce d Birds 19 April  

Welcome  to  2015  and  another  year  of  caring  for  the  native  animals  of  the  A CT.    I  apologise   for  the  lack  of  a  newsletter  for  so  long.    Spring  has  been  really  busy  and  we  have  also   conducted  a  few  training  sessions.       TRAINING    Thanks    to  our  able  and  well-­‐practised  training  coordinator,  Judy.  Judy  books   the   venues,   organises   the   training   day   administration,   morning   and   afternoon   teas   and   communicates   with   all   carers.     Thanks   to   the   trainers   this   year,   Kirstie,   Ingrid,   Martin,   Dorothy,  Michelle  and  Megan.    We  have  held  14  training  sessions  in  2014  to  keep  up  with   the  needs  of  new  and  continuing  carers.  Without  the  sponsorship  of  the  Lions  Youth  Haven   we  could  not  have  managed.    They  provide  the  venue  for  free,  as  does  the  Mitchell  Parks   and  Conservation  Depot.   FUNDRAISING     We   continue   to   fundraise   and   held   a   small   raffle   in   November   which   consisted  of    chocolates.    It  was  won  by  one  of  our  members,  Shan.    Now  we  are  running  a  large  raffle  -­‐  a   huge  hamper,  a  giant  Toblerone  and  tickets  to   the   National  Zoo  and  Aquarium   and  Hoyts  movie   tickets  (and   more!!).     Thank   you   to  everyone   who   donated   the   contents   of   the   hamper.     It   is   estimated   to   be   worth   $500!     This   will   continue  until  the  Canberra  Show  weekend.    Please  step  forward  if  you  can  sell  tickets.  The   more   money  we  can   raise   the  sooner   we  can   subsidise   food   to   carers   who   need   to  buy  for   their  animals.   A   great   steady   income   has   come   from   fundraiser   chocolates.     We   will   be   ordering   more   chocolates   later   this   month.     If   you   have   sweet-­‐toothed   workmates   email   [email protected]   for   a   box   or   two.     You   are   asked   to   pay   up-­‐front   for   the   chocolates  ($50)  as  that  saves  double  handling  with  money.     1  

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Coordinators: Mammals - Martin Lind 6288 7177 Birds - Marg Peachey 6231 3210 0450 961 530 Reptiles - Ingrid Singh 0414 540 925 Overall – Marg Peachey 0450 961 530 Training - Judy Tett 6231 4436 [email protected]

Phone - Marg Peachey 0450 961 530 Fundraising Heather Peachey 0407 494 680 [email protected]

Education - Vacant Sewing - Vacant Aviaries/Equip - Martin Lind 6296 6400 (w) Food supplies Coin Calderwood 0449 089 914 (Weston) Andy Caldwell 6292 6417 (Isabella Plains)

EVENTS     Towards   the   end   of   2014   ACT   Wildlife   volunteers   attended   several   public   events:       Thanks   to   Denise   and   many   helpers   ACT  Wildlife   had   a   presence   at   the  Living   Green   Festival   and   Eco   Action   day.   In   addition   we   have   been   offered   a   free   stall   at   the   Canberra  Show.    If  you  would  like  free  entry  to  the  show  and  help  on  our  stall  please  let   Heather  know   at  [email protected]       We   will   need  a   roster   to  fill   all   three   days.    Shifts  of  2-­‐3  hours  would  be  very  helpful.     AVIARIES   During   the   year   we   applied   for   an   ACT   Government   Environment   grant   to   purchase  aviaries   to   help   carers  start  caring   sooner.       The  aviaries   will  be  on   loan  to   you   whilst   you   are   an   ACT   Wildlife   carer.   If   you   need   an   aviary  please   let   Martin   know   what   size   would  work  best  in   your  backyard.    Martin   also  works   for  waterwatch  and  can  be   contacted  on  [email protected]      

JOB  VACANCIES      -­‐-­‐  To  facilitate  better  care  for  our  wildlife  we  need  your  help     Phone Coordinator   -­‐   Recruit new phone people from current and new members and ensure the roster is filled. It means keeping an eye on the roster, keeping the carers list current, getting to know everyone and distributing new information as it comes to hand. Bird Coordinator     -­‐  Be responsible for housing avian species together by keeping up to date with database entries. Assist the phone operator with placing birds with carers with the appropriate skills and equipment. Newsletter Editor – Source information from members/carers and other interesting places for a quarterly newsletter.   Aviary relocation and assembling coordinator - from time to time we are donated an aviary which then needs to be collected (and usually requires dismantling) and taken to a carer and reassembled. Aviary team members - to assist with the above and be willing to be in a team and help out when required, if you are free at the time. Craft team - Are there any crafty people out there who would like to make items for sale at stalls? We need ideas and people to help. Some ideas that come to mind are Christmas cards, paintings, small stuffed “wildlife” etc. Please call Marg if you can help 0450 961 530

 

Thanks to the fellows at Tuggeranong Men’s Shed. They have produced 25 possum boxes for ACT Wildlife carers/possums. Thanks to Martin for organising this. Hopefully it will be a partnership into the future. Black Pacific Duck  

Australian Wood Duck 2  

  FEATURING  THE  CALLAWAY  FAMILY                        WRITTEN  BY  KUMIKO  CALLAWAY  

I have 5 children aged 5-14 who all help to care for wildlife. My husband is always helping around me, including building aviaries and doing any housework when I am occupied by caring. I have cared for over 50 birds so far, most of which came in as nestlings or fledglings. My first Spring as a carer started with baby magpies in late September. Feeding them every 20 minutes and removing the faecal sacs was a completely new experience. Each bird has a different appearance and character and I enjoyed getting to know each of them. I have been monitoring the 11 magpie juveniles, which we soft released at our house. It is interesting to observe some older ones choosing to look after the younger ones, such as giving mealworms into their beak. In December parrots took over the aviaries. At 6am daily we collect fresh eucalyptus branches with buds, flowers and seed capsules, bark and various grass seeds for them to enjoy. Releasing is the trickiest but most rewarding experience. Soft release worked the best for those who came into care as nestlings. We are not able to fly together and protect them but soft release enables us to offer them a smooth transition. I always think of how their real parents would do it and try to match it as much as possible. Release timing is a key factor for the better transition and adaptation to the wild.

Olive-­‐backed  Oriole  

Satin  Bowerbird  

The other day I received a brown jumpy fledgling, that had a fluffy head, big feed and loud calls. He was identified as a Figbird at the vet but Figbirds are not found in the ACT, so the next closest guess was the Olive-backed Oriole. I searched the images of those species but he is not quite the same. I couldn’t get to sleep without knowing the correct species and decided to look through the pages of the field guide for every possible bird and narrowed them down by the size and shape of head and beak etc. I searched possible species’ images and recordings and finally came to the conclusion of the Satin Bowerbird! He doesn’t look like parents at all but he certainly has the same beautiful dark purple eyes.  

Rescuing, caring and releasing wildlife is one of the best experiences of my life. Observing their progress and development is amazing. I would like to pay my sincere gratitude to my mentor, Marg, who always makes herself available whenever I need her advice. I will endeavour to keep learning to find the best possible care for beautiful wildlife so that they can be returned back to the wild safely and smoothly.

Annual General Meeting Our inaugural AGM will be held on 22nd February at Lions Youth Haven, Kambah Pool Road. The outgoing committee will provide lunch at 12.30, AGM at 2pm. Come along and hear how ACT Wildlife has performed as a new group over the year.  

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    ACT  Wildlife  has  an  information  table  at   Snakes  Alive.    If  you  would  like  to  drop  in  and   spend  an  hour  or  two  talking  to  members  of   the  public  at  this  exhibition  please  do.    Irahim   will  be  there  until  1pm  each  day  so  any  time   after  that  if  you  wanted  to  pop  in  –  just   mention  you  are  with  ACT  Wildlife  to  help  at   our  display  you  will  be  given  free  entry.   For  more  information  visit:   http://www.actha.org.au/snakes-­‐alive.html  

This  years  Canberra  Show  is  special  for  us  at  ACT  Wildlife.    We  have  been   offered   a   free   stall   space!     However   we   do   need   volunteers   to   man   our   stall  and  we  have  three  days  to  cover.       Bonus:    if  you  can  spend  two  or  three  hours  on  our  stall  we  can  give  you   free  entry  tickets.     We   hope   that   we   will   sell   a   lot   of   raffle   tickets   and   hand   out   a   lot   of   information   for   members   of   the   public.     The   more   people   who   know   about  us  the  more  native  animals  we  can  save  and  return  to  their  homes.   There  is  a  Google  doc  at   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UaoIZbNdUJA58kmDWd6lYN CMuMNA39I_EwafSAzf2Io/edit#gid=0.    Please  fill  in  your  preferred   times,  email  address  and  phone  number  and  we  will  arrange  for  tickets  to   get  you  in.  

Next training: Orientation and First Aid - incorporating Infection Control Sunday 18th January, at Lions Youth Haven, Kambah Pool Road Registration at 8.15am for an 8.45am start Please register with Judy at [email protected] The next Orientation and First Aid will be on held on the 21st February.  

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Statistics for 2014 For the 2014 calendar year:

Of  those  766  animals:  

 

There  will  be  a  more  comprehensive  breakdown  of   these  stats  at  the  AGM.      54%  of  the  animals  in  care   were  released.    This  is  an  excellent  result  and  our  carers   are  to  be  congratulated.   There  are  27  households  actively  caring  for  animals.  

  Thank  you  to  each  and  every  one  of  you.     Not  only  are  you  caring  for  animals  but   many  of  you  are  also  rescuing,  manning  the   phone,  picking  up  from  vets  and  the   members  of  the  public.    A  job  very  well  done.      

Are  you  experiencing  Compassion  Fatigue?     Definition:  Compassion  fatigue  –  the  exhaustion  caused  by  the  demands  of  being  empathetic   and  helpful  to  those  who  are  suffering.   Many  of  you  are  new  carers.    To  start  off  we  try  to  give  you  animals  that  are  likely  to  survive.  But  of  course   this  isn’t  necessarily  how  it  turns  out.   Most  animals  come  into  care  are  traumatised  from  their  encounter  with  cars,  pets,  people  etc.  The  stress   suffered  is  enormous.    Remember  stress  is  a  silent  killer.  The  natural  defence  for  all  animals  is  to  mask   their  stress.  Quite  often  we  think  the  animal  is  OK  but  sometimes  their  stress  is  too  much  and  they  die  for   what  we  think  as  ‘no  apparent  reason’.     Caring  is  not  easy  and  it  is  never  straightforward.     If  you  find  yourself  asking  “Why  am  I  doing  this,  and  what  is  the  use  if  most  of  these  animals  are  dying?”  If   you  are  feeling  depressed  or  upset  please  talk  to  someone.  This  could  be  a  friend,  a  work  colleague,  other   carers  or  your  mentor.      All  carers  will  experience  passion  fatigue  at  some  point  during  their  caring.  A   burden  shared  is  burden  halved.   Caring  for  wildlife  is  about  the  animals  you  are  able  to  return  to  the  wild  as  well  as  giving  the  ones  that   don’t  make  it  a  more  gentle  ending.   For  further  information  on  passion  fatigue  please  visit…….   https://www.petfinder.com/pro/for-­‐shelters/animal-­‐care-­‐professionals/   https://www.petfinder.com/pro/for-­‐shelters/compassion-­‐fatigue/   And  a  paper  from  a  wildlife  carer:    http://www.awrc.org.au/uploads/5/8/6/6/5866843/greggordon.pdf  

 

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Membership Subscriptions are now due (1st January), to be paid before the end of January, for all who joined before 1st October, 2014 Please transfer $20 to BSB 633-000 a/c 151980604 and mark the deposit with your surname followed without a space by subs and send an email to [email protected] or post a cheque to Treasurer, ACT Wildlife, 22 Severne Crescent, Kambah ACT 2902. We also accept cash at training sessions.

I  would  like  to  thank  our  new   volunteers  for  transport  help  and   phone  duties  that  have  come  to   us  via  Volunteering  ACT.   ACT  Wildlife  appreciates  having   you  join  us  to  help  out  in  our  busy   times  so  carers  can  concentrate   more  on  caring  for  injured,  sick   and  orphaned  native  animals.  

Things  to  watch  out  for  at  this  time  of  the  year   In  the  last  half  of  summer  we  expect  to  see  juvenile  galahs  coming  into  care  because  they  have  Psittacosis.   Psittacosis   is   a   type   of   lung   infection   caused   by   the   bacteria   Chlamydia   psittaci.     Parrots,   and   sometimes   canaries,   poultry   and  pigeons  carry  it.    It  is   a  ZOONOTIC  disease  and  humans  can  become   infected  by  inhaling   faecal  and  feather   dust.      Watch  your  cleaning  methods    -­‐  a  wet  clean  of  cages  –  and  wash  hands  after  handling  each  bird.   The  symptoms   (in   birds)   is  lime-­‐green   coloured   diarrhoea.     They  may  also  have   a   discharge   around  their   nostrils   and   eyes   and   a   stained   beak.   This   is   endemic   in   the   galah   population   and   we   suspect   it   is   natures   way   of   regulating   the   numbers  with  survival  of  the  fittest.    Many  of  these  birds  come  into  care  because  they  have  been  hit  by  cars  or  picked  up   because  they  are  not  flying.      They  are  weakened  by  the  disease.   Studies   have   shown   that   galahs   that   weigh  less   than  250   grams  never  recover   and   should   be   euthanased.     If   you   are   required   to  pick  up   a  galah  from   the  VET  ask   them  whether   it   has  a  green  stained  cloaca  and  under  tail  feathers   and   weighs  under  250  grams.  Always  ask  the  Vet  the  weight  and  describe  the  symptoms.    This  may  save  you  a  wasted  trip.  

Thank  you  to  our  major   sponsors,  donors  and  to  all  the   Veterinary  practices  who  assist   ACT  Wildlife