Maggie

Running really late tonight...

I spent the afternoon at The Wildlife Center of Virginia, taking part in a photography workshop! This is Maggie, the Peregrine Falcon. Her story:

Maggie hatched in the spring of 2014 – atop a building in downtown Richmond that was on the Richmond Falcon Cam. Two days after fledging from her nest, the young falcon crashed into a building, severely damaging her left eye and fracturing the tip of her beak. Wildlife Center veterinarians treated Maggie’s eye with medication for several weeks, but about a month after admission, the veterinary team had to surgically remove the damaged eye. With only one eye, Maggie cannot see well enough to be released back into the wild.
Maggie’s naming rights were auctioned off at the Center’s annual gala in November 2014. A group of secret schemers pooled their funds and won – and promptly gifted the naming rights to director of outreach Amanda Nicholson, one of Maggie’s trainers. Amanda chose to honor the falcon’s Richmond roots – after all, Peregrine Falcons are not all that common in Virginia, and the nesting Richmond falcons have contributed significantly to the Virginia population. Maggie is named in honor of Richmonder Maggie Walker [1867 – 1934], who was a well-known teacher, the first woman president of a bank, and advocate for people with disabilities.

While I was at The Center, I asked Amanda, who is Maggie's usual handler, about yesterday's bats and learned that:

1. The baby has been transferred to a rehabber that specializes in bats.
2. The mama bat was given a c-section because the presentation of those twins looked all wrong. They died almost immediately thereafter - sad - but interesting because they were enormous compared to the original orphan. He weighed 2.7 grams, and each of the twins weighed something like 5.6 grams! Crazy. 
3. Mama is doing well and with any luck at all will be able to be released soon.

The extra photo is Alex, the Eastern Screech Owl. Her story:

Alex was brought to The Wildlife Center in November 2007.  She had been found by a road in Wythe County.  Alex had a left wing fracture and damage to both eyes.  While the wing fracture healed, Alex cannot be released back to the wild because of her limited vision.