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TRACKS Autumn 2018

- o n l i n e -

Upcoming Events

3rd Annual Wine, Oil, Tea &

Chocolate Tasting

October 21, 2018

Hickory Knolls Discovery Ctr

Wild About Wildlife

November 4, 2018

Hickory Knolls Discovery Ctr

17th Annual Dinner Auction

April 6, 2019

Piper’s Banquets

Baby Shower

April 14, 2019

Critter Classic Golf Outing

June 14, 2019

Open House

October 6, 2019

Wine Tasting

October 20, 2019

Wild About Wildlife

November 3, 2019

Inside This Issue

pages 1-2

The American Kestrel

2019 FVWC Photo Contest

pages 3-4

Upcoming Event

Raising Goslings

And the Winners Are

pages 5-6

Raccoons, Rabbits and Robins . . .

Oh My!

Did You Know - Owls

page 7

Thank You for Your Support

Memberships, Memorials,

Tributes

A heartfelt thank-you

for your continued support.

While we are grateful to be in a position to help all of

our wild neighbors, we count ourselves particularly fortu-

nate to work with our native birds of prey. Notable among

our recent patients was an American

Kestrel that was brought to us in No-

vember of 2017. This unfortunate bird

had a list of injuries, including a frac-

tured femur, a swollen wing and a

gouged beak. He also appeared unable

to fly for a while because he showed

signs of significant dehydration and

loss of body condition. While kestrels

are the smallest falcon in North Ameri-

ca, this little guy clocked in at only 93

grams (the average for a male is 111 grams).

His jester-like face, indignant calls and food hoarding

tendencies quickly won us over and we were relieved to find

that he had no problem self-feeding. We provided him with

some much-needed pain medication as

well as a course of antibiotics and con-

sulted with Dr. Christine Wilmes of the

Millbrook Animal Hospital and Dr. Brian

Peters of the Wheatland Animal Hospital

for his care. After receiving surgery on

his leg, he made a quick recovery, and

proceeded to pass his flight testing and

prey testing with “flying” colors! He was

recently released at the location where he

was found so he could return to his old

hunting grounds.

TRACKS Volume 18

Issue 3

Autumn

2018

F O X V A L L E Y W I L D L I F E C E N T E R N E W S L E T T E R

The American Kestrel . . . by Molly Craig, Animal Care Director

Kestrel released back to nature.

features

It’s all about me - the

AMERICAN

KESTREL

Facts About the American Kestrel

The American Kestrel, also known as the sparrow hawk, is about 9 to12 inches in length (tail tip to bill tip).

This small hawk has rust‐red back and tail feathers. The male has blue‐gray wing feathers, while the

female’s wing feathers are rust‐red. Both sexes have a black and white facial pattern with a black mark

extending down from each eye. When flying, the pointed wings and long thin tail of this bird are easy to see.

behaviors The American Kestrel is a common, permanent resident statewide in Illinois. It is often seen perching on

wires and in tree tops, particularly along roads. This bird is commonly found in urban as well as rural areas.

In summer, it frequents ungrazed grasslands and fallow fields. Winter habitats include cultivated fields,

hayfields, pastures and roadsides. Its call is a series of “klee” or “killy” notes. The kestrel’s nest is placed in

a tree cavity or other structure with a cavity in it, including nest boxes, old woodpecker holes and in eaves of

buildings. Little or no material is added to the nest cavity. The breeding season occurs in Illinois from April

through June. The female produces from three to five, tan eggs with dark markings. Eggs are laid on

alternate days. The female does most of the incubating over the 29 to 31 day incubation period. The kestrel

hovers when hunting for its insect, bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian prey items.

Thank you to Dr. Christine for her expertise, to Dr. Peters and his expert team at the Wildlife Repair Shop for performing femur surgery, and to the kestrel for being such a wonderful patient!

thank you

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Board of Directors

Andrea Krueger, President

Derek Chimenti William Grabarek Bryan Kimmell Faith LaShure Cheryl Schreck Nancy Thornton

Staff

Rob Schuman, Operations Dir.

Molly Craig, Animal Care Dir. Ashley Kendall, Marketing Mngr.

& Wildlife Rehabilitation Asst. Roberta Schroeder, Community

Relations Mngr.

Advisory Board

Sheri Askew, DVM Brian Kindle Pam Otto, St. Charles PD Rick Otto, DVM Brian Peters, DVM Adrienne Stras Richard Velders, DVM

Newsletter Design

Adrienne Stras

Contact FVWC

630-365-3800 fvwildlife@sbcglobal.net www.fvwc.org

Follow Us On

Fox Valley Wildlife Center

2019 FVWC Photo Contest

Give us your best shot!

Entry Fee

$10.00 per photo

Make checks payable to

Fox Valley

Wildlife Center

Photo Entry

Deadline

March 1, 2019

Prizes will be given for

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th

& 5th place

1. This contest is open to amateur photogra-

phers only (anyone who does not make more

than 25% of their yearly income from taking

and/or selling photographs).

2. Each entry must be accompanied with an

entry form and all submissions must be re-

ceived at the FVWC office address by Friday,

March 1 2019.

3. Winners will be announced at the Annual

Dinner Auction, held at Pipers Banquets in

Aurora. All contest entries will be displayed at

the event and the winning entries will be post-

ed on the FVWC website at www.fvwc.org.

Individuals with winning photographs will be

notified prior to the dinner.

4. The subject must be Illinois wildlife (including

mammals, birds, insects amphibians, reptiles,

fish, etc.). No human contact, please. Do-

mestic (cats, dogs, cows, etc.) and zoo ani-

mals are not eligible.

5. Entries may be color or black and white imag-

es, un-mounted and unframed. Print size

should be 8”x10”, but 5”x7” will be accepted.

6. You must be the sole author and owner of the

copyright in all photos entered.

7. Images must not have been digitally altered

in any way other than necessary burning,

dodging and cropping.

8. No limit on photos submitted.

9. Label all photo submissions with your name,

address, telephone number, email address, a

title for the photo, where the photo was taken

and the equipment used to take it.

10. Photos will not be returned. All photographs

will become the property of FVWC and may

be used for non-profit publications, web pag-

es, presentations and sales.

11. Judges appointed by the FVWC will choose

the winners. The judges’ decision on all mat-

ters relating to the competition is final.

12. First, second, third, fourth and fifth place

awards will be chosen.

13. Entries that do not adhere to the rules will be

disqualified.

14. FVWC can’t be held responsible for lost or

incomplete entries.

2019 WILDLIFE PHOTO CONTEST ENTRY FORM (Entry deadline March 1, 2019)

Name_________________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________________

City_________________________________________ State_______ Zip___________

Telephone_____________________________________________________________

Number of Entries (no limit) _________ Amount Enclosed ______________________

I agree to grant the Fox Valley Wildlife Center the rights and privileges detailed in the

official contest rules and I will abide by all contest rules and guidelines.

Signature ______________________________________________Date____________

Complete entry form and return to:

Wildlife Photo Contest Fox Valley Wildlife Center POBox 385 Elburn IL 60119-0385

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Thank You! Dr. Sheri Askew

Blue Goose Market, St. Charles

Hal and Karen Broten

CBCM - Chicago Bird Collision

Monitors

Custom Printing, Addison

Beth Graham

J&R Herra Heating and Air

Jewel, Sugar Grove

Laundry Services Company

Sue Mroch

MS/Astro Tool & Engineering, Inc

Northern Illinois Food Bank

Dr. Erin O’Connor

Dr. Brian Peters

Pets at Peace Crematory

Dr. Christine Wilmes

Bonnie Zagoren

ITEMS NEEDED The items included in these lists are im-portant to our mission and very much appreciated. Thank you for your support.

The Amazon Wish List is the most up-to-date list of immediate needs. Items can be shipped directly to the center.

Visit www.amazon.com >> Wishlist >> Fox Valley Wildlife Center

Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible Amazon Smile

Enjoy . . .

The complex characteristics

of several fine wine from

ONE HOPE

A sampling of artesian oils

from the OLIVE MILL in

Geneva

An assortment of loose leaf

teas from STEEPED TEA’S

A variety of chocolates from

THE COCOA EXCHANGE

To purchase pre-ordered tickets & save $5, go to our website at www.fvwc.org.

In October, join us at . . .

And in November, bring family and friends to . . .

3rd ANNUAL

WAND

N E

OIL, TEA & CHOCOLATE

TASTINGS

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21

2 - 5 pm

$25 preorder / $30 at door

Ticket price includes

tastings & appetizers

HICKORY KNOLLS

DISCOVERY CENTER

3795 Campton Hills Dr.

St. Charles

Meet our Education Animals

PREORDER YOUR TICKETS NOW & SAVE

Ticket Price includes Bowl of Chili or Cheese Soup, Corn Bread & Drink

TICKETS PreOrder . . . $10 Adults $5 Children $30 Family

At Event . . . $15 Adults $10 Children $40 Family

4 WAYS TO PURCHASE TICKETS

* On our Website www.fvwc.org

* Contact Andrea 630-987-0012

or email a-krueger@sbcglobal.net

* Send check before 10/27 to

FVWC POBox 385 Elburn, IL 60119

* At Event

7th Annual

Hickory Knolls

Discovery Cntr.

3795 Campton Hills Dr.

St. Charles IL 60175

Sunday

NOV 4

1-5pm

FLYING FOX CONSERVATION FUND Crafts

Bake Sale

& More

UPCOMING EVENTS

Then in April, our special fundraiser . . .

17th ANNUAL DINNER AUCTION

Save the Date

Piper’s Banquets

1295 Butterfield Rd

Aurora IL

$50 per person

Saturday

April 6, 2019

5-10 pm

For a complete list of items needed at the center see our Printable Wish List by going to www.fvwc.org >> Support Us >> Wishlist for Animals.

If you drop off a Wish List item, make sure you sign the donation log so we can send you a receipt of tax purposes.

A Special Thank You to

Kuipers Family Farm for making our Open House

so special with their donuts, pies and pumpkins.

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Raising Goslings . . . by Alyssa Davis, Volunteer

First Place - Erica Cyko

“Raccoons and Rabbit and Robins . . . Oh My!

(You can read Erica’s entry on page 5)

Second Place - Katelin Keel

Third Place - Elizabeth Lang

2nd and 3rd place winners will be featured in upcoming

newsletters.

As we enter into my favorite season (fall), I'll be writing

about my 2nd favorite season (spring) because it's BABY SEA-

SON! If you've read my first 2 stories, you'll know that I adore

geese and watching my resident geese come back to raise their fam-

ilies here is one of the greatest joys of my entire year! I had 4 fami-

lies here this year and I always name them and this year had a few

themes based on when they arrived. First came 'Party of Five' that

turned into 'Dirty Half Dozen' (explanation coming) then, 'Duke,

Duchess and Sussex' made their arrival on the Royal Wedding day,

'Solo and Chewie' arrived during opening week of the newest Star

Wars movie and finally - my only 'only child', Ryan gosling.

Geese are very serious about parenting their young and

they’re well known parental instincts apply to all goslings, even if

not biologically theirs. They’re monogamous- couples stay paired

for life, making ideal home environments for orphaned goslings.

This was the case with my first family, 'Party of Five'. They be-

came the 'Dirty Half Dozen' when a tiny orphan was taken in and

immediately accepted by the group, even having one older gosling

'take it under its wing' right up to present day!

Learning how to forage, strengthening their swimming skills (they start swimming the day they are born), avoid-

ing predators and my personal favorite, learning how to fly, are all skills that the parents teach - all while providing protec-

tion the entire time as the goslings grow and learn. People often mistake geese protecting their families as being aggressive

or mean. I have seen firsthand how humans can mistreat geese and I often say that if I was a goose, I'd hiss at humans too!

The geese at my lake know that I will not hurt them and they allow me to walk among them as I take pictures, even when

the goslings are tiny! If they don't feel threatened you will not hear a hiss out of them.

Watching them parent these tiny, yellow, fuzzy goslings to the point I can't tell the difference between them and the adults, has made me a huge fan! The first day ALL of the families flew off to their night spot, I honestly felt like a proud Mom but I also knew that the time was near that they would fly off for good … until next spring when we start all over again with new families. I'm already looking forward to that first appearance next spring!

“Dirty Half Dozen”

“Solo & Chewie

“Ryan gosling”

“Duke, Duchess & Sussex”

Family

Comes

First

We held our 3rd Annual Animal Care Internship

Essay Contest and asked our interns to write about their

experiences working at the center. The essays were judged

by Gary Clarke of Waubonsee Community College,

Brenda Schory of the KC Chronicle and Linda Rohr of KC

Naturalist Program. Thank you to each of the judges!

And the Winners Are . . .

Zihna Needs a New Enclosure

Zihna, our Red Tailed Hawk, is

one of our education ambassadors

and is in need of a new enclosure.

Our existing enclosure is beginning

to show its age and needs extensive

repair so we need to build her a new

home. Because of the cost associat-

ed with building a new enclosure,

we are asking for your help.

Your donation can help Zihna get her new home.

If you would like to donate towards the enclosure,

email Andrea at a-krueger@sbcglobal.net.

We truly appreciate your support.

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Racoons and Rabbits and Robins - Oh My!

I would like to start off by saying thank you to Fox Valley Wildlife Center, the people who support it, staff it and

volunteer there. I saw firsthand all that they do for wildlife and the communities that surround the center. It amazes me

how many people come together all in support of one goal: help as many animals as possible. I realized right away that the

center does not rely on one person to get the job done, but dozens. It needs people to find and bring in the injured or or-

phaned animals. It relies on donations from people who may not have time to volunteer, but still want to help. It depends

on the selfless dedication of the volunteers who come in week after week determined to care for the animals in need. Every

single person that steps through the door is so important whether they are there to do the laundry, get caught up on the

dishes, prepare food, or tube feed the babies that are dependent on the center for their care. Then there are the staff mem-

bers, the people who are dedicating their lives to be a voice for the voiceless. Thank you for coming day in and day out to

the wildlife center. The completion of my 150 hour internship is nothing compared to all the work people who make up

Fox Valley Wildlife Center (FVWC) do every year.

Every new experience brings challenges, my internship with Fox Valley Wildlife Cen-

ter was no different. Going into my internship, I had no experience with wildlife animals. This

was of course a bit challenging, but I appreciated the patience everyone at FVWC had with me

as I gained confidence in handling wildlife. The animals that gave me the most challenges

were the gray squirrels. I definitely understand now where the term “squirrely” comes from

since the animals were in constant motion and would take any opportunity to jump out of the

cage. What I learned from these animals is that patience is key and a trick is to use nuts to your

advantage by throwing them in the back of the cage to distract them. However, challenges

were just a minute part of the internship, as there were many more rewards that outweighed the

challenges.

The rush of excitement that I felt as I transferred a carrier of songbirds outside into the Elburn

Forest Preserve was unlike anything I have experienced before. The birds were on their way

to being released into the wild, hopefully for the rest of their lives. That moment was by far

the greatest reward I experienced while completing my internship. The release of the birds

was the first time I was able to see the rehabilitation process come full circle. Most of the

songbirds came in as orphans and needed to be syringe fed every 15 minutes. Then slowly the

birds get weaned to where they are able to eat on their own. Eventually the birds would hang

out in the cages outside where they get adjusted to the sight and sounds of the outside world.

Once every bird is healthy, has passed the flight test, and has put on enough weight, they are

ready for release! Seeing it from the beginning then getting the opportunity to send them off

into the wild was worth the countless amount of hours everyone at FVWC put into reha-

bilitating the animals. This experience is one that will not be forgotten along with a few

other things that I will always treasure. The amount of knowledge I gained from my in-

ternship surpassed my expectations. Everything that I was taught and shown while interning will always be carried on with

me as I continue to reach my goal of obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science. Each staff member that worked at

FVWC while I was there was more than willing to answer my questions and show me new things. As I would prepare

medication for the animals, I was grateful that the staff would explain why each medication was being used. With that said,

giving raccoons their distemper shots was something I have never done before, but I feel confident with doing it now be-

cause I was taught by amazing people. Also, getting the opportunity to be up close with opossums and getting a chance to

Erica and her “squirrely” friend.

(cont’d on page 6)

Raccoons and Rabbits and Robins . . . Oh My! by Erica Cyko, 1st Place Essay Winner

An experience I’ll always treasure.

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help the only marsupial in North America was fascinating. They quickly became my

favorite animal at the center. I think the coolest thing I learned was that fawns are

actually born with light blue eyes - something I never knew before! Their eyes do not

turn to that dark brown color until about two weeks of age. Most of all, I learned that

there are so many people who are willing to do whatever it takes to help animals in

need. At the internship, I was continuously surrounded by passionate people. No one

ever complained about getting to the center at 6:00 am or that the birds needed to be

fed every 15 minutes. Everyone knew it just had to get done. That for me is what I

will take with me forever. I will always remember the friendly faces that greeted me

at the door and the bonds I made with the selfless individuals.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who has had a hand in the helping

of animals. I felt so honored to be a part of Fox Valley Wildlife Center. The work

you do does not go unnoticed. The time and effort everyone puts in to each animal

is incredible. The experiences and memories I made while interning will be held in

my heart for a lifetime.

The experiences and memories I made

while interning at FVWC will be held in

my heart for a lifetime.

(cont’d from page 5) Raccoons and Rabbits and Robins . . . OH MY! by Erica Cyko, 1st Place Essay Winner

(cont’d from page 5)

Did You Know by Lauren Grimm, Education & Awareness Manager

Owls can be found in every continent except for Antarctica. Out of ap-

proximately 220 different species, only about 19 are found in North America.

Despite their differences in color and size, they all share many unique qualities.

For instance, 1 they can all rotate their necks 270 degrees. They have a special

blood-pooling system that provides enough blood to their eyes and brain when

their neck movement cuts off circulation. 2 Their tube-shaped eyes are com-

pletely immobile, providing binocular vision, which allows them to fully focus

on their prey and boost their depth perception. 3 Some owls have feathers on the

top of their heads that look like horns. These are called “ear tufts or plumi-

corns.” They have nothing to do with the owls hearing. They are used as visual

communication with each other and as camouflage when roosting in trees. Not

all owls are nocturnal. The northern hawk owl, the northern pygmy owl, and

the snowy owl, are species that are truly diurnal. Most owls, though usually

seen by themselves, are monogamous and mates will roost in separate trees near

each other during the day. 4 If you’re lucky enough to see a group of owls hang-

ing out, they are called a “parliament!” Now, wouldn’t that be a hoot!

Owl (n) /oul /

: any of an order (Strigiformes) of chiefly nocturnal birds of prey with a large head and eyes, short hooked

bill, strong talons, and soft fluffy often brown-mottled plumage.

- Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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Every year we rehabilitate over 2,500 ani-

mals, most having been impacted by humans in

some way.

We want to educate people, so they are

comfortable with the wildlife around them and

understand the importance of each animal in

our community. We need to be able to go to

schools, fraternal organizations and scout

troops to make this education available. In order

to do this, we need a vehicle capable of holding

large crates for Lucy (Canada Goose), Zihna

(Red Tailed Hawk) and Zarri (Great Horned

Owl).

We are reaching out to our incredible sup-

porters to ask if you have a vehicle, know some-

one who has a vehicle, or can simply spread the

word (or email). We are in search of a vehicle,

new or old, with good gas mileage, for educa-

tional use. Signage will display the generosity of

the donor, whether a car dealership, individual

or other group.

Please contact Roberta

robertas@fvwc.org or 630-987-0022

The education ambassadors & wildlife along

with the board, staff and volunteers thank YOU!

We Are In Need of a Vehicle

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Yes! I would like to donate to Fox Valley Wildlife Center at the membership level I circled below.

COTTONTAIL - $35 MALLARD - $100 Track newsletter and Photo Tote Bag

RACCOON - $250 CARDINAL - $500 Great Blue Heron T-Shirt* Ball Cap

FAWN - $750 GREAT BLUE HERON - $1000 Sweatshirt* Hooded Sweatshirt*

OTHER $

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone

Email * Shirt size: S M L XL

Please make checks payable to Fox Valley Wildlife Center or pay online at fvwc.org.

Please clip out form and return to: FVWC PO Box 385 Elburn IL 60119

Sponsors receive a subscription to Tracks, our quarterly newsletter, a photo of the animal at their membership level, and the thank-you gifts listed below.

MEMBERSHIPS NEW & RENEWED

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Dorothy Wallace

from James Dwyer & Mary Russell

Barbara Lennartz from Umbdenstock, Judith Neff

Anna Richards

IN MEMORY OF

F V W C M E M B E R S H I P Help Us Give Them a Second Chance

COTTONTAIL

David & Virginia Harmon

Juanita Radcliffe

Kathy Gleason

MALLARD

Robert Brill

Dayle Marsh

RACCOON

Mike & Audrey Tillmans

IN HONOR OF

Jan Spriet

from Dennis Duszak

Mr. & Mrs. Clayton Brown

from Miki Valukas

The critters, volunteers, staff & Board of Directors want to thank the

NKC Family Foundation

and the

George A Bates Memorial Foundation

for their ongoing support and their love of animals.

. . to our supporters who attended the Zanies fundraiser. It was a great time,

as always.

. . to the attendees and volunteers who served as hostess and waitstaff at our

first Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast at Applebee’s in Elgin. Everyone shared

in good food and lots of laughs. We plan to have the event again next year

so watch for details.

. . to our landscaping crew who came out and manicured the front of our

facility, taking gentle care with the wildflowers.

. . to the Open House clean-up crew and the many volunteers who helped

run the event and shared their FVWC experiences with our supporters who

came out to enjoy the day. It was another great event.

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