A busy schedule and travel made it difficult for me to visit Greenwood very often during the late winter and early spring months.  When I did have a chance, though,  I was often told, "No one new here.  No need to come."  While it is great that few animals needed Greenwood during this time, it does not mean that they will stay away long!  Opie the opossum grew a lot during the winter, and here he is showing us that he'd rather be snug as a bug in his straw than be disturbed during his beauty rest.  Opossums are nocturnal creatures and I would love to have a night-vision web cam to capture his antics in the dark! 

As winter slowly turned into spring, Greenwood began to receive the regulars.  Below is a newly fledged finch awaiting a feeding, a goldfinch tests his or her feathers by escaping the handler's grasp and flying up to the emergency lights, and some doves huddle together as they gain their strength to return to the wild. Spring would not be officially here without the squirrels, though.  As of this writing, Greenwood is caring for more than 75 baby squirrels!  They are so cute and so needy.  It is fun to see the new and seasoned volunteers make comfortable squirrel homes with tree branches and lots of good food to help the squirrels grow up to be independent and wild.  Thanks Greenwood volunteers and welcome spring!  (Click on image to enlarge or to view as slideshow).

January is always a quiet month at Greenwood and this year was no exception -- except for some very special guests.  Opie the opossum was an over-winter resident since he was too young to fend for himself during the cool winter months.  In the above photo (above left)  he doing his best "I'm fierce" impersonation while the handler moved him in order to tidy his home.  Opossums are voracious eaters and need a wide variety of foods in order to have proper nutrition. Below is a picture of his "diet."    Another special visitor was this cute mink (above right).  He found himself at the bottom of a window well, and the home's owner mistakenly thought he was a pet ferret.  He got a quick tour of the Boulder Humane Society and of the Greenwood Center and then was returned to his wild home. 
Below are some of the other residents of Greenwood during the cold and dark month of January -- a beautiful Northern Shoveler duck, a Hairy Woodpecker and a Western Grebe. (Click on any image to enlarge or to see a slide show).

      I know a lot of people probably wonder, "What is a typical day like at Greenwood?" The answer to that is, "No day is typical, but every day has some joy, some sorrow and a lot of satisfaction." 
    During my visits I often hear the latest gossip. The good stuff might sound like, "Hurray, we released the ground squirrel today." The sad might be that a treasured resident recently died. On my last visit I learned that the beaver, who was highlighted in my last blog, didn't make it. Several weeks ago he was found at the base of Boulder Falls with a large facial laceration and two chipped teeth. It is hard to keep a beaver's wounds clean and dry, and he ended up dying from a systemic infection that even antibiotics couldn't cure. Volunteers work tirelessly to save the animals that come into Greenwood but, unfortunately, some are too sick or injured to be released. 
     Every visit involves some eavesdropping around the front desk. There is never a dull moment for the person at this job, and she or he must be a  master of investigation. "Where did you find the bird? Is there a nest nearby? Do you see any other birds in the area? Is there a cat in the neighborhood? Does the bird have all his/her adult feathers?" These questions help the Greenwood staffer make a recommendation - bring the animal to Greenwood, take the animal to another facility or vet, or leave the animal alone and watch it for a few hours.  It is heart-warming to hear about the great people who take time out of their day to inquire about what to do for orphaned, sick or injured wildlife.
    In between the happy, sad and busy is lots of hard work. Volunteers make so many meals, clean so many animal enclosures, and tend to so many animals that each day feels like a job well done.  In fact, Greenwood has already taken care of 400 more animals than they had by this time last year. Thanks Greenwood! Below are some pictures of some of the current residents. Click on an image below to enlarge and view as a slideshow. Thanks for reading. 'Til next time!

     One of the things I love about visiting Greenwood is the variety of animals that are there.  On my latest visit, I saw a hummingbird baby, a couple of baby Barn Swallows from Boulder, a Chipping Sparrow, a couple of cottontail rabbit orphans, a bunch of ducks, raccoons, jays, grackles and even a beaver!  The beaver was found at the base of Boulder Falls, and he had many cuts.  I heard he kept scraping off the ointments they put on him, so they finally tried honey!  While it looks gooey, it seemed to be working, and he didn't mind me taking pictures of him.  What a treat!  Below you'll see some of the other residents at Greenwood.  It is the height of the busy season, and all the animals are so thankful for the volunteers.  Thanks, Greenwood, for giving these animals a second chance!  (Click on an image below to enlarge and view as a slide show).  Thanks for reading!  'Til next time!

When an organization shelters and feeds over 300 orphaned animals at any one time, it must be efficient.  That is what I noticed on my last visit to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.  Hungry babies demand attention, and the staff and volunteers at Greenwood have systems in place so that nothing is left to chance.  For the raccoons,  a large white board documents important dates, ages, vaccinations and other vital statistics.  Other animals  have  detailed charts indicating weights, feeding amounts, general health and progress notes.  With the center now enters into its busy season, it is amazing to witness the professionalism and dedication of the people who care for the animals. 
    For sick, injured and orphaned animals, Greenwood is the second chance that they deserve.  Thanks, Greenwood, for all you do! (Click on any image below to enlarge  and view as slide show.)

The Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is chirping and full of feathers!  The staff knew that things could get busy with the closing of Denver's Wild B.I.R.D. (rehabilitation center) last fall, and the predictions were correct.  As of June 10, 2015, Greenwood has treated 1,129 animals compared to 879 last year.  Who are these extra residents?  Song birds, mainly, but there are also lots of ducks!  Currently, there are 96 baby ducklings at Greenwood, including one who was found wandering alone in Estes Park.   All the outdoor duck enclosures are full so there is a refugee camp set up near the goose enclosure.  The ducks don't seem to mind, though, since they have all they need.
    Stepping into the bird rehabilitation room is like walking into a symphony during a practice session. There are American Robins, Western Meadowlarks, House Finches, Mourning Doves and even Black-capped Chickadees that sing along with Common Grackles and European Starlings.  There is even a juvenile Red Crossbill and a beautiful Steller's Jay, who was found on a dirt road with an injured leg.    Bird babies keep the volunteers extra busy, too, since they need to eat every 30 minutes, and it is neat to see them eagerly eat home-grown meal worms.
    Stepping into the raccoon area is like stepping into a nursery school during nap time!   During the day they are sleeping (and growing), and soon they will be heading outside for their adolescence.  There are also a couple of new squirrels at the Center -- Wyoming Ground Squirrel from Wyoming, an unknown type of chipmunk and a Pine Squirrel who arrived on Memorial Day. 
   Greenwood is such a sanctuary for animals that even a healthy and wild American Robin decided that an outdoor light fixture at the Center is a good place to raise a family. Below, you can see a picture of one of the parents sitting on his/her newly hatched babies.  Now, the hard work begins!   Please click on an image for a slideshow. Thanks for reading. 'Til next time!

This year has been unusually cool and rainy in Boulder, and there's nothing more inviting than getting to visit Greenwood on one of those dreary days.  On my latest visit, the babies warmed my heart.  Do they get any cuter?  This baby raccoon made me melt with his "got milk" face.  I'm sure cuteness is an evolutionary trait since parents have to work so hard to feed and care for their babies!  This youngster got a good face washing right after this picture!
    In addition to the raccoon babies, there were songbirds at Greenwood!  Below you can see a picture of a still-hungry baby House Finch proudly displaying berry juice all over him/herself!  It isn't just baby humans who make a mess when they eat!   Below are pictures of Common Grackle babies, a couple of European Starlings, a Western Meadowlark, a young American Robin and even a Yellow-billed Cuckoo!
     Thank heavens for all the Greenwood staff and volunteers who take the time from their busy days to step inside of the Greenwood oasis and care for all the animals in need.  Soon these babies will join the young  squirrels in outdoor enclosures and eventually to the freedom they deserve.  'Til next time!

There is no doubt about it now, the baby season is here and in full swing at Greenwood .  There are now three volunteer shifts a day and even a new sign by the highway! On my latest visit to Greenwood I was able to photograph the first raccoons of the season.  The young ones are so cute!  At the time I visited, they were pretty sleepy but they sure can wake up in a hurry.  Ah, to be a kid again.
     Next up were the birds.  There were already more than 60 ducklings living at the Center!  Each family was housed in a nesting box and in order to not stress them out, I took only a few pictures of the bravest one.  There weren't a lot of baby songbirds yet, although I did get a picture of a cute baby House Finch.  I also got a cool picture of a Common Poorwill.  When looking up information about this bird species, I learned that it is one of the few birds that goes into a hibernation-like state called "torpor" during the winter months.  This one was definitely awake and was more than happy to open its mouth for a picture. 
    As mentioned in a previous blog post, rabbits are difficult to rehabilitate in general, but on this day Greenwood had one that was receiving medication.  Rabbits are housed far away from the commotion of the Center and, after some negotiation, I was able to take a quick picture of it.
    Last but not least was the fox!  I haven't seen a wild fox yet this year and was glad to see that this one was getting a second chance.  Apparently she had gotten her foot caught in an illegal leg-hold trap.  While she wasn't pleased by our presence, she was a healthy eater and I'm hoping that she heals quickly and returns home.  Thank you, Greenwood, for caring for all these animals!

Squirrel season is in full swing at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.  On my last visit, there were 60 squirrels in residence!  Imagine trying to monitor, feed and keep the rooms of 60 youngsters clean!  Some were almost ready to move outdoors and they were quite rambunctious.  It was quite a production to see groups of volunteers perform the mid-day feeding and cleaning.  For the older squirrels, the routine went like this:  one volunteer would catch a squirrel, identify it and put it in the temporary holding tub to be weighed while another volunteer recorded its weight. This process was repeated until the squirrel cage was empty.  Then, working quickly, a pair of volunteers cleaned the squirrel enclosure by exchanging the fleece bedding material from the nesting boxes, replacing the newspaper flooring, sweeping under the cage,  arranging  branches and pine cones, adding a tray full of goodies for the squirrels to eat and putting out fresh water.   Within a few minutes, the squirrels were returned to their enclosures and they eagerly ate up the goodies (and made a mess of their house again).   I  was impressed by the variety of cuisine offered at Greenwood.  The youngest ones were fed formula, the dehydrated ones received some subcutaneous fluids and the older ones were offered a choice of pine cones, fresh tree branches, sweet potatoes, nuts (still in the shell), apples and even a few Cheerios.  Yum!
    The bird area is still quiet at Greenwood.  On my last visit, there was an American Robin and a Say's Phoebe.  I didn't take a picture of the robin but the Say's Phoebe was so cooperative!  They are a beautiful type of flycatcher and fairly rare at Greenwood, so I was glad to be able to take its picture.
    Next month will be the beginning of raccoon season and yesterday 14 baby ducks arrived at the Center so stayed tuned for an exciting summer ahead!

The baby season has begun at Greenwood!  There are about 28 squirrel babies at the Center, and luckily, there were plenty of volunteers to help with the seemingly endless task of feeding all the hungry babies. 

There were also two baby rabbits that had recently been brought into the Center.  While Greenwood accepts them, baby rabbits are very difficult to rehabilitate and young ones are transferred to a home-based wildlife rehabilitator who specializes exclusively in rabbits.  The one pictured below is about the size of a fingerling potato and so cute!         

Soon the raccoon babies will start filtering into Greenwood and then things will really pick up.  What does Greenwood need in order to care for all these animals?  Money, of course, and volunteers who have had their rabies pre-exposure vaccinations!  There are plenty of other volunteer positions available, too, so if you're interested in helping out, just give them a call (303-828-8455) or send an email (volunteers@greenwoodwildlife.org).  Thanks for reading and thanks, Greenwood, for all you do to give  wild animals a second chance!