February 2005

Total amount of visitors this month:  6
(total this year: 013)

GENERAL NEWS:

February 1^st:  we discovered, frozen to death, on the bottom of the Aviary a HOODED CROW. It showed to be 04-104, which came in as a juvenile in June 2004. We brought him/her up by hand, but there was a malfunction of the feathers > all huge feathers (from as well the wings as from the tail) were breaking all the time.

Because of the cold weather (& falling snow !!) not able to work outside > painted in the Sickbay.

February 2^nd:  prepared the house-next-door for the arrival of a new volunteer. Continued with painting of doors in the Zoökomio.

February 3^rd:  forced by rain & thunderstorm continuing with the arrears of maintenance in the Zoökomio. We could pick-up our volunteer from the Airport in very bad weather-conditions > really terrible !!

February 4^th:  while snow was falling (the hill-tops are white already!) we went buying materials and tools for tiling the floor in the kitchen of the basement (the place where dogs & cats are being fed and are sleeping too; where meat is cut, measured and wrapped up; and where people sometimes are trying to enjoy a meal) > here we had to replace a part of the original floor > was destroyed by ants !

February 5^th:  a new under floor is laid for 99,5% > huge panic under some dogs and (blind) cats > their “own” places had disappeared !

February 6^th:  while from a clear blue sky snow-flakes were whirling, at 16.00 o’clock the whole tiling was done > now only jointing.

At the “evening-feeding-round” we discovered in one of the nesting-boxes of the Barn Owls 2 eggs > the parents were very protective !!

February 7^th:  we didn’t wake up in a “white wonder-world”, but with a frozen waterworks-system !!  Luckily the Central Heating is still working !!

The floor of the kitchen is complete jointed and we did as well something on the arrears of maintenance in the Zoökomio.

The GREAT ALEXANDERPARROT (04-254, December ’04) is at last taken back by its owner > there were some family affairs (illnesses etc.). Could we report on January 25^th about the ROCK DOVE with the bill-deformation > from today on we could release him out of the registered care > there is hardly anything to see anymore. Maybe there is a release in the future ??

At half past five in the afternoon there still was no water !!

February 8^th:  of course there was no water at day-break ! The Central Heating is, because of no water-pressure from outside, working lesser and lesser . . . . !!  With the renovation from the, still in function since 1995, “Sparrow-cages” we are ready now > they can last for another 10 years.

While we were busy with removing some pieces of bare rock in the hall (remainings of the eldest entrance; end of the 19^th century), we had around midday complete use of water again !

The bitch “Maria” (= 05-002; January 18^th > bitten) was taken in now for several skin-corrections. See further by her name. Her only born sun had his first vaccination. In the siesta we went to Mytiléne to pick up a gull.

It showed in the afternoon that the “water-deposit” of the house Next door (we did so much to cover-up its ugly sight > see January) didn’t survive the frost > frost-bite-holes everywhere, so we had “some”  wet affair. Tomorrow it should be removed.

February 9^th:  the water-deposit is removed. The free place can be used for creating another aviary. The “release-cage” for Barn Owls has got a “rat-proof” release-door at last.

February 10^th:  the first skin-correction by “Maria” is done. We should have assistance from an ex-veterinary nurse from Mólivos, but she had to return after 10 km due to heavy snow-fall !!

While we were performing the surgery on “Maria”, there was hard labour to tile the hall next to the kitchen. Not a pleasure for lots of disabled cats: they lost their “own places” again and found refuge in the orthopedic easy-chair of Joris > 9 cats in one huge “crowd”.

February 11^th:  while the injuries of as well the White Pelican as of the Yellow-legged Gull were treated, there was a huge work tiling in the hall. Lots of cats were finding refuge in the easy-chair again.

Two poisoned dogs today.

February 12^th:  a TV-crew visited us today > TV-Station  “Archipélagos” from Mytiléne. We could show them the animals and tell about our work.

In between all the holes in the undulated metal roofing’s were closed and the hall was finished with tiling. (tomorrow jointing). As well we made a start with the new halogen-lamp for the surgery. We heard from Holland (Mr. Ben Steinfort) that the White Pelican is a female from ± 2 years old, and that the Woodcock was a male (referring to the measures & photo’s we’re sending every time by “special intakes”)

February 13^th:  the hall is complete jointed !! In the Wildpark we continued with demolishing the Aviaries VI & VII > a feeding-place, present over there, is now present in the aviary on top of our Bathroom. The “construction” of the new lamp for the surgery wasn’t a complete success > we need a battery in between the battery-charger and the lamp. Advantage of this is, that we (when there is a power-cut) can continue with a surgery / with examinations / with helping. We installed an emergency-light-system in the house-next-door. Our unwearyingly volunteer & builder had some problems with our bathroom > “so primitive!”, so he changed it into some more comfortable “outfit” > homage to that guy!!

February 14^th:  after buying a good car-battery we could install the surgery-lamp > it’s working fine !!

The old windows of the Library (removed in August 2004) are now being “re-build” into well closing windows for the kitchen > the present ones are complete rotten.

February 15^th:  it is HEAVY WEATHER: wind force 10 -  11 !! Of course no ferries and/or planes. In the Wildpark, early in the morning, no new trees were laying flat (only the 3 we mentioned before). So wait and see what the day will bring.

The windows for the kitchen are ready; only due to wind-direction & -force we can’t yet put them  in position.

One of the shutters of the living from the House-next-door is blown-away > we can’t even find it !!

February 16^th:  we have the shutter back > was lifted by the storm and blown in between the chickens of the neighbor (he wasn’t so glad with that, but luckily no victims!). The hinges on the shutter ánd the “thumbs” on the window-frame were completely twisted. In the Wildpark no further damage (luckily). We used obviously better weather to place the windows in the kitchen > they are closed with an antique turning-iron (from before 1878; from our home in Amsterdam); after de-rusting it showed to be a “jewel” !! Tomorrow it will be painting of the outside & trying to repair the re-discovered shutter.

February 17^th:  bad weather induced us to change plans > while hail-stones now and then clattered around our ears, we were busy to make the kitchen more rat-unfriendly & more mankind-friendly. We discovered, doing so, a crushed rat behind a drawer . . . . ! In the Wildpark demolishing continued in between the squalls.

February 18^th:  while we were busy performing the surgery on the 2^nd cat from Mólivos, some broken steps were repaired. Hereafter continued with making the kitchen more rat-unfriendly. In the Wildpark as well the demolishing continued.

February 19^th:  while two of us went to Mytiléne for shopping and one over here “guarded the fortress” , the fourth went to the Wildpark to hew some columns out of the concrete.  In heavy rain-showers to Pérama to take-in the White Pelican from there. (= Máki)

February 20^th:  after the wing-amputation by the younger Pelican continued with creating rat-free drawers & cupboards in the kitchen.

February 21^st:  in the early morning-hours to the fish-monger  to buy food for the 2 Pelicans: for 19,50 Euros we had 70 fishes, the seize of a herring, and  168 fishes, the seize of a huge sardine > this is sufficient for 2 – 3 days !! The kitchen is almost ready. As well some draining-problems by, and because of the new aviaries were solved.

February 22^nd:  only the last “finishing touches” in the kitchen were done. As well the door to the street was made “fitting” again.

February 23^rd:  the last day of our “Master-Volunteer” over here. He did some jointing; repaired a hole in the wall (and with this the ladder collapsed under him . . . .!!) and he overloaded us with technical advices. The juvenile White Pelican (named by us Pelli) got her foot-ring: thick copper with herein “removed”  LWH 05-013 and the letters JP engraved. As a “lining” thinner brass was used. The whole is closed with 2 blind rivets. This as a preparation for a “release” in the coming weeks.

In the afternoon we received a phone-call from Thermís > a Duck, injured on a wing (shot ??) and already some days without treatment. Will arrive tomorrow-morning.

February 24^th:  our volunteer-constructor left us back to Holland at 05.20 o’clock ; leaving behind lots of tools and a changed house !! By phone he informed us how bad his trip home went by plane !! He was home at last at 23.30 o’clock (Greek time) !!

In the afternoon appeared a boy from about 15 years with a Cock under his arm; the bird was bleeding severe on one nail > closed by cauterization > Not in the statistics.

February 25^th:  we had to visit the fish-monger again ! Ample 5 kilo for 20.= Euro. Wrapping up in plastic bags (10 fishes in each bag) produced 32 bags. So price of each bag 0,625 Euro. Only the bigger of the two (Máki) is eating between 11-12 bags a day !! The smaller one (Pelli) loves bigger fishes; the bigger one is spitting them out again !!

February 27^th:  prepared all for the intake of 2 cats (for sterilization) from Eftaloú > somewhat “problematic” because both cat-cages in the sick-bay are in use (Chicken & Mallard). We made a good start with a ventilation-system in the I.C. / room for nocturnal animals/birds: the Pelicans are producing such a smell of ammonia with their droppings, it’s hardy bearable.

February 28^th:  early in de morning straight to the fish-monger!! Almost 8 kilo (67 fishes, the seize of a mackerel ) for Euro 25.=  The two cats from Eftaloú are “de-mothered” without any problem. The ventilation-system  in the I.C. / room for nocturnal animals/birds is completed and working.

Kinds of animals who are mentioned like this were for the first time in treatment in the L.W.H.   

Amount of kilometers (Animal-Ambulance) for bringing-in/releasing animals this month 200 (total this year 346 kilometers)

Total amount of intakes this month: 15 [wild ones: 7; others 8], (total this year 027 > : wild ones 014, others 013; total since the start of registration in 1996: 2982),  of which:

CAT (Felis catus): 4; two from Mólivos. The first was neutered during the sterilizations-program in February 2004 > came in now with cat-flew (??) > has no appetite anymore and severe watering eyes. Went February 16^th OK back to the care-taker. The second (wild & half-stray) came for de-mothering. Went back the 19^th (a little bit less heavy). The numbers 3 & 4 (both semi-stray) came from Eftaloú > same reason as number two.

BITCH (Canis familiaris): 1 from Mólivos; “Maria” . Was severe  injured by battery-acid in 2004 from the neck till the tail. We’ll try in 2 sessions to patch up her back, so she can’t injure herself anymore with this cigarette-paper thin skin. (in between the 2 lines will be the first session).

As well we are going (in co-operation with the  Agrotikí Stegí) to de-mother her. Had her first skin-correction February 10^th ; the large wound was 27 cm; the small one was 5 cm.

Maria underwent her second surgery on February 24^th ; this with assistance of a former vet-assistant, Karen, from Mólivos. The injury (27 cm long) was closed with 36 stitches!

YELLOW-LEGGED GULL (Larus cachinnans michael.): 1 adult from Mytiléne > is missing its right wing from the pulse ; injury already days old. They said it had entered the house “flying” !! Is released February 17^th in the Gomateríe Kallonís (Rubbish-dump of Kalloní) marked with a broad purple ring around the neck. Wasn’t treatable anymore (disabled).

WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus onocrotalus); 2; one not yet adult (see February 12^th); discovered in the sea close to Plomári > rescued by the Fire Brigade over there and delivered to us. Right wing (hand-part) is totally in tatters (probably shot !!). The prognosis for this wing isn’t so good.

At the first inspection of the injury, 2 days after intake, there was no (not yet ?) smell of gangrene, so . . . .  wait and see. One week after intake the injury is still smelling good. Has only a hand-splint now in stead of a complete wing-splint. February 19^th (ten days after intake) the injured part of the wing showed to be dead. Because there are some bone-pieces coming-out, we must perform a surgery to close the wing “proper” without any chance of an infection. Wing was amputated February 20^th.

1 adult from Pérama (= 04-045) > probably again hit by ?? can’t stand on its legs and is injured on the bill. When one compares his seize with the left bird, the difference is easy seen.

Information from Holland gave as result that this was a “very huge and handsome male”.

WOODCOCK (Scolopax rusticola): 1 adult, “delivered” via the Agrotikí Stégi in Kallonís > shot complete in tatters. Died in our hands at intake. At least we could count a pellet-entrance in the throat, one in the breast, both feet had broken digits and there was a splintering of the left elbow.

P.M. showed the following: plucking the bird we discovered 2 shot-holes in the breast, while the hole in the throat went “up-wards”. The holes in the breast went from the right side through the comb on the Sternum into the left side of the breast-muscles, but didn’t hit ant vital organs. So inside everything was clear and like it should be. The ultimate cause of death is probably due to the pellet in the throat (cerebral ?? No further PM was done, because the skull is stored for preparation).

DOG (Canis familiaris): 2 from Agia Paraskeví > both poisoned. By number 1 we were able with Apomorfine & Atropine to save his life. However: it was “a close shave, touch and go”, because the tongue was very blue already !! The second came from the same neighborhood (were friends, we heard!), but here help was too late. The owner, an elderly lady in het seventies, kept having hope, so euthanasia was impossible. The death-struggle wasn’t nice to watch . . . .  At last we brought the lady with the dying dog home > “the dog should die at home”. After almost one hour and a half ( in our siesta) there was suddenly an uproar in our court-yard : the owner of the second dog; very loud invoking the Panagiá (mother of God) : “ The dog was waggling its tail again; was running and barking, etc. etc”  Our hands were kissed and so on. So miracles still exist !

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris): 1, in first-winter feathering > discovered besides a road around Agia Paraskeví > deformity of the left eye; couldn’t stand on its legs. All symptoms are typical for “hitting something” (there are no other injuries, shot or something like that). Was dead after 35 minutes.

CHICKEN (Gallus gallus dom.): one, almost adult, from Agia Paraskeví > fracture right leg > splinted.

ROCK DOVE (Columba livia): 1 juvenile from Mytiléne > should be caught by a dog > no severe injuries; only “bringing up”.

MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos): 1 adult drake from/via Thermís (was announced the 23^rd by phone): if the bird was brought at once , there should have been a good chance to fix the open fracture of the Humerus > now amputation was the only option. Was discovered dead late in the evening of the 28^th > NO P.M. was done (was that whole day eating very difficult)