What's in this issue:
- Black & White Ball
- Rock Squirrel, What's That?
- It's Dove Season
- Rising From the Ashes, An Update
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Black & White Ball
Time is running out to get your tickets for our Black & White Ball fundraising event on October 29th at Garey House. We are not only celebrating our 10th anniversary but also raising much-needed funds to allow us to continue providing better care and facilities for orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife.
Our evening will feature a delicious dinner provided by Mandola's Italian Market, an array of tasty desserts, wine and spirits from local craftsmen, live music, and more, all in the gorgeous setting of Garey House in Georgetown.
Tickets can be purchased from our website with all proceeds directly supporting All Things Wild. We only have a limited number of seats available at the venue, so reserve yours today.
It'll be a stinkin' good time!
Do you have a business that would like to be a sponsor? We have several opportunities available to be a part of our Black & White Ball. Visit our website for more details.
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Rock Squirrel, What’s That?
Almost everyone is familiar with the eastern fox squirrels with their reddish fur who live in the trees of Central Texas. But there are a large number of folks out there who have never heard of rock squirrels. This species of squirrel has speckled greyish-brown fur and lives on the ground among rocks, not in trees.
At All Things Wild, we occasionally get a rock squirrel, usually an orphaned baby. They are really cute with their white eye rings, pointed ears, and long bushy tails with white edges.
 This young rock squirrel, like all squirrels, loves grapes.
Rock squirrels live in rocky areas in the southern part of the US and in Mexico. They are found in California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In Texas, they live in the Trans-Pecos, that region of the state that juts out to the west, and in Central Texas. They dig burrows under rocks and live in all-female colonies with one dominant male who mates with all the females.
Although rock squirrels are mostly herbivores who eat plants, they have been known to eat insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars. Rock squirrels are diurnal, meaning they are active during daylight. They can climb trees as well as tree squirrels and like to sit high up to watch for predators. Animals who prey on them include snakes, birds of prey, and mammals like raccoons, foxes, and coyotes.
 Snookie, a rock squirrel raised at ATW, chows down on a grasshopper.
In the winter in Central Texas, rock squirres hibernate from November until February. And, get this, when it’s really hot and dry during the summer, they can estivate, a form of hibernation designed to get them through summer periods when food is scarce.
We took in an orphaned baby rock squirrel last spring whom the staff called Snookie. Last week, it was time to release her to the wild so we asked around to find a suitable colony for her to join. We eventually selected the rocky area on the east side of the Lake Georgetown dam near the spillway because several colonies of rock squirrels live in the area.
 When we let Snookie out of the carrier, she first checked out the river.
After taking a few sips of water from the San Gabriel River, Snookie headed for the rocks where we soon lost sight of her.
 If you look carefully, you can see Snookie's head in the bottom of the picture.
As with all the animals we release, we wished Snookie a wonderful wild and free life.
For more information on rock squirrels, click HERE and for rock squirrels in Texas, click HERE.
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It’s Dove Season
 Mourning Dove Photo: Google Images White-winged Dove Photo: Google Images
Currently in Central Texas it's dove season between September 1 and October 30. Unfortunately, not all hunters are very careful to only shoot doves, and All Things Wild has recently received two birds that were most likely shot by dove hunters.
 Swallow-tailed Kite
Swallow-tailed kites are very interesting birds. With their bold black and white plumage and forked tail, they are easy to identify. They live mostly in Florida and migrate to South America for the winter. Because they eat stinging insects such as fire ants and wasps, they are great to have around.
 Swallow-tailed kites are easy to ID in the air. Photo: Google Images
For more information on swallow-tailed kites, click HERE.
An American Kestrel recently arrived in rehabilitation with two shotgun pellets in her body as well. This time, we were able to remove the buckshot with the hope that the injured leg will heal, and she will survive to return to the wild.
 Arrows mark where the kestrel was shot. The American kestrel is receiving anesthesia prior to the procedure to repair her injuries.
A beautiful bird, the American kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon. The males have a slate blue coloring on the wings while females are rusty brown. Unfortunately for American kestrels during dove season, they are the same size as a mourning dove.
 The American kestrel as seen from the air. Photo: Google Images
For more information on American kestrels, click HERE.
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Rising from the Ashes
An Update
 Phoenix arrived at ATW with badly singed wing and tail feathers.
In our March 2022 newsletter, we included an article about a red-tailed hawk from the Waco area whose feathers were most likely singed by a methane burner at a landfill. We quoted from an article we found on the Internet entitled, “Methane Burner Impact on Raptors,”
Many industries use burners to flare off unwanted gasses. For example, solid waste landfills may burn off unwanted methane gas produced by decomposing organic matter. . . . Methane is typically burned away using either a flare-up or an enclosed flare. . . . Birds perched on or flying near a stack can be seriously injured or killed when a flare suddenly ignites. In some cases, birds may fly over or even through an almost invisible burner flame.
Phoenix, whom we named after the mythical bird that rose from the ashes, has been with us since February 2022. We knew that he would eventually molt replacing all his singed feathers with new ones. However, since most birds molt in the fall, we knew Phoenix was in for a long stay with us.
Phoenix began molting and growing new feathers in August. This is wonderful for him because, as a wild bird, he is eager to regain his freedom and for All Things Wild because it’s been a long stay.
 Phoenix is growing new wing and tail feathers.
Since red-tailed hawks get their distinctive red tail feathers when they are 2 years old, we now know Phoenix is at least 2. With his pale head, we also believe he may belong to a subspecies of red-tailed hawks called Krider’s hawks that breed in the Great Plains and winter in the mid-south. Although, while recuperating at All Thing Wild, Phoenix missed a breeding season in the Great Plains this past summer, he will already be at his wintering territory when he is released this month.
For more information on red-tailed hawks, click HERE.
Postscript: Just as we were about to send out the newsletter, we learned that the staff at All Things Wild released Phoenix in the Waco area on Friday. Let’s hope he stays away from methane burners at landfills.
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