A: Hello everyone! Lately we've been getting quite busy with all of the wonderful patients that spring brings us. There have been a few more American Woodcocks, a couple baby bunnies, a handful of raptors and many, many baby squirrels.

B: Spring also brings in the dreaded Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a form of avian pink-eye. This opportunistic bacterium loves the warm, wet seasons of spring and fall. The Finch family is the most susceptible and every spring and fall we admit our fair share of House finches with crusty, swollen eyes.

A: Mycoplasma is often transmitted at bird feeders (through bodily fluids), which delineates the need to clean your birdfeeders regularly with warm water and bleach. Though this infection is not fatal, it can result in death indirectly as animals become blind and are unable to feed or defend themselves.

B: Mycoplasmosis is easy to treat, with just a 21-day stay at Chez Second Chance drinking all the medicated water they want. We have several House finches in our Front Room, all in various stages of treatment; two of whom will be making their merry way back home later this week.

A: Those lucky finches share our Front Room with several dozen baby squirrels, nestled all cozy in their heated accommodations. All of them are fed at four hour intervals, some of them twenty-four hours a day (a chore that is shared between a few of our intrepid staff). Britt and I always say that the loss of sleep, time, energy and sanity is well worth the satisfaction of watching these little rodents grow up big and strong.

B: When did I say that?!

A: Well, I remember you mumbled something about squirrels and sleep during the last feeding... maybe it was a touch more negative...

B: I remember the grumbling... I have yet to receive the satisfaction... *sigh* How long until the next squirrel feeding?

A: Fifteen minutes. Oh, save us from the hordes of tree-dwelling critters...

B: More baby squirrels trickle in each day, some rescued from the jaws of a cat while others were removed from the engine block of a car. Squirrel moms can be quite inventive in the locations of their nests, but remember: they always have a back-up nest nearby. Allow mom time to retrieve and relocate her babies before swooping in and taking them to your local wildlife rehabilitator. Call for advice if you are unsure. Also, resist the urge to feed the babies anything; we have several litters with lung infections from unskilled hands forcing formula into the "wrong pipe".

A: Incorrect diets are also a dangerous part of inexperienced people trying to raise squirrels on their own. Just when we think we've heard all the possible things a person could feed a baby squirrel we hear another wonky option: Gatorade, Ensure, orange juice, evaporated milk, human breast milk, ice tea... the list goes on. Please everyone out there, remember that squirrel formula is not easily replicated and feeding a poor substitute can constitute illness or death.

B: No tea, no cake, just get the babies to the professionals. This influx of nice weather has allowed Alicia and me to scrub out one of our larger outdoor cages, replenish the cage furniture and occupy it with a female Red-tailed hawk, who was more than happy to get out of the house. Today also allowed us to release two American Woodcocks that had been freeloading on all the earthworms we could buy.

A: As busy as we are now, we know it's only the beginning. Stay abreast of our activities by reading our blog and by visiting our website www.scwc.org. Thanks for reading and have a terrific week!