B: Good evening readers! Those of you that, like Second Chance Wildlife Center, reside in Maryland, may have noticed the bumper crop of summer mosquitoes. All that extra rain we have been getting in the normally-dry July and August has allowed these disease-bearing insects to proliferate, causing local wildlife rehabilitators to worry about another severe outbreak of West Nile virus.

A: Crows have already been presenting with varied symptoms of West Nile, which range from lethargy to tremors to partial paralysis. Crows happen to be a beloved species here at Second Chance, with their expressive calls, charismatic personalities and sleek black feathers. We are very concerned about the health of the young crows that have yet to be exposed to strains of West Nile and therefore have no defense against this disease. The crows that have succumbed to what we believe to be West Nile have been sent off to the lab and we are all anxiously awaiting the results.

B: Great Horned owls are also very susceptible to the virus, for unknown reasons. One may think that they could possibly prey upon sick crows, but Great Horneds are very nocturnal, not usually waking until well after sunset, after all good crows have gone to bed. But there is a bright side: the crows are still producing good numbers of young and each that succumbs will be sent on to labs to further increase chances of creating a successful drug-therapy treatment.

A: We know how helpless one can feel in the face of such an overwhelming threat upon our beautiful native birds but not to worry readers, not only are we at the vanguard to the fight against the disease but we also have some practical tips for you all to follow to curb its spread as well!

B: Indeed we do! For those of you out there that provide birdbaths, please empty them each night to kill any mosquito eggs that may have been laid during the day and to prevent any more from being laid during the night.

A: In fact, any ornamental ponds or pools should be regularly cleaned and treated to prevent the proliferation of mosquitoes and their nasty disease-spreading ways. Another tip would be to report any dead birds you find to your local Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Never touch any dead bird barehanded and teach your kids to avoid dead animals.

B: Reporting dead birds is very important, never think you are bothering anyone with your concern about dead birds in your yard. Not only would the labs be interested in more specimens but the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, along with DNR and the CDC, are also trying to track where the virus is spreading.  But onto better news! SCWC has set the date!

A: We’re getting married? How come no one told me!? Now I gotta buy a dress.

B: No silly, not married, just Open House-ing. Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 18^th from 12 noon to four pm. This is the only time of year that we are allowed (by DNR) to give full tours of our facility so be sure to drop by if you happen to be in the area.

A: The Open House is sure to be a fun-filled day for the whole family. We will be featuring a cake walk, bake sale, raffle table, educational displays and animals. Not to mention the two, count ‘em, two musicians that have so graciously agreed to serenade our visitors! We’re sure looking forward to it; Britt and I will be cheerfully manning the bake sale table. We hope to see everyone there soon!

B: Alicia and I will be bringing some of our own special vegan recipe desserts to help fill the bake sale table, so be sure to come and taste our delicious banana bread and sugar and chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for reading!

Questions? Comments? Email Alicia and Brittany at nut.house.ab@gmail.com. Want to learn more about Second Chance Wildlife Center? Simply go to www.scwc.org.