Flora and Fauna of Rock Creek Park by artist Rebecca Osten.
wildlife
Baby hummingbird recuperating courtesy of citywildlife
From a press release:
For the first time in its history, the nation’s capital has a licensed, professionally staffed veterinary facility dedicated to helping wild animals. City Wildlife expects their new facility at 15 Oglethorpe Street, NW, to handle as many as 1,200 orphaned, injured, and ill wild animals the first year. The center opened on July 1. Among the patients they have already rescued are:
o An Osprey who was struck by a truck on the Frederick Douglass Bridge, treated, and reunited with his family group;
o A sick pregnant squirrel, who gave birth to four babies while in City Wildlife’s care and was cured and released with a nest box for her new family; and
o A juvenile Ruby-Throated Hummingbird who was dying of starvation until the center nursed him back to health and prepares to send him to an environment with abundant nectar-producing flowers. (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
Headphones for scale. Tried to do some sleuthing, but gave up after fruitless Google search for ‘nightmare orange-horned wasp-eaten zombie caterpillar of the apocalypse.'”
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Photo by PoPville flickr user quemac
The following was forwarded on Tuesday from the MPD-4D listserv by the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM):
“Department of Health
Bureau of Community Hygiene
Animal Disease Prevention Division
June 2013
Dear Resident,
A recent mosquito surveillance in your neighborhood revealed the presence of West Nile virus.
The DC Department of Health has had a mosquito control program in place for years and it is part of the West Nile Virus program (WNV) for the District. The program addresses mosquito control by informing the residents about suppressing the mosquito larva growth by preventing standing water around the properties during summertime. Because we do not treat the individual properties, it is up to the residents to check for potential mosquito breeding sites in their own properties. Aside from the information provided on our flyers, as attached, the following are tips for the homeowners to help reduce mosquitoes (more…)
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After a false alarm in May – Behold the cicada plague of 2013. Thanks to a reader for sending a photo of the infestation above at 15th and P St, NW.
From DC Department of Health via MPD:
“Recently, a lactating female raccoon was determined rabid on 34th and R St. NW and ten days later, a second lactating raccoon mother was found about 3 blocks from original sighting 10 days later. Lab results came today July 29. There is the possibility her young may be infected with the virus.
The main message here is prevention and caution on approaching any suspicious animals including loose cats and dogs. For the pet owners, allowing cats and dogs to run at large in the woods is risky due to possible exposure to Rabies and Lyme disease, both of which can be transmitted to humans.”
Photo by: Craig Stihler/USFWS via wikipedia.
Urban Wilds is written by Lela S. Lela lives in Petworth. She previously wrote about attracting bats.
Think of mussels and your mind likely turns to the white wine and lemongrass variety. But North America has a rich array of native freshwater mussel species: some 300 of them, a third of the global total. Freshwater mussels look more like clams than their marine cousins, and range from one to ten inches long, in a variety of colors reflected in their wonderful common names: Purple Bankclimber, Shinyrayed Pocketbook, Yellow Lampmussel, Pink Mucket. The endangered Dwarf Wedge Mussel lives in Rock Creek. Some species of mussel can live to over 100 years old.
Like other bivalves, freshwater mussels are filter feeders, and a single animal can filter up to eight gallons of water a day, recycling nutrients and cleaning it of particulate matter. Mussel biomass can be extremely high, making them a largely unseen but vital part of a functioning river system. In many places, however, their numbers have been dramatically reduced through a combination of pollution and sedimentation, invasive species like the exotic zebra mussel, and dams. That last factor might not make sense at first – mussels are basically sedentary, after all. But unlike marine mussels, the freshwater variety has a complicated life cycle involving a larval stint spent hitchhiking on fish. Some mussels are highly selective in their choice of host, meaning they can’t reproduce at all if that particular fish species has been fished out or blocked from their spawning site by a new dam. (more…)
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From MPD:
“Another lactating female raccoon was found sick at an alley on 34th and R St. NW on July 10. Lab results came today July 18. There is the possibility her young may be infected with the virus. Please assist in informing your constituents again. See attached Rabies flyer.
On Wednesday July 10, 2013 a sick raccoon that was picked up from the alley on 34th and R St. NW was recently determined rabid by the DC Department of Health. The raccoon was a yr. old lactating mother that left her young ones behind and possibly also rabid.”
Ed. Note: Previously we discussed Rabies alerts in Cleveland Park, most recently on June 10th.
Previous Bee swarm in Ledroit Park from May 2012
Yesterday we talked about the dangers of deer on DC’s roads. And today @HStreetDC_ tweets:
“Watch out for swarming bees at 12th/G NE, just off #HStDC. Neighbors trying to get beekeepers out to round ’em up since city won’t.”
“Dear PoPville,
My girlfriend (driver) and I were coming back from McLean Gardens last Saturday morning around 1:30 AM. Heading Southbound on Mass Ave, we both began to notice a figure by the side of the road up near the bus top at Edmunds and Mass close to the Naval Observatory. Already getting close, we slammed on the brakes as soon as we saw it was a deer and that it was heading into the street. By the time we began to slow, it was too late.
The deer stared into our headlights while slowly beginning to run. All this did, however, was place it directly into the path of our Jetta. We hit it square in the hips going about 15 mph, but its forward momentum continued to carry it into the path of unsuspecting, oncoming traffic.
A Honda Civic coming up Mass Avenue hit the deer at full speed, killing it instantly. By the time the whole thing was over, the Civic was missing a right wheel well and front bumper, and we had a nice dent in the hood. No one (but the deer) was hurt.
I pulled the dead doe out of the road and onto the tree bank, and we called 311. They said they’d take care of the deer, but told us to also call 911. When the cops arrived, they were pretty reverent, saying that: “we invaded the deer’s natural territory, and this thing was bound to happen…”
In any event, be careful out there. If it had been a buck or had we been going faster, it could have been much worse.”