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BoingBoing points to this blog, whatikilledtoday, written by a vet tech that writes about the animals she has euthanized.

A sample–

A ferret with lymphoma, an adrenal tumor, and an insulinoma. She had no hair left and was covered in lymphatic lumps. She didn’t look like a mammal anymore. Nevertheless, her spirits were high and I fed her a hefty dose of Nutrical tasty goo before anesthetizing her.

I have long envied that euthanasia is an option for animals but not me (ignoring the option of sucide, of course). If I looked like that ferret, they would keep feeding fluids, waiting for ‘mother nature’ to end it. Horrible. 

Researchers have found 9,650 square miles of “dead zones,” or oxygen-depleted water, in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, the biggest area since tracking of the annual phenomenon began.

The Louisiana dead zone is caused mostly by nitrogen-based fertilizers carried by the Mississippi from America’s farm belt into the Gulf, she said. The nitrogen feeds the growth of algae, which depletes oxygen from the water.

Corn needs more fertilizer than other crops, which is probably why tests have found more nitrogen in the Mississippi this year, Rabalais said.

Reuters Article

This morning when I took my compost out I found this little one perched on the ducks water tub.

I put it up in this tree after Jack discovered it and started chasing it around. Right after I did that I noticed a random tabby cat hanging around. He was probably not pleased that I put his morning snack out of reach.

I finally know what my ‘nuthatches’ are. They are Tufted Titmice.

After a renewed attempt to protect the babies from my dogs I sat to make sure the mama bird could get into her nest to feed her babies until she came back. I’m sad to say that my other attempts to protect the birds were less than successful, although the Tufted Titmouse has many predators and I couldn’t say for certain that my dogs are responsible. Two babies remain and I have made it so that it will be ‘uncomfortable’ for my dogs to continue their harassment of the birds.

Here’s an interesting fact: The Tufted Titmouse is protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act even though it is generally NOT a migratory bird (unless I misunderstand the definition of ‘migratory’). Individual birds tend to live out their short (about 2 years) lives within a couple of miles of their birth place. Fortunately the act doesn’t seem to cover unintended damage by pets, only the pursuit, hunting, taking, capturing or killing; attempting to take, capture or kill; possessing, offering to or sell, barter, purchase, deliver or cause to be shipped, exported, imported, transported, carried or received any migratory bird, part, nest, egg or product, manufactured or not.

Yet another interesting fact is that the Tufted Titmouse typically has two sets of babies each season. I really just hope that they are smart enough to move to a new nesting site before they have the next set.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Birding.com
Expansion of Territory
Field Guide to Birds of North America

I went to check on the baby robins yesterday and found that all three had died in the nest. I don’t know what happened to them; they looked like they were asleep at first. There were a lot of ants in the nest which I assumed happened after the birds died but I wonder if its possible that the ants killed the babies. I noticed an ant hill under the tree and didn’t think anything of it before. I can only find information on fire ants (which I don’t think are in Michigan) killing nesting birds though so I don’t know.

Anyone else know?