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June 06, 1985 - Found: A Furry FriendPage 20 . The Suffolk Times Jurie 6,' 1985 Found- A Furry Friend By PAUL STOUTENBURGH The nature world is not a dull place, judging by the happenings brought to my attention this past week. As I labored over the most cantanker- ous lawnmower in town, Mary Jo drove in the yard clutching something furry and very small. She held it up around her neck where it gained the warmth of her body and the feel of her hair. Evidently this was enough security for the baby raccoon she'd found abandoned in her driveway, for as soon as she took it from her body it would squeal in pro- test. How like my newest grandchild when she was first born. This tiny raccoon still had its eyes closed and was continually searching for its life source of milk. Mary Jo was doing her part in feeding it and came to get information on a special diet for wild animals. The ear syringe her son had suggested for feeding seemed to be working well because the little fellow looked vigorous and healthy. I try to discourage people from raising wild animals and birds unless, as in this case, death would surely occur if she hadn't rescued it from the driveway. This is particularly true with birds. Often a young bird will be seen on the lawn, apparently abandoned, but such is rarely the case. The bird probably tried to fly across the lawn but only suc- ceeded in getting halfway. Sooner or later, the mother will coax it to safety. If you have to move the bird, don't take it inside, but lift it to a branch or shrub nearby; its chirping will soon draw the mother to it. A woman called me from Greenport this week concerned about a nest of baby rabbits she had discovered while mowing the lawn. Rabbits have their Focus on Nature young in depressions in the ground. Oc- casionally a mower will shave the top off the nest, which contains dry leaves, grass and fur from the mother's body. When this happens, the best thing you can do is replace the covering and hope the mother will return and feed them as she usually does each night. We had a nest of young rabbits on the school grounds some years ago that was discovered exactly the same way by the groundskeeper. Kids were run- ning all around it, yet this mother re- turned each night to clean and feed her young. During the day she'd leave them tightly packed. They'd stay that way, not moving a bit, till she returned at night. Saved From Scrambling A concerned worker called me this week in reference to turtle eggs he had seen the female laying in the path of a bulldozer. He could have turned his back on the problem, but he didn't. He dug them up -- all 32 of them -- went about finding out how to save them. Once turtle eggs are laid, the parent leaves them to nature's warming sun to incubate. I suggested he find a sunny, sandy spot near the water and bury them about six - inches deep. If the tem- perature and conditions are right, they'll hatch in the fall. If it happens to be a cool summer, the eggs will winter over and hatch out next spring. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh PROCREATION IN ACTION -- Except for an interested worker, a nest of snapping turtle eggs would have been bulldozed this week. Now they are awaiting hatching in a new -found protected spot. Hopefully, he found the right spot to "lay his eggs." This week in Southold, behind one of the churches, a swarm of bees landed on the ground and a concerned family called me to make sure the bees wouldn't get hurt or hurt anyone. Sure enough, Barbara and I -- armed with an empty hive -- arrived there to see what looked like a mess of brown meal. I put the empty hive in front, interested them with a bit of honey on the floor, and the mass moved in. Within a half - hour we'd completed our task and brought them home. The family that called went home feeling good about it all. From New Suffolk, a young man called about a seagull with a broken wing. Broken wings are a tough one, for they have to be taken care of by an expert. We gave him instructions about whom to see, and the concerned person was able to take care of the situation. Everyone knows that spring is nest- ing time for birds, and yet some nesting sites are almost impossible to believe. A few years ago someone told me about a mallard duck that had built its nest in a flower box under their window. What a grandstand view they had of nature's proceedings! This week someone told us of a mal- lard duck laying its eggs in the center of a geranium planter. Why these ducks that are basically wild will lay their eggs so, close to man's establishments is hard to understand. Perhaps it's be- cause they have lost a nest previously to a cat or raccoon and now seek the added protection of man. Who knows? Surely the mallard has become domes- ticated more than any other duck we have. All these incidents only go to show that our world is becoming more and more dear to many of us. Years ago, few had the time or the concern that people seem to have today. Now people are be- coming aware of our woods, wetlands, creeks, bays and wildlife -- things we all have a stake in. It's a good sign.