Sweetbriar Nature Center

09/03/2026

A fishing hook in your bill is bad enough. Imagine trying to dive underwater with it.
This cormorant came into our wildlife hospital with a fishing hook lodged in its bill. Thankfully, we were able to carefully cut the hook and remove it, and this patient was soon ready to head back home.
But here’s something interesting about cormorants: unlike many birds, they have relatively solid bones rather than highly hollow, air-filled bones. This makes them less buoyant and helps them stay underwater when they dive after fish.
They are built for diving—but not for swimming around with fishing hooks attached to them.
This bird got lucky. Every hook, piece of fishing line, or length of discarded tackle left behind can become a life-threatening hazard for wildlife.
Please take your fishing line and hooks with you when you leave. A few seconds of cleanup can save a life.
Thank you Nancy Prior for rescuing this cormorant and bring it to our wildlife hospital.

09/02/2026

How anyone can put sticky tape around trees outdoors to deter lanternflies without considering what else might get stuck is beyond us. Unfortunately, we see the consequences far too often.
This happened in a Stony Brook neighborhood when a passerby noticed the sticky tape moving and heard something calling from the ground. They called us, and our team rushed over.
What we found was a young woodpecker struggling on the ground, covered in glue tape. It was stuck to his face, beak, body, and legs.
This was one of the worst cases we’ve ever seen—and one of the most difficult to remove. We carefully worked to free him using cornstarch and a small amount of adhesive remover, removing the sticky material piece by piece.
Miraculously, he survived with surprisingly little feather damage. Unfortunately, he is not yet flying well enough to be released, so he will remain with us while he continues to recover.
We talk about the dangers of glue traps again and again because we see the unintended victims firsthand. Wildlife doesn’t know which traps are “meant” for insects.
Please share this post. Then share it again. If even one person sees this and realizes the danger of using glue traps outdoors, it will be worth it.
If you encounter wildlife stuck to a glue trap and there is no wildlife rehabilitator nearby: do not pull the animal free. A small amount of corn oil or olive oil can be used to carefully loosen adhesive, working slowly with a cotton swab and freeing feathers one at a time. Cover any remaining exposed adhesive with tissue or another non-stick material to prevent the animal from becoming stuck again.
Never drench an animal in oil. Excess oil can interfere with temperature regulation and leave an already stressed animal dangerously hypothermic.
And, whenever possible, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for guidance immediately.

09/01/2026

What if you had to eat 300 slices of pizza every single day just to survive?
For a ruby-throated hummingbird, eating constantly is a matter of survival.
A tiny new patient was admitted to our wildlife hospital last week after colliding with a car. The first few days of rehabilitation are critical. Before this little bird can return to the wild, it has to learn that we are not predators, adjust to a new way of eating, and progress from simply sitting, to flying, to feeding itself.
Hummingbirds have incredibly high metabolisms and burn through energy at an astonishing rate. Depending on conditions, they can consume up to twice their body weight in nectar and tiny insects in a single day. They may visit hundreds of flowers just to find enough food to fuel themselves.
That’s why hummingbird-friendly gardens are so important. Every flower can be a tiny refueling station.
And for the record, if humans had a hummingbird’s metabolic rate, we’d need to eat roughly 300 slices of pizza a dayjust to keep up.
What is your favorite hummingbird-friendly flower to grow? Mine is cardinal flower.

08/29/2026

08/27/2026

The cutest babies- all resting comfortably after their terrifying ordeal- can you guess the species? We will let you know tomorrow! Hint; I can survive a snake bite, have a thumb without a nail, and give birth to babies the size of jellybeans. Who am I?

08/26/2026

Sometimes wildlife arrives so weak from emaciation that they are unable to stand on their own, like this young Great Black-backed Gull patient. It took weeks of supportive care and daily baths, but look at him now—standing strong and ready to return home.

Back where he belongs, a little older and a little wiser.

The Great Black-backed Gull, often called the “king of the gulls,” is the largest gull species in the world. Sadly, this powerful seabird is currently listed as an “Orange Alert Tipping Point” species due to a population decline of more than 50% over the past 50 years.
The exact reasons for this decline are not fully understood, but researchers believe reduced fishing industry discards and an overall decrease in natural food availability may be contributing factors.
Every rescue matters.

08/25/2026

The beach is beautiful to us. But for wildlife, what we leave behind can be deadly.
Fishing line, hooks, plastic, and garbage are more than just litter. They can become tangled around wings, legs, and beaks. They can be swallowed. They can cause horrific injuries, starvation, and death.
Wild animals are simply trying to survive in their homes. They shouldn’t have to suffer because of the trash we leave behind.
Please pick up your garbage. Properly dispose of fishing line. Take it with you if you brought it there.
Wildlife shouldn’t have to suffer because we can’t clean up after ourselves.

08/22/2026

This poor Great Black-backed Gull somehow got a bamboo skewer lodged in her cloaca… how???
Needless to say, she needed help. People had been trying to catch her for weeks, but she was fully flighted and not about to make it easy.
Volunteer rescuer was up for the task. After a few days of patiently waiting, she was finally able to catch the gull and rush her to our wildlife hospital.
The bamboo skewer was successfully removed, and it was time to send her back where she belonged.
The release? What you would call priceless. You have to watch the video until the very end to see what we mean.
The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest gull species in the world, with a wingspan of over five feet. Here on Long Island, adults are easy to identify by their striking black backs and pinkish legs. These powerful birds are adaptable scavengers and hunters—and this girl proved to be one tough survivor.