An ADR Parakeet

Alexis Pennings, Virginia-Maryland

Experiences, Entry

I was the only person working in the clinic that afternoon, and I happened to leave lunch early to return to work. I had much to accomplish, and little time to do it, because it was my day to work in the petting pen. It was fortuitous that I did leave early, because I found a small post-it note on the door to the clinic. Written on the note were the words "Parakeet on counter not doing well. Found laying on side." I popped into the clinic and went back to the counter where a carrier was placed. Inside of it was a little budgerigar who was pale yellow and green. He was laying on his side, not a good sign, and barely responded as I stuck my hand in the crate to retrieve him. He didn't even make a peep, and I could tell he was feeling quite rotten. Upon picking up his light body, I could feel the keel bone sticking out prominently; he was extremely thin. His eyes were half-closed and he lie limp in my arms.

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Sand Dunes and Lyme Disease

Entry, Experiences
Jennifer Sidge, Michigan State

Manitou Islands, Michigan

Everyone loves watching the sunrise, but when you watch it ascend over Lake Michigan sand dunes, you just know it is going to be a wonderful day.  After racing up 117 steps to reach the top of a historic lighthouse that overlooks the Manitou Passage and South Manitou Island, your breath is taken away and you know it is not just from the climb up!  While enjoying a summer evening swim in South Manitou’s bay with the stars and shimmer from the nearby lighthouse reflecting off of the tranquil water, you know that the individual who told you, “If you enjoy what you do every day, then you will never have to work a day in your life,” is absolutely correct.   

 

I am a third year veterinary student at Michigan State’s College of Veterinary Medicine currently taking a year off from the veterinary curriculum in order to work on an additional graduate degree with the NIH Predoctoral T32 Training Program.  For my Master’s, I am focusing on Lyme disease ecology in Michigan-specifically along the west coast.  

Figure 1. Captured birds were searched for the presence of ticks.

A very interesting question is presented by two of our Lake Michigan islands, which illustrates the importance of deer for the Lyme disease cycle.  Deer play a critical role within this system, as they help to complete the lifecycle of the tick by serving as a host for the adult stage.  North Manitou Island is the home to a small population of white-tailed deer unlike South Manitou Island, which is 5km from North, but does not have any deer.  North and South Manitou Islands are part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and this three way collaborative study involving Michigan State University, Michigan Department of Community Health, and National Park Service was the first time that Lyme disease risk has been assessed on the islands. Field days out on the islands, typically are all-day events.  We mist-net for birds, which allows us to search migratory and resident birds for the presence of ticks (Figure 1).

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