Hey guys, I have run into a problem with a snow goose that I have not encountered before. The bird was shot in southern Nebraska during the spring snow goose season during the early part of March. The birds were feeding on waste grain, Milo was found in the craw. The bird was mounted towards the end of April in an open winged suspended mount. By the third week in June the bird had developed what appears to be rust spots on th leading edges of the wings.
I don't know how these spots are appearing or what is causing them. When the bird was skinned the wings were skinned and defleshed out to the wrist joint. The tip of the wrist joint of injected with Preserves-It. After defleshing the wingbones they were rubed down with powdered borax, the joints were then molded with Apoxie-Scuplt to both hold the joint and the wire. Galvanized wire was used in the wing, I used tow jute to build up the muscle of the wing and then "loaded" the wing with grnular borax. I have done all my flying mounts this way and have not have a problem grease bleed-through.
When inspecting these "spots" they appear to be dry and can be scraped from the feather with your thumbnail, however it has stained the feathers. So far I have tried Eliminator Degreaser, Rittel's Super Solvent, Blood Eater, Spray N Wash, Formula 409, Rubbing Alcohol and Lacquer Thinner, I can't get anything to touch these stains. I am considering using a peroxide and mag chloride paste to try bleaching it out but don't know if this will destroy the quill of the feather.
Anyone have any suggestions? The bird was hanging in a customers stairway, and was not in the path of a heat or A/C vent.
Thanks for any ideas as to what may have caused this and how to get rid of the stains.
Return to Bird Taxidermy Category Menu
Could it possibly be some sort of mold ? If it is , it would be inside the feathers , thats why you cant get it off.
See the post "yellow staining" in the mammals category on 6/14/02. It may have been caused by the preserves-it.
Try OXY_CLEAN it seems to work on almost anything.
Though many white birds do have blood stains, and duck fleshing wheel stains, it is natural for an immature Snow Goose to have rust stains on their breast and sometimes face.