By Yvonne Wallace Blane | Project Leader
Just like every new patient, this young Merlin's story involves some special people.
Kaleigh Lound arrived at Fellow Mortals to start her internship just ahead of the many injured and orphaned baby birds that were to follow her. A recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, Kaleigh moved to Wisconsin from Michigan for a nearly year-long wildlife internship. We couldn't be happier to have her with us!
Kaleigh's normal day starts before 8 a.m. and ends around 10 p.m.--baby birds require frequent feedings that start at sunrise and continue until dark. Between feedings, Kaleigh mixes formula, cleans incubators, washes syringes and helps with admitting new patients. While every intern and staff member looks forward to days off and sleeping in, Kaleigh is willing to help even on her days off--including going on rescues when a caller may be elderly, disabled, or without a vehicle.
A couple of weeks ago, we got a call about a bird that had been on the ground all day in the hot sun. We routinely ask people alot of questions when they call, and sometimes ask for pictures to help us assess a situation, as we never want to take a healthy baby away from its parents.
Once we saw pictures of the Merlin, we knew it was a young bird but not so young it shouldn't be off the ground, and needed to come into care. The woman who noticed the bird couldn't leave her elderly mother to bring it to us, however, so enter Kaleigh! We asked the woman to place a laundry basket over the bird until Kaleigh could get to it. Laundry baskets are handy because they provide protection from predator-attack and the elements, while keeping the injured animal from leaving the area until it can be helped.
Kaleigh was able to retrieve the bird easily, thanks to the woman following our instructions. Back at the hospital, we examined the Merlin and found old injuries to both wings--probably caused when it first left the nest. He was a little thin, a little dehydrated, but the wounds would heal.
Two weeks later, the young fledgling has lost most of his baby down, and is in that 'awkward' teenage phase. He is also eating like a teenager as he finished growing in his first set of feathers!
Once the Merlin is at the age he would normally leave his parents, and has learned to hunt, he will be released--a happy ending made possible by the woman who cared enough to call, and by Kaleigh, who took the time to help.
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