Another One Comes Around

A friend recently called to say her neighbor had found a robin who seemed "helpless". The description (found by a bush; fluttering wings; tufts of down on either side of the head; no tail feathers) perfectly fit that of a fledgling, so I advised her to tell her neighbor be a "guardian angel" and keep his dogs inside for a couple of days so the little robin could find her wings and begin to fly, while staying in the protection of her parents.
Well, about 10 days later my friend called to say the robin was being kept by her neighbors (who had become quite enchanted with it) but they thought there may be a problem with one of its legs. My friend had taken that opening to convince them that the little one would be better off with a Wildlife Rehabber, especially if she could be raised with another robin. So arrangements were made: I would be there around 2 p.m. to pick up the little robin.
I did not realize just what devoted "parents" these neighbors were. The wife ("Jane") came home from work that day especially to say goodbye to the little bird. The husband ("Guy") was there when I went to pick it up. My friend had warned me that these neighbors were true rednecks - Confederate flag-flying, gun-toting, motorcycle gang rednecks. What I found when I arrived was a man who was so devoted to this robin that he let it perch on his shoulder, fed it store-bought crickets and earthworms and suet and seed, allowed it to hop along behind him in his backyard as he watched over it, and enjoyed watching as it fell asleep on his shoulder. He had found a beautiful large cage and set it up beside the dining room window, with a folded towel on the top where the robin was settled. He told me that he wanted what was best for the bird and therefore wanted me to take it, especially if I could find other fledgling robins to put it with so it would begin to realize who it was. At the same time, Guy was quite literally on the verge of tears. This little bird had clearly had an impact on him and his wife.
Guy insisted on donating the cage to go along with the robin (which was very generous!) and said that he and Jane would like to be involved in the release when that time came, assuming all went well.
Time passed and the robin grew and thrived. The leg problem turned out to be nothing more than a temporary strain which healed quickly. It gained a cage mate, the cage mate moved on, and the robin moved out into a flight pen (8 feet by 16 feet by 8-10 feet tall) to strengthen its wings. The time arrived for release.
I called Jane and Guy several times over the course of several days and left messages that the robin was ready for release, but didn't hear back from them. I wasn't particularly surprised by this - many "rescuers" express an interest in following the progress of the wild animal they've found but most forget about it soon after bringing it to a Rehabber. So yesterday morning, a beautiful and bright sunlit day, I opened the door of the flight pen and let the little robin go free. She didn't immediately fly off. Instead she hopped, in that way that robins do, across the yard and up to the back gate. I walked close to her (~5 feet away) and she flew up to a low branch of the huge Magnolia tree in my backyard. And then I knew that she would be OK.
That afternoon, Jane called and left a message to say that she and Guy were sorry to have missed my calls, but if I had let the bird go that was all for the best. They just wanted to know how the release went. This evening I was able to speak with Guy. He wanted to know all the details and was very very happy that his little girl was free and doing what a robin is meant to do. But what impressed me most was the passion he brought to talking about how this bird has changed his life. He said, "I'm a biker, I belong to a club, but this little bird, when she would fall asleep on my shoulder...", and his voice trailed off. He continued, "I used to just get up and get my coffee and watch the news, but now I watch my backyard. I've put up three bird feeders and I feed the squirrels and I have four chipmunks living in my backyard!" His enthusiasm was palpable and heartwarming and reminded me, once again, that wild animals and the love of them can erase divisions between us all.