Today I started off vacuuming and sweeping like every morning starts out. Aside from using window cleaner on the windows with newspaper (which works 10x better then paper towels mind you) I began to do call backs. This lasted up until one call went on for a good 8 minutes and new things came about. I cannot remember what else happened but I do remember a tour coming about around 10 for first and second graders at Trinity elementary school. There were so many of them that we split them up into three groups (Called the Round Robin) and rotated them every 20-30min. One group was inside with me doing a scavenger hunt, one was outside with a different intern doing an outside tour, and one was in a Turtle program with our assistant educational staff member. Once we rotated through the three different groups they left and shortly after I mopped floors while the other intern swept up whatever the kids recently dragged in and carpet fragments.
Once this was all taken care of we were about to go on produce run but then this was covered so I was going to chill at the front desk while the floors dried but then was told to fill out an application because I was last one to do it since I was busy. So I filled out an application for a job offer next door at Wildwoods Animal Hospital. They want kennel help and all the interns here scheduled so we could all get a job and work together (this was no one became over loaded between jobs). When I went back downstairs I was surprised to see another tour group. The other intern was giving them an indoor tour while I sat at the desk for a bit. Once they were done the intern surprised me with "hey, you ready to give an outside tour" so I did. He followed and qued in whenever I forgot some details about the birds due to the sudden surprise tour. After it was over though I was complimented by everyone on the fine job I did and everyone had a good time. The tour was for the Veterans; they have a camp and usually on wednesdays they visit between 1pm and 2pm. I believe once this was over I finally had a good 30min lunch before returning downstairs and doing some gift shop inventory updates on the computer while waiting for phone calls.
When the other intern returned from lunch he disappeared for a while until I finished the list and did a little restocking. Pulled out some bird whistles from the back and put them up front. When I was almost done with this the other intern suddenly told me to come here and so when I hung the rest up I went back to the educational room. I was surprised to find him and the educational staff member near Rory's cage, our Broad-winged Hawk, and he held out a leash, swivel, gesses, and a glove. I held Rory a little yesterday but today I was actually allowed to take him out of the room he was in. They walked me through the process outside of the cage and then handed everything over. I went inside and jumped right in; gloved Rory, put the gesses on his anklet and pulled them through, took both and put them through one side of the swivel, wrapped the end pieces of the gesses to the other part of the swivel and pulled the swivel, then finally pulled the leash through the swivel end, and brought him outside of the cage. It did not take long at all and a few were actually seemed very surprised by how quickly he was hooked up. We then went outside with Rory and I held him for a good 30 minutes it seemed. Was able to get quite a bit of bird handling experience in; figured out a way to move my hand to get Rory to turn back around so that he was facing me every time he himself turned away to face away. They taught me how to take the stress off my arm with my other hand and different ways to hold him; say on one side vs the other side if he turned around. Made me conscious on the birds if they barfed up a pellet or possibly defecated and to watch for anything behind the birds that could stress them out. Rory did some preening which is very helpful for this feathers; they are molting and in the process of growing back. Overall this went very well and I even have an awesome picture with one of my favorite birds to prove things.
So after holding Rory for the good 30 minutes or so we returned back inside and I unhooked everything and was shown were equipment went. We exited the educational room because a board meeting was about to go on so I started to work on inventory in the back room for the gift shop while the other intern helped in back I believe. He had a phone with him to where he could answer while I took count of stuff. I did not finish though because it was the end of the day and the intern and educational member wanted to go to Hoggie Doggie's; an amazing restaurant with different sandwiches, hotdogs, wraps, ice cream, etc. It was absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to go back! I had a turtle sundae with a patty melt and a small rootbeer. The patty melt was like cheese, bread, hamburger, with special sauce I think. Think of Steak and Shake's Frisco Melt kind of style but of course it tastes 10x different and honestly SO MUCH better!
Upon returning from this excellent treat we heard news about the a baby robin, which came in earlier today during tours (forgot to mention previously), and how it was released in back. It is a fledgeling and only hopping around, not flying. The other Robins around heard it crying and flew down to it but apparently flew away the moment they knew it was not theirs. This left the baby hopping around crying out for its parents but nothing more. This seemed fine and dandy until I was upstairs messing around online and heard some thunder rolling in. A storm was coming and thus I believed the robin's likely hood of surviving the night was greatly decreased to about 25%. Due to this, when we went downstairs to feed, I made comment about the bird and how a storm was rolling in. We talked it through about how the bird probably should not have been released, especially since it could not fly yet, and so I finally got the okay to go out and grab it IF I could find it. Thanks to my well trained ears when it comes to bird calls, not bragging either, I was actually able to pick out the sound of the young Robin vs the adult Robins and other birds in the area. I located him and quickly placed him in a baby box we use for other babies. It was then brought back inside and placed on a heating pad with a water dish and meal worms. I wasn't sure if it was old enough to feed on its own but no matter, REGI (Raptor Education Group, Incorporated) was called and they said to feed him exact and to take the meal worms out. So we tried but he did not eat much; meaning he could have still been full from eating meal worms earlier in the day. Since he was not hungry now I was put in charge of the bird and thus will attempt to feed it around 10pm.
In the mean time the education staff member and four of us interns are sitting here and watching the Hobbit while playing with the staff members cats. I am also typing this up of course and since it is almost 10 I will attempt a feeding before finishing the movie and eventually going to bed. Lucky me I have the day off tomorrow so staying up is not so bad. It was an excellent day indeed! :)
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