Interns Last Day, Many Patients Arrive

(Photo: REGI Staff and Interns today 8-19-09. This is the "Official Team REGI 2009" photo. Bottom row Lance Holm ( UWSP), Middle Row Katie Farvour, staff rehabilitator, Natasha Siegel, UWSP, Alberta Halfmann, staff rehabilitator, Aprill Jaeger, UWSP. Top Row Marge Gibson , Executive Director, Nicole Swanson, Director of Education, Steve Fisher, Education Coordinator)
(Not pictured in the "official team photo" was Elizabeth Ferderbar UMN St Paul, Don Gibson)


Two of our three summer interns left today to move back to their college towns to begin classes once more. Our short-term pre-vet intern, Liz left yesterday.
It is a hard for staff and especially for me I think, when they leave us. Since late May we have bonded over cases. Some cases had great outcomes and some not so great. We've listened to each others music, watched movies and TV shows together and shared many nights solving "the problems of the world". We were like comrades in a fox hole for these months as we learned to rely on each other and respect the unique talents each brought to the REGI team. It is impossible to live so close, spend so many hours together without caring a great deal for each other. We become a summertime family. I will share more photos of the summer in the next few days as I have time to sort through my favorites.



( Photo: Our "last supper" at noon today with close-up of the ice cream cake below.
We ate homemade sloppy joes and garden fresh corn on the cob and had a delicious ice cream cake with a migrating bird theme. ( Thanks Vicki:)) As usual,we had a lively discussion with lunch. This time it was about Brett Farve becoming a Viking. With two people from Minnesota sitting at the mostly Green Bay Packer table, there were many opinions.)




The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity at REGI. As we prepared for our college interns leaving, we also received many new cases and even baby birds. What could the parents of those baby birds be thinking to hatch eggs so late in the season? It is likely that the birds earlier attempts at nesting failed due to our odd weather this summer. So many people have commented that their resident swallows, purple martins and even eastern phoebes were all but non-existent in the northern part of the state.

( Photo: Young Ruby-throated Hummingbird rests after eating her fill.)

In the case of the Cliff Swallow and Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and even the Broad-winged Hawk, we may well be flying them to the southern climates via jet rather that on their own wings. Many insect eating species have either left our area or on their way south and will not be waiting for the few babies they have left behind. In the world of birds, and all wildlife, everything has to make sense from a biologic perspective. The focus is the preservation of the adults to survive. Adults can always have more youngsters. The reverse is not true however. If that seems harsh, it is reality in the wild world where everything has to make perfect sense biologically.


( Photo: Young American Robin came in from Medford area last week and was pictured featherless in a ice cream bucket on an earlier blog entry. He is growing well and quickly. Our thanks to Ashley for caring about him and getting him help.)

Off for tonight,more tomorrow.
Marge Gibson 2009