We fed and tended to nestlings and fledglings. The fledglings were the most amazing to feed because they were contained in a walk-in room. We walk right in and were surrounded by birds above, below and to the side. Often times the birds would land right on you to feed. The flickers were especially fond of that; they would nosily land on you in groups of ten or so (sometimes right on your head) and sit there affectionately ready to eat. These were the friendliest birds we had ever encountered.
The great perk to this summer job was that we also got to explore all of the Institute including their birds of prey, as well as their nature trails, learning centers, and other animals. We also got to see some interesting species of birds come in as patients.
We enjoyed this job for so many reasons but mostly because it is extremely rare to be in such close quarters with wild birds so it makes for a very special experience, and it's fulfilling to help save their lives so they can be released into the wild again and live on.
