After years of fertility treatment, Betsy Vereckey started volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center, caring for baby songbirds. She found solace in the role, and in unexpectedly becoming a birder.
Eastern bluebirds at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science , Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation, in 2023.
Cedar waxwings at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science , Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation, in 2023. Despite their circumstances, the birds found plenty of opportunities to be playful. Northern flickers flew onto my shoulders and pecked at my sparkly earrings. A downy woodpecker sneaked out of his box and landed on my head, perching there as if he were a polka-dot fascinator headpiece. I took their lead and tried to find ways to make the cold, depersonalization of fertility treatment more enjoyable, whether it was stopping off for a grilled cheese sandwich at Red Hen Baking Co.
It surprised me to learn that birds are usually released back into the wild close to where they were initially found. I didn't understand why a rehabilitator would want to re-introduce a bird to the place where it was injured, but doing so increases the likelihood of survival. A bird is more likely to recognize its surroundings and stands a better chance of finding food, shelter and, hopefully, family.
New arrivals at the rehab center like Carolina wrens, chimney swifts and cedar waxwings softened sad goodbyes. Every day was like living inside the pages of the “Peterson Field Guide.” Halfway through the summer, someone dropped off a yellow warbler that had been hit by a car. I had never seen one up close before. A rehabilitator placed the bird on our operating table and asked if I could hold him while she wrapped its injured leg.
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