So it all started with a little crow. I was walking my whippets (Devo & Jimi) around the neighborhoods of Santa Rosa when we were stopped in our tracks by a group of large and raucous crows in the trees above, caw-caw-cawing up a blue streak at us. After a few more steps I saw what all the commotion was about – a baby crow sitting along the edge of the sidewalk, obviously unable to fly. I quickly turned around and led my dogs away (Jimi, I reckoned, might have trouble differentiating a little crow from a little squeaky toy).
I honestly didn’t really know what to do next. But I knew that if I did nothing, the crow would certainly end up an easy cat’s meal. Once I got the dogs home I turned to the trusty phone book. I called the City for advice. They told me the crow was not dangerous to the general public and, therefore, was not their problem. They directed me to The
Bird Rescue Center. Wow, I thought. I never knew such an organization existed in Sonoma County. Now I was getting somewhere.
The lady on the phone at Bird Rescue was very helpful. She informed me that the crow was almost certainly a fledgling that had left the nest too early. She said that they had many crows at the facility in the same condition and that they were usually able to nurse the baby birds back to health and release them back into the wild. Very cool, I thought. Then she instructed me to “secure” the bird in a pillow case and bring it to the Center immediately. I have to admit I was a bit taken aback. Surely (and stupidly) I thought that there must be a team of kind-hearted bird rescue volunteers who had nothing better to do than drive around at a moment’s notice and pick up injured birds and nurse them back to health and not get paid a dime for it. Right? I was, of course, wrong.
So I grabbed a pillow case and drove back to the baby crow and “secured” it. Then I drove the little guy (or gal) out to the edge of town to the Bird Rescue Center. Two very nice ladies were waiting for me and they whisked the crow away for examination and care. Impressed and interested, I returned to the Center a week later for an open house. There were all sorts of cool birds on display — hawks, owls, falcons, osprey and vultures, as well as smaller songbirds. Trained volunteers took the birds out of the cages one by one to show them off. It was a very happy and caring place. And the most amazing thing? Nobody was making any money doing this – they were simply doing good. 
So I wrote out a check and became a member and met Mary Ellen, the Community Education Coordinator for the Center. The next thing you know we’ve got the crazy/brilliant idea of hosting a bird education event at Michel-Schlumberger to raise money for Bird Rescue.
With that overblown introduction I am very proud to announce Saturday September 5 as Bird Day at Schlumberger. This is gonna be one of the greatest events of all time. Details are still being worked out but here are the basics:
9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Tim Stewart, expert bird guy and proprietor of Wild Birds Unlimited in Santa Rosa, will be on hand with spotting scopes and binoculars to identify and chat about the numerous bird species gracing the grounds and vineyards of Michel-Schlumberger. A group of expert birders will lead short bird walks around the vineyards, lake and creek of the property. Coffee, tea and homemade zucchini bread will be provided for sustenance.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Winemaker Mike Brunson will serve up homemade pizzas topped with heirloom tomatoes, peppers, garlic and basil from our organic garden. World class wines will be poured, of course, along with a lemonade stand run by Mike’s kids, Taylor and Zack.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
The fine folks from Bird Rescue will give a show-and-tell with some big raptors. And I mean BIG. And we’re not talking about a buncha photos and some feathers – These folks will be walking around with the birds on arm. This is your chance to meet some hawks, owls, falcons and other raptors up close and very personal, and learn firsthand about their natural history. 
Seriously, is this cool or what?!? And it’s one of the precious few kid-friendly events you’ll find at a winery. As you can probably tell I’m very excited about this event. You will be, too. Mark those calendars!
Peace and birds,
Tony
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great story! I didn’t realize that those types of organizations were out there either for crows. If it were a baby mountain lion/coyote/bobcat I wouldn’t be surprised.
Glad you’re working with them moving forward!
I’m guessing organizations like Bird Rescue have very little in the way of marketing funds to make themselves known. That’s why it’s amazing to see groups like this pull off what they do with mostly dedicated volunteers. People can be awful good when they want to be…
tony