”
Oftentimes in the High Sierra, as you wander through the solemn
woods, awestricken and silent, you will hear the reassuring voice
of this fellow wanderer ringing out sweet and clear
… In the severest solitudes he seems as happy as in gardens and
apple orchards.
”
By the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center
“Oftentimes in the High Sierra, as you wander through the solemn woods, awestricken and silent, you will hear the reassuring voice of this fellow wanderer ringing out sweet and clear … In the severest solitudes he seems as happy as in gardens and apple orchards.”
So wrote John Muir in 1901 about the robins of Yosemite. The red-breasted American Robin with the speckled-blue eggs is well-known to every school child and is probably the most widely recognized bird on the continent. Though known as a herald of spring, the robin is actually a year-round resident of the United States, ranging from coast to coast, from mountain forests and woodlands to suburban gardens, where it can be seen running across lawns and cocking its head before snatching a fat worm for breakfast.
Widespread and common though they are, robins still inhabit different niches within geographic areas. Birds have an inborn sense that determines where and when to migrate. They are also territorial creatures and sing to warn other birds that the area is already taken. The robins of each territory have their own dialect and “accent,” similar to the way Americans speak English with drawls, twangs and Brooklynese.
So, when an orphaned baby robin found near Yosemite was brought to WERC for nurturing, staff felt that once the robin had matured, it was best to drive the bird all the way back to where it had been found rather than take the chance that it would be “lost babe in the woods” if released in the South Bay area.
Another example of WERC going the “extra mile” to ensure that animals under its care are released back to their native habitats is the story of a 7-inch long Western Pond Turtle. The turtle was seen crossing the road in Copperopolis, near Sonora, perhaps moving upland for the winter.
Fearing for the turtle’s safety, the rescuers transported it to WERC in Morgan Hill. The pond turtle is the only freshwater turtle native to the North American Pacific Coast and is a protected “species of special concern” in California; it is vulnerable to extinction due to destruction of its wetlands habitat and predation by non-native species such as bullfrogs and big-mouth bass.
Further research shows that the pond turtles’ colors and markings vary geographically. So, noting that our local pond turtles have green stripes, but that this one had yellow stripes, staffers felt that the best thing to do was to drive the healthy and uninjured turtle back to where it was found, a round-trip of almost 300 miles!
WERC, the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, provides the community with rehabilitation services for orphaned, injured and sick native wildlife. Through its educational programs, WERC encourages a peaceful coexistence between civilization and our native wildlife. To contact WERC, call (408) 779-9372 or go to www.werc-ca.org.
