Baby Mockingbird

As we were driving home from Caroline's parents' house on Sunday evening, Caroline spotted a bird on the road ahead. I tried to swerve away as quickly as possible, but we thought I might have hit the bird anyway. So, we turned around and went back to check on it. We thought the bird was injured, so we scooped it up with a canvas shopping bag and took it home. We called the Piedmont Wildlife Center for advice, but they were closed. Then we called my co-worker Mari, who is trained in rescuing birds, and she suggested that we keep the bird in a shoebox lined with pine needles until the morning. Upon consulting our bird book and the internet, we determined that the bird was actually a baby mockingbird. He seemed better once we got him in the shoebox. In the morning, he was chirping away and seemed to be unhurt. I took him to school, and Mari confirmed that he was indeed unhurt, and that I should try to return him to his home. I drove to the spot where I thought I hit him. Right before I released him, he opened his mouth wide. Louise, another co-worker, had found a worm for him, and so I quickly grabbed the worm and fed the baby bird. He then hopped away, and soon we saw the mother mockingbird swoop down! I looked up, and there were several nests in a tree right over my head. I think I found the right place, and I think he will be fine!