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On Thursday, I had a great and terrible day. I delivered 14 MickaCoo rescues, 11 pigeons and 3 doves, to their new forever home at the Odiyan Retreat Center located on 1000 acres in the hills of Cazadero overlooking the Pacific.
Odiyan has a huge 80' by 60' predator-proof aviary, providing a wonderful forever home to a dozen peacocks, a dozen pheasants, 25 white ringneck doves and now 14 MickaCoo rescues.
My journey started the night before with a trip to the Filoli foster aviary in Woodside to pick up two doves, Julio & Brownback.
Thursday morning, I found out that my request for permission to view the aviary had been refused. Odiyan policy prohibits visitors on the property. I had seen pictures and approved the adopter's application but I was devastated at having to choose between dropping the birds off at their gate or denying the adoption. The joy of the day was gone for me.
The birds that I would be taking to Odiyan were all fine right where they were in their wonderful foster homes but not placing them would endanger the pigeons and doves still in shelters that needed to come into MickaCoo. I decided to go ahead but was very conflicted and not at all sure if I was doing the right thing.
I drove to the Wulf foster aviary in Berkeley to pick up Rex the Wild King & her mate homer Seven and kings Faith & Scout.
From there, we continued on to Novato to the Marin Humane Society to pick up the flock of pigeons that they've been fostering for MickaCoo since they timed out at SFACC in January.
At MHS, they also had two doves, found separately as strays, that needed rescue. I agreed to take them into MickaCoo foster care but a terrible thing happened as I stepped into the walk-in size cage of the brown dove- she shot past me and out of the cage door and into the sky and away. I don't know if she'll be able to survive on her own or not. Sometimes brown ring neck doves do. (6/19/11 Update- this little escape artist came back and is once again safe in the care of MHS!)
I was shook up but got into the white dove's cage with extra care and successfully boxed him up for the trip. Odiyan adopted him as well.
From there, I drove the 85 miles on to Odiyan.
I was welcomed at the gate by Bradley- the caretaker of the aviary, Anette- the adopter and Bindery Manager of the Yeshe De Tibetan Text Preservation Project and Mallory, an Odiyan volunteer.
And drove away, leaving them at the gate.
Anette took pictures of their release into the aviary.
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