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Lucky Robin Gets Ferndale Love, Returns Favor with Adorable Loyaltynicholas-schrock-allstate
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 25, 2014)
A Ferndale man found an unlikely friend when his family went down to the Michigan International Raceway earlier this month. Some unexpected guests, four baby robins, had been living in a nest made in a bicycle attached to the back of another family’s camper. The nest remained in tact on that family’s ride up from Ohio, but Judy_Palmer30yearsonly one of the tiny creatures inside survived. Since then, the lone survivor has gone on even more adventures, and is now enjoying his new Ferndale home.
William White is a tough-looking guy with a big gray beard and hands that are strong from years of cleaning duct work. But to the little Robin, those hands are the safest place on earth. White named the bird Henrietta, but has since changed his name to Henry.
“We learned Henry was a boy because with robins the males have dark heads and the females heads are the same color as the rest of their feathers,” he said. Henry did not seem to mind either name though. His love for White has been strong ever since June 10 when White took him in and gave him a loving home.
“I took the bird and made him a nest in a box. I was hand-feeding him and giving him water with a syringe. On Fathers’ Day I took him out of the box to let him hop around in the grass. I had my son keep an eye on him while I went into the camper, and I turned around and Henry was hopping right up the stairs. He came right the camper and made himself at home. He’s was riding with gallowaycollens1us ever since,” White said.
Henry shared the camper with White and his wife and son Brandon. They enjoyed their vacation at the racetrack, then journeyed all the way to Pennsylvania for a wedding. Often he’d sit on the steering wheel while his adoptive daddy drove. In Pennsylvania Henry was a hit, sitting calmly on the arms and shoulders of White’s friends and family, and chirping happily at the sight of his favorite foods – cream of wheat, worms and blueberries.
White knew that once Henry was big enough to fly, he’d have to let him go. “It’s the same with kids,” White ctechadsaid. “You raise ‘em and they go off into the world.
On Monday White figured it was time. He took Henry to the backyard of his Ferndale home, and set him free.
So far he’s not gone very far though. Henry made himself a nest in White’s garage and so far comes out each day for a meal of blueberries, to sit on White’s shoulder, and to sing.
“I’ve never seen a wild bird act like that,” White said. “I didn’t think he’d be around after I let him go. I know one day I’ll go out there and he won’t be there. I’m okay with that. I just think it’s cool I got him to the point that he can be free.”
In addition to rescuing Henry, White gives back to the community by being involved in the Ferndale Elks and helping with the Memorial Day Parade.
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