Winging It
Mikal Deese

A true story in memory of Mom, who never understood how a daughter of hers (especially one who started off so very well) could end up with mosquitoes in her freezer and no husband.

My mom was visiting from Dallas. I was busy being a mother bird, so she offered to make dinner for us. That sounded great! And I’m sure I told her not to bother with the things on the top shelf of the ….
    “YEE-ooo! YUCK-UCK-UCK!” she squealed from the kitchen. “Mikal Beth! What is this doing in here?”
    Now, I am a grownup. In fact, I have a son who is a grownup. No one has called me Mikal Beth since I was 3 years old, but whenever Mom feels she needs to straighten me out, I hear “Mikal Beth” ring out and am instantly reduced to 2 feet, 11 inches tall and my knees go watery.
    She must have found the mosquitoes, unless of course it’s ...
    “And MICE! You have DEAD MICE in here! Right beside the FROZEN MOSQUITOES! Land O Goshen! I’m not eating one thing came from this Frigidaire! No siree Bob, Thank you very much! We’ll be going out tonight!”
    And indeed we did. As for breakfast. And then for lunch. She had planned to stay until Tuesday, but suddenly remembered that she had to get back to Dallas the very next day. Mom’s memory just wasn’t what it used to be. 

      Growing up, I always figured that I’d get a job and a home and my very own refrigerator. Then I could put anything I wanted in it.
    They’re not really mosquitoes anyway. They’re mosquito larvae. That means they’re not mosquitoes yet. But the really creepy thing is that you can keep them frozen for months, even years, then thaw them out and they will start to grow. Spooky! They get bigger every day.
    I don’t have the larvae to breed mosquitoes—the world probably has enough of them already. I feed them to tiny baby birds. They need a lot of protein because they grow very quickly, and in the bird world, protein often comes from bugs.
    I also raise mealworms, keep crickets, and catch moths at night. A neighbor has been giving me the hornworms off her tomato plants. And yes, there are mice in my freezer. As well as some rats. Plus quail and chicken for the birdeaters. OK, there may be fresh road-kill squirrels, rabbits, snakes. A surrogate bird mom must be prepared for all appetites.
    The head count this morning at my house was 31 birds of 17 species. From the nestling Black-chinned Hummingbird to the injured Peregrine Falcon, each species has slightly different preferences.
    The first orphaned nestling of the season turned up on April 5 this year, and I’ve been hand-feeding babies all day, every day, for almost three months. It can get tedious and lonely. And it’s true, there’s still no husband. But the thrill of watching the wild ones fly away makes up for every moment. I am truly blessed!
    Even if Mom didn’t quite see it that way.
    
Mikal Deese runs the Corrales-based rescue On a Wing and a Prayer, which cares for orphaned, injured, and sick wild birds. The nonprofit group depends on donations, as no funding exists at the federal, state, or local level for wildlife rehabilitation. All donations go directly to animal care. To help or learn more, call 897-0439 or mikaldeese@aol.com.