There are a lot of people who would probably agree this summer has been for the birds. Summer celebrations were cancelled, weddings were postponed, family vacations were limited…everything was different. But there is one Eagle Grove family whose summer has literally been for the birds, and they are enjoying every minute of it.
Betty Jo Weland has raised three children and has run an in-home day care for years. She’s a natural at nurturing. So it was no surprise to anyone that knows her when they saw a Facebook post announcing she found an abandoned baby bird at Walmart, and she brought it home to try and nurse it back to health. Tina, as the baby sparrow was affectionately named by Betty, was accidentally discovered when a lady in the outdoor section of Walmart pulled out some pillows and a nest with Tina in it fell out. Betty immediately scooped it up and put it in her pocket.
“I just thought, nobody deserves to die in Walmart,” she joked.
Betty Jo shopped three hours in Fort Dodge after that, all the while carrying Tina in her pocket before taking her home and getting her back on her feet and releasing her into the world. She still flies by to visit from time to time which always brings a smile to her “adoptive” family’s faces.
About two or three days after Tina was released, Betty Jo got a phone call from one of her youngest son’s friends. They had found three birds and wondered if she would take care of them too.
“I said, ‘Okay, bring them over,’” Betty Jo said with kind of a chuckle like “here we go again.”
It was May 17 when she got the three birds. She remembers how they were frozen. She put them on a heated blanket.
“Birds are really hard to take care of,” she said with a little laugh. “Their skin turns almost cooked looking when it’s time to take them off the heated blanket…and their mouth turns white if they’re not dong well.
Unfortunately, two of the birds did not survive the first night. The strongest of the three, however, did. They named him Thor.
At first, they thought Thor was a blue jay. But after a couple of weeks, when his feathers started coming in, they learned he was instead a Grackle.
“It’s the coolest process ever to watch their feathers come in,” Betty Jo said of their iridescent feathers that catch your eye easily.
Thor lived the life of luxury inside the Weland home for about three weeks. From time-to-time he would be brought outdoors and set on a perch so he could practice his flying. Other times he was put in a cage so he could just get used to being outside for longer periods of time. When he was healthy and acclimated to the outdoors, Betty Jo let him spread his wings and fly….but he’s never really left. It’s like he’s made himself a part of the family. He flies in every morning to “talk” to them, sit on their heads and shoulders, steal their food, receive some snacks, and just overall demand some attention that Betty Jo, her family, or the day care kids never mind giving him. At night, he returns about 9 p.m. to sleep in the lilac bush until the sun comes up. Then he starts cruisin’ the neighborhood.
Over the course of the summer, Thor has become friendly with many of the Weland’s neighbors as well, which is why Betty Jo said she ultimately decided to put a yellow band on his left foot – so that people would know it is Thor and not be alarmed if he came up close to them. And be forewarned, he does like to pick at things, including moles, necklaces, nose hairs and even eye lashes.
“It makes my heart happy that so many people love him,” said Betty Jo.
He’s met several of the neighbors within a two or three block radius.
“He visits my parents daily and sits on their heads, arms, begs for food, and even sat on a float in the pool while they were swimming. He has been over on Jackson, all the way to the south end of Eastern Ave, and has made many friends! Just a fun and happy thing in the middle of so much worry,” said neighbor Beth Wilson.
Betty Jo also started a “Come Soar with Thor” Facebook page all about his travels…and as another effort to make people aware of him so he is not harmed. As of Monday, August 3, he had 313 followers. If you check out his page after reading this article, you just might want to “like” his page as well. He’s already had quite the adventures in his short time here.
“He just wants to be around people,” Betty Jo said of Thor. “You can tell when he’s around because he makes an unmistakable squawk. He is so funny.”
Betty Jo’s day care kids have really taking a liking to him as well. They enjoy feeding him worms, peanuts, dog food, and even don’t mind when he steals their snacks…he especially likes popcorn. Thor also loves to play with toys, including marbles.
“He even hangs out with us sometimes on a branch in our fort when we’re playing,” said London Parrott.
“I really like him because he sits on my head,” added Aiden Smock.
“We sometimes wonder what Thor’s thinking about,” said Betty Jo.
A little known fact – you can actually teach Grackles to talk. Although the Welands and day care kids would love to know what Thor has to say, Betty Jo hasn’t taken that challenge on yet.
“Thor came at the perfect time,” admitted Betty Jo. “With COVID hitting, it’s been something to focus on rather than what’s going on in the world. He’s quirky and crazy – just like my family.”
But Thor isn’t the only visitor who has taken a liking to Betty Jo’s backyard this summer. In fact, perhaps she’s on the way to being Eagle Grove’s very own Dr. Doolittle. In addition to Thor and Tina, Betty Jo has had another dozen birds that people have dropped off for her to care for since this all began. She says she doesn’t necessarily “want” birds, because they are hard to care for, but it’s in her nature to nurture anyone and anything. Frequent wild animal visitors also include three red tail fox, repeat squirrels, and even rabbits.
“It’s like Animal Kingdom out here,” Betty Jo joked.
Remember, if you see a beautiful, iridescent black bird with a yellow foot band flying around, he is friendly. He goes by the name Thor. And if you call to him, if you’re lucky, he just may come and visit you.
Betty Jo admits that, just like when you human child spreads their wings and goes off to college or their own apartment, she is worried about Thor come this fall.
“I can’t help but worry about if he flies south for the winter what it will be like. I mean I know he’s not mine to keep, but I can’t help wanting to be selfish with him. I just hope he finds another loving family and neighborhood.”
But for now…keep you eye in the Sky. “Come Soar with Thor” and enjoy his adventures and flights around Eagle Grove.
