No one knew what to do.

The fledgling great blue heron had been in the parking lot of Orange Beach’s Phoenix 6 condominium all day, but now, at midnight, he was starting to wander around, dehydrated, hungry and confused. Birds can’t see at night, and he was drawn to the headlights of the cars zooming by on Perdido Beach Boulevard.   

Finally, the security guards decided to call Jody Young, the director of the Coastal Wildlife Rescue Center.

Young instructed the men to grab a trashcan and contain the bird overnight. They used a shopping cart and a sheet and kept him in an office, which was the first step in saving his life, Young said.

“They followed my instructions, and he was safely contained until morning,” she said.

After Young picked the bird up, she took him to visit to David Dykes, the local veterinarian who handles all CWRC rescues. The young bird was X-rayed and dewormed, and Young brought him home for a feeding session.

“He did great,” she said. “I needed to know he knew what he was looking at and knew what to do. His first feeding session, he speared and flipped fish, and that afternoon he was good to go.”

The next day, Young released him on a property on Ono Island with the permission of the owners. She named him “Phoenix” after his place of rescue. Phoenix has happily resided on Ono Island ever since—even returning after mating season. 

“The owner and the neighbors know and love him,” Young said. “He has a very exclusive waterfront property that is all his, and he guards it. He’s a good, happy, beautiful bird, and if it hadn’t been for the people who called and followed my directions, he would have been just a grease spot out on the beach road. We lost so much of our wildlife, and to be able to keep one alive is beautiful.”

The Coastal Wildlife Rescue Center

Jody Young has been rescuing animals in Baldwin County since 1973, and since then, she’s recruited a network of volunteers to help her. For years, CWRC was a “backyard operation” with no actual location. But now, thanks to donations and an upcoming fundraiser, the CWRC will be housed at Graham Creek Nature Preserve in Foley.

Aug. 11, the Ol’ River Folk and Blues Festival at the Happy Harbor on the Alabama-Florida line will feature 14 bands, several vendors, raffles and silent auctions—and all proceeds go to CWRC.

Young encourages all residents of Baldwin County to attend. The rescue center will satisfy a need for Baldwin County as well as expanding the organization’s capacity to rescue more animals like Phoenix, she said.

“This thing is going to grow to where it’s an educational wildlife center,” Young said. “We want to keep all our wildlife in Baldwin County.”

For more information about the benefit, donations or how CWRC operates, read the article about Jody in this week’s edition of The Islander, or call her directly at 251-943-4678.