A MENAGERIE OF WAYWARD BIRDS VIII

This one takes place right after the second season episode 'Hi-Fi Gilligan' right after Gilligan finds the albatrosses and puffins.

SEPTEMBER 2, 1965

Gilligan yawned as he made his way back to the beach. He looked up when he heard a couple of albatrosses. He ducked as his other two black albatross friend, Coffee and Tea practically dive bombed him to get his attention. He stopped short as he stepped onto the beach and couldn't believe his eyes.

0o0o0o0o

The Professor had made a make-shift clip board and drew up health charts for all the injured birds found so far. Mary Ann and Ginger were working on a couple enclosures to put some of the birds in. Mrs. Howell was at the sewing machine mending a couple of blankets and Mr. Howell and the Skipper were still joking about when Gilligan would be back when Eugene began to whistle and flap his wings.

"What's wrong Eugene?" Mary Ann asked as she finished tying of a gate.

Just then Coleridge whinnied as two more black albatrosses flew into the clearing whinnying and flying around them.

"Oh no there must be more injured birds at the beach and Gilligan may need our help!" The Professor replied putting down the clipboard.

"Mr. and Mrs. Howell you stay here while we go help Gilligan!" The Skipper replied as Mr. Howell pouted and gave him a hundred dollar bill.

Five minutes later they stepped onto the beach and couldn't believe their eyes. Several yards up the beach were dozens of Canadian geese roaming about.

"OVER HEAR!" They heard Gilligan shout.

They look over near the water where they saw Gilligan kneeling near two of the geese, two black birds and a couple of black and grey lumps.

"Okay so it looks like Atticus's mate, Jean's wing is broken," Gilligan began gesturing to the Geese. "And it looks like Edgar's and Lenore's wings are caught in fishing line!"

"Are those ravens or crows?" Ginger asked as Mary Ann picked up Jean and she picked up Edgar and Lenore.

"They're ravens!" Gilligan replied. "And it looks like Fred and Adele here are very weak we need to get them back to camp right away."

The Professor looked Fred and Adele over. They were both emperor penguins that appeared to be fully grown but still had grey baby feathers around their necks and black and white chick faces.

"The storm must've thrown them off course and exhausted them!" The Professor replied. "We need to get food in them right away. Here's what we'll do we will take everyone back to camp and get them settled while you try to catch some fish for a formula for them!"

"Right!" Gilligan replied hopping up and gather up his fishing gear while the others brought the birds back to camp.

0o0o0o0o

Back at camp the Howells worked on getting Edgar and Lenore untangled from the fishing line that was attached to their wings like handcuffs. Mary Ann and Ginger worked together wrapping Jean's wing while her mate Atticus and the rest of their gaggle hovered about. They still had a few fish stored in their barrel so the Skipper and the Professor worked on getting Fred and Adele to eat. With tired eyes they both were hungrily eating the fish when Gilligan ran into camp with several fish.

"Here is a bunch so far and Coleridge and his friends should be here with more!" Gilligan replied and as he said it Coleridge and several other albatrosses dove into camp and dropped their catches onto the table.

"Fantastic you help the Skipper while I check on the others!" The Professor replied and he went over to check on Jean's progress.

"Feeling all right Fred?" Gilligan asked as he fed Fred. He appeared to nod as he and Adele accepted some fish.

"So why Fred?" The Skipper asked as he fed Adele.

"They remind me of that dancer Fred Astaire and his sister Adele!" Gilligan replied. "Then the ravens remind me of that poet guy Edgar Allan Poe and one of his poems. As for the geese they were my favorite names from that 'Mockingbird' book."

"Okay so," began the Professor. "Everyone's wings should heal in a month or so. As for Fred and Adele we need to keep a close eye on them. Since they are not from around here we'll need to try to keep them cool and well fed."

"I better get back to the beach then!" Gilligan replied and he scratched Fred's head.

0o0o0o0o

The first to leave were Fred and Adele. The castaways kept them well fed and after they shed the last of their baby feathers Gilligan released them back into the ocean a week after their stranding.

Three weeks later they watched Pinkerton and Rose fly away as well as Atticus, Jean and their gaggle. Then they released Marina who joined her mate Coleridge and the others. Then they released Nova and Scott.

Lenore and Edgar were all healed but it looked like they had chosen to stay on the island. The only one left was Aiden the pelican. The Professor checked him over twice and saw that his wing was fine. He would just fly a few feet away to catch a fish then fly back.

"Sounds to me like he's just afraid!" The Skipper replied as they all headed back to camp. "He'll leave when he's ready!"

A/N: The Canadian goose has a brown body, a long neck, and a black head with white patches on the face. They are native to North America and breed in Canada. They are known to fly in a V-shaped formation when migrating.

There are at least eight species of ravens. They are larger than the crow having a large curved beak and shaggy feathers around the throat and around the beak and a wedge-shaped tail. The can survive in various climates.

Emperor penguins stand about four feet tall. They have black feathers on their back and head. The bottom of their wings and belly are white and a pale yellow upper breast, with bright yellow ear patches.

They mate for life and breed during the Antarctic winter. Their chicks are born with silvery grey down with a black and white mask.

I plan on doing one more bird chapter then I'll be moving on to different animals.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!