The Heart of the Valley would die en route the following year. Her offspring also migrated though five of them also died but the one raised by the dunnocks survived. The mother dunnock died the following winter during a cold spell and was eaten by a fox. The surviving male dunnock mated the following year and had six offspring. The story ends with the writer taking a walk in the valley. The author once narrowly missed hitting a bird whilst driving to a railway station. On the train journey he imagined what might have happened if he hit the bird and it became the starting
International Bird Rescue International Bird Rescue Research Center, the organization cares for an estimated 5,000 birds annually at two rehabilitation centers, the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care and Education Center and the San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center, that also serve as primary care facilities for oiled birds in the event of a spill in California. Common bird species treated include brown pelicans, common murres, western grebes, pacific loons, and a variety of gulls, herons, and other waterfowl. International Bird Rescue is a member of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN), which is managed by the UC Davis School of