I was mulching this afternoon, in a fine mist, thankful that we weren't getting a downpour of rain AGAIN. We've already set a new record for the most rainfall in a single month ever. (We're currently at just under 12" for the month.) There's still one more day left and it's supposed to...wait for it...RAIN. *sigh*
I walked over and sure enough, there was a young bird - a cedar waxwing! - sitting by the tree trunk, terrified. It looked as if its wing was damaged because of the way it was holding it out, but I didn't want it to suffer further injury from a cat that was just...well...being a cat.
I scooped it up in my hands and was thankful to have gloves on because it tried to bite my finger, although I doubt it would have been too painful. I walked away, trying to decide where I could put it that it would be safe, yet not far away from its nest, wherever that might be.
The hanging container by the pool house seemed to be a good choice, offering protection from the weather and high enough that OhNo or one of the other cats couldn't get to it. I walked out to the Berry Barn and picked a raspberry and a blueberry and offered it up as a treat.
It really loved the raspberry but didn't quite know what to do with the blueberry. And then it fell out of the container and OhNo was right there. Oh no you don't! I once again gathered up the bird and decided I would put it in the only location where I knew the cats couldn't get to it.
The Berry Barn.
Wait. What??? Didn't we construct the Berry Barn to keep the birds from getting to the berries before we did?
Oh, the irony...
"Bejeweled"
4 comments:
Now what to do? Has the parents came to collect their youngster?
Sometimes there are more important things than fresh berries:) Cats can't help their nature, and I'm all for them catching mice and voles, but birds are another story. Glad you were there to the rescue.
Bless you for saving the bird but the bird's wing could be broken and therefore it won't survive cause it won't be able to fly.
I would call the humane society rescue mission and see what can be done. The birds wing may need to wrapped up if broken or it may have some lost wing feathers and cared for. It should really be checked out by a vet or someone who knows a lot about caring for birds.
We gardeners are often torn between our different principles. My neighbor had a woodchuck living under her porch. When a friend trapped it he discovered that it was a she, and she was lactating. Well, they couldn't take her away from the babies, so back she went under the porch. When the babies were old enough to fend for themselves the trap went out again. I happened to walk by the house and saw two of the babies inside the trap while Mama and the third baby circled it - and visited the two prisoners. When I told my friend what I had seen she gnashed her teeth. None of this was what she had wanted. ALL the woodchucks were finally hauled away to some more rural location that our urban street.
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