Sandra-P

Thank you for the update. So good of you to help them.

Battle Axe

Update # 2. Not good news this a.m. June 13. My best flyer has probably had another crash landing and has apparently contracted a little pneumonia. The other eye was closed shut this a.m. and she only ate 3 butter worms. I'll try again a little later. The Number 3 bird with the crippled legs also ate 3 butter worms and then tried to poop but I need to go back out and clean his little behind. The Number 2 bird also ate 3 butter worms and looks the finest of them all but no attempt to fly. It's cold and damp here. I wish the sun would come out.

I'm on all this medicine for my sinus infection and my blood pressure spiked and I have a terrible headache. Need to call dr. for me too!

Marcia

Sandra-P

Oh no Marcia, first rule of thumb is to take care of yourself. What a kind person you are. This all can be so heartbreaking with our little friends.

Battle Axe

Update # 3. There are two elderly Amish bird experts in this area: Birdy Dave and Birdy Joe. Both keep records and participate in the Audubon bird counts. While I was there, Birdy Joe had an Oriole fall out of a nest. He took the longest ladder he had, and a strawberry box, filled the box with soft grass and hay, then screwed that box to a horizontal branch, added said bird and left it. As soon as they released the baby bird from their hands it began to call for it's parents and they answered. Today I checked on it. Still not enough feathers to fly, but the parents are feeding it and encouraging it.

This was my best day ever: I sold 3 quilt tops at the sale and my blue bird got married.....

I cannot believe this. I had her in the greenhouse and fed her about 2, she ate well and looked pretty good, but this evening I could not find her and she did not answer my calls. The sky light was slightly open, so I figured she and found her way out. But I just walked around the yard just to check. I want to know what happens to her. She never did call to me, but I found her along the edge of the greenhouse where there is a little hole. She was just sitting there and I reached down and picked her up. She looks pretty good, although it had been raining. I brought her in and put her on the dry grass bed and fed her 7 meal worms and 2 butter worms. She was full. I left the hole along the foundation and the skylight open. Her eye seems good and her feet were not terrible, she was free standing.



Tomorrow I think I’ll take her to birdy Joe’s where I know there are other blue birds. When I found her I cried.

M


Then today:

I called Kathleen and told her all this. I had feed Sweetie Pie three times today and she ate well, each feeding was 6 or 7 meal worms and 3-4 butter worms. Then I put her in her carrier and took her to Birdie Joe’s. He wanted to know if she would fly out of that box. I had no idea. We carried her over toward a blue bird nest that had newly hatched nestlings. I could hear Sweetie Pie talking to someone. I knew she had been calling from the greenhouse and not for me, but for more blue birds. All of a sudden this male blue bird flew over us and Sweetie took off and flew up to meet him way, way up in the air. They danced a little wing tap dance but she did not fall out of the sky. Then the male lead her over to the top of a big tree and they disappeared in there. Birdie Joe thought she had been accepted. I hope they get married.

I packed up my stuff and hugged Birdie Joe and left. She is 47 days old. What lovely memories.

Marcia

Battle Axe

[ATTACH=CONFIG]596353[/ATTACH]Sweetie Pie and Marcia take a selfie. Yes, I have fake spiders on the ceiling of the greenhouse. It's for the kids who are afraid of spiders.

This one female was the only surviving bird. Feeding nothing but meal worms is a diet too low in Calcium for the birds to develop and survive. Then, maybe I didn't rescue them in the nick of time. The Internet said wait until the parents return. Well, the dad died in that microburst we had, I found him face down on the lawn. Then, I may have inadvertently trained the robins to chase the female. When I would put more meal worms in the feeder, I would dump out the extra oatmeal and wheat germ that the meal worms were living in....on the ground. The robins developed a meal worm taste and would chase the female.

SillySusan

Great job, Battle Axe! I wonder if she'll come back upon occasion, maybe on Mother's Day, just to say "hi."

A few years ago, I rescued a couple of baby squirrels that came to my back door. Apparently they fell out of their nest. They grew up, found husbands or wives and brought their children to visit and get snacks. Now I have about 6 or 7 great-great-great-grandchildren that still visit everyday. What a joy they are!

Sandra-P

So nice to hear of the success you had. The time you spent on helping them is incredible!

Battle Axe

I doubt that she will ever come back. She is 4 miles away and obviously happier there. I'll put out my new predator proof box in a few days and see if I get any more.

Marcia

Battle Axe

[ATTACH=CONFIG]596454[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]596455[/ATTACH]So what does an American woman do when she celebrates? Well, if we have a birthday, we bake a cake. If we celebrate a wedding we.....bake another cake. So to celebrate the fledging of Sweetie Pie, I baked two cakes. An Oriole cake: German Chocolate with orange/cocoa icing, sprinkles and chocoalte chips. The grand kids had saved a baby Oriole by putting it in a strawberry box lined with grass. The parents continued to feed it and on Sunday when they were gone all day, I fledged. And a blue bird cake: carrot cake with blue icing and blue sugar and sprinkles.

I delivered the cakes Monday morning. Everyone was thrilled.

Rhonda K

Your bird story has been delightful and such a treasure. You should publish the love story between the two. I have enjoyed following your adventures.