I saved some baby birds!

I feel so good!

I have a huge potted grapefruit tree that a momma cardinal built a nest in. Last week I found the nest with 3 eggs in it. So excited, yes indeed. So 2 days ago when we start getting the winds from the storms that hit the midwest. The tree got knocked over. It must have just happened because Momma bird was nearby. I thought for sure the eggs were scrambled, (umm, sorry). DH and I lifted the tree up and there were 3 itty bitty baby birds. No feathers, eyes closed and these huge bellies. They must have just hatched a couple of days earlier. I had gloves on so I picked up all three and plopped them back into the nest. Then we left so momma could go back to them. Sure enough next morning (yesterday) Momma was back on her nest. Yeah, clap, clap. So then the darn wind knocked it over AGAIN! Right at dusk last night. Arghhh! DH once again helps me pick it up, and once again the little babies were on the ground. Grabbed some gloves, picked them up, plopped them back into the nest and then THIS TIME, we anchored the tree down. Momma was back on them this morning when i checked. The winds have been battling the tree all day and I keep looking out the window to see if the tree is still upright. We have bluebirds nesting every year but this is the first time we've seen a cardinal nesting. I just love Mother Nature.
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*Melanie*

This message was edited May 12, 2008 10:27 PM

YAY!

YAY!! is right.

I just had to make a quick adjustment to an old gourd house. The sparrows (I know, I know, I know, I'm not supposed to let sparrows nest…) have been nesting in it and I didn't get it down in time. I just saw a pink wing sticking out so went to investigate. The darned gourd is so full with grass that the baby is right up at the front by the hole! So I taped something partially over it in hopes that the parents will get the bird into the back of the nest. I tell you when they have fledged, that thing is coming down! I already found one broken egg on the ground. Now I know why it fell out.

Yay! Great job Melanie!

This may be common knowledge but...why exactly shouldn't you let sparrows nest?

Well I guess it is personal choice and I must say that I'm a bit ambivalent about it. The idea is that the sparrow population is growing too fast and providing too much competition for other cavity nesters, driving them off or even killing them. So the passive control is to not provide nesting opportunities or feed the cheap food.

That is very interesting Mrs. Ed. I've not heard that about sparrows. I didn't question it too much because there are some birds, well I might not have been so eager to save them. But I have a soft spot for any creature that is in distress.

Its House Sparrows only your talking about correct Mrs Ed?

Theres nothing wrong w/ all the other sparrows.

Good job!! When I first read the subject, I thought oh no! I was afraid someone had taken in babies to raise (not good odds there). Glad you knew the best thing to do is just what you did. Get gloves, get in and get out only if it is necessary. Way to go!
Their little lives have started out pretty tramatic, hopefully they will have an easier adulthood.

Yes Pelle, just House Sparrows. But I still have a soft spot in my heart for babies and like you melsalz any in distress.

However, I'm slowly eliminating their nesting spots here and did not put out nesting material this year. I don't know, it's just kinda sad that they can't all get along.

I'm hoping to put up a box next year with a hole restrictor for the chickadess though so I can still have babies in the area. The house wrens don't care for my wren houses.

Thanks Sheila, and everyone else for your kind comments.

There were 3 babies in all. After the second fall, they were all moving except one seemed like it was moving less than the other 2. I really didn't examine them much, once I picked them up I covered them with my other hand to warm them. This morning I saw Dad flying in and out, so all is well. Once they get bigger I will try to take a couple of pictures, then we will find out if all 3 made it. Keeping fingers crossed.

BTW, when I was a child, my family rescued a baby blue jay from a neighbors cat. We hand fed "JJ" until he was old enough to let go. He hung around our back deck until the end of the summer. We could go outside, call him and he would fly up. One day he just never came back. We assumed he found something more interesting to follow. After that we were the family to go to with any injured wild animal. Some made it, some didn't.

that's so cute about the bluejay.

I read an article once about a man who raised a mockingbird. Same thing, hung around for a while and then left for good.

Anyway, so cool that they are nesting near you and you were there for them. Some birds just don't make good nesting decisions!

Saving from a cat is something I would do without question.