Little “No Name”

Wednesday, July 01, 2021 (In 22 days, July’s fullest moon [“Thunder”] will rise.)

I’m “rescuing” an infant Robin. It’s feathered, still needs being fed.

The other evening a pair of Robins created ongoing ruckus and were continuing it early yesterday. They were worrying over a fenced 1/3-acre where my dogs run. I watched, finally seeing my Border Collie get very interested in a single spot. Peering closely, I saw a baby bird.

I hurried into the dog area, removed and set the infant nearby into a grassy spot. The still-noisy parents watched and vocally stayed in touch. Their little one wobbly stood with head lifted and mouth wide open. I moved away to see the parents fly in, but they didn’t and maintained a physical distance.

Meanwhile, overhead a big raptor was circling and for awhile had slowly been doing so. This predator that looked bigger and had feathers lighter in color than a Red-Tailed Hawk might spot the tiny bird.

I understand the wisdom of leaving a baby bird, for parents will continue caring for it. Clearly, those were vigilant parents. But, that circling bird of prey! But, the domestic cats that roam in this area! Against better instincts, I put the willing infant into a critter-carrier and took it into the garage.

After hurrying and obtaining live mealworms, I fed and watered the bird, which gobbled all offerings while making robin noises. Its parents heard it and landed nearby in trees called to their baby. I decided to return baby to freedom, released it into a garden area, and stood far away watching. The worried and noisy parents, as earlier, didn’t approach their little one.

I went away, returning in a half-hour and finding no baby. After searching among plants I found it asleep atop an open rock, and no nearby parent sounds, I decided to rescue again.

I’ll feed and help until this Robin is strong enough to fly. Then, it may freely lift off!

This solution isn’t optimal. After moving the bird away from the dogs, maybe I should have let nature take its course. Perhaps I should had contacted a wild bird rescue, but a previous uncomfortable experience with that process made me hesitate. Meanwhile, I am an experienced “bird person”, have a sense of what’s needed, and will see how things evolve.

I don’t intend to name this bird. Truly, it’s destined to fly free.

Dear Friends: Now, it’s time for this lil’ baby to have a second early-morning feeding. Diana