Rescued Pink Little Creature Grows up and Refuses to Leave
Why climb trees when you can climb into human arms. Thanks to Christian for letting us share this adorable story — Richard is such a cutie. What did you think? Please leave a comment in the section below and remember to share the video and sign up for our free newsletter!
February 1, 2025 @ 10:57 am
Yesterday was our first high-heat-and-humidity day of the year, and it took its toll on this ol’ dude and his new apprentice. So when I got home, unloaded my paperwork (for after dinner, if I could stay awake), I opened the fridge and reached for a Yuengling. Zero. Ever the resourceful marine technician, I keep reserves in the fridge in my shop, so out I went, got one, removed the lid, and headed back to the house.
“Plop!” “Plop?” Gifts from Heaven rarely go “Plop,” but I looked down and saw a tiny baby bird, evicted by accident or on purpose from the 60’ pine above me. That little unclothed booger threw back his head and open his mouth wide like an ex-wife hollering the alimony check was late. I remembered something about bird parents not wanting to have anything to do with their offspring if handled by humans, so I trekked back into the house. And watched from the kitchen.
If anybody was worried about this child, they didn’t evidence it by flying sorties, and after half an hour I took a parts box and a nest we’d found earlier and used for decoration, and put The Mouth in it. The jaws were still wide slam open, so I felt he needed water, the sustenance of life. You’d think The Nurse would have an eyedropper, but the closest I could find was a baster. I took some hummingbird liquid from the feeder and carefully transferred it to the bird, who loved it! I went back in the house and placed a call to The Bird Lady to get some guidance, but had to leave a message. I just beat the drugstore closing and got a tiny eyedropper. When they found out what Mr. Grimy was up to, it was worth a few “Awwww”s. Then ten miles to a bait and tackle shop where the owner refused to sell me worms for the reason I wanted them. He was closing. I didn’t budge. A Vietnam vet, he tried to stare me down. Nice try, no cigar. I got a box of Canadian nightcrawlers with directions how to cut them in the tiniest pieces.
Full of confidence that I was headed where no man had trod successfully, I zoomed home, brought the bird inside (the cat disdains birds, so I wasn’t concerned about her)– and prepared to bring whatever it was with four chevrons on each wing being the only body clothing the poor thing had–to adulthood, envisioning it bringing its children to see me as they grew. As I was slicing, dicing, and eviscerating worms, and dropping humming bird food down the wide maw, Bird perked up. He even did a good poopy! The amount of confidence that gave me had to have been akin to Schweitzer, Curie, Einstein, all combined. Meanwhile, The Nurse read to me from “How to Rescue Baby Birds” from the University of Google.
1. Don’t. Let its mama deal with it. TOO LATE.
2. If you must handle it, put it back in its nest. NO HELICOPTERS AVAILABLE.
3. It is a federal crime to keep a wild bird captive. AND OBAMA WANTS AN OLD MAN WHO TRIED TO SAVE A BIRD, ON HIS CONSCIENCE, WATCHING HIM ROT IN A FEDERAL PENITENTARY?
4. Don’t feed it water—it’s mama doesn’t. SEE #1 ANSWER.
5. Mush up dog food and feed it that. JUST WHAT I WANT—A BIRD THAT SAYS “ARF!”
6. Don’t feed it bloodworms—just regular worms, but preferably pet food mushed up. TOO LATE–IT DIDN’T COMPLAIN. (The French accent of the nightcrawlers was amusing).
7. Unlike children, it will sleep all night. YAYYYYY!!!!
That’s the way I left Bird when I went to bed way past my bedtime. I arose at 0500, and found him yelling for more. I fed him a little hummingbird food, pieces of nightcrawler, and some mushy cat food. My apprentice arrived and we hit the road. A few miles down the highway, I fielded a call from my MaryLou, aka The Nurse. Bird had died. My heart broke, my confidence was shattered. Other than not giving Bird to somebody who knew what the heck he/she was doing, where had I gone astray?
Suddenly I realized a parallel: to all of you who have blithely begun wiring jobs, water pump changes, carburetor rebuilds, injector repair, and who knows what…and whom I yelled at, excoriated, dressed down like a Parris Island DI because you NEVER should have gotten involved in something you knew NOTHING about, and now look what I have to do to straighten this mess out (you do carry Visa, don’t you?), I humbly beg your forgiveness. A tiny bird taught me a big lesson.
(I guess it was about 10 years ago this happened to me. I enjoyed the squirrel. Today, it would give my Shepherd something to chase! gm)