I hate so bad to tell you all that the baby bird died today. Oh I hoped so much that it would live, especially after all it had been through.
You know, we probably should have carried the baby bird to a wildlife place that cares for injured or baby animals, but it never entered my mind. My first thought was to get it to a safe warm place and give it food. It just seemed to come to life after being fed...but then went down hill.
Poppy and I have saved several birds over the years. There were two baby starlings that had fallen from a nest above the door on a loading dock, and landed on a cement floor. The guys working there picked up the two featherless babies that had survived the fall and brought them to my desk. I brought the two starlings home and raised them. This was in the mid 1990's.
Here, they were fully feathered and growing fast. We named them Needy and Greedy...
We brought a small tree up on the back screened-in porch. Sadly, later on, we lost Needy to a snake, but Greedy grew and grew and when we set him free...
he stayed close by. Any time we were outside, Greedy would appear from nowhere and scare us half to death by lighting on us. He used to light on top of my head. We loved them so much.
Another time, we raised a baby Robin that fell from a tall pine tree in the back yard. I actually carried that baby Robin in a shopping bag to work with me and kept him under my workstation so he could be fed regularly. When he was old enough to set free, the mother bird showed up and took over feeding him. It was the cutest thing. She must have been hanging around all along, watching. When we released the Robin, the two flew together and lit on top of the house.
Then another time, we raised a baby Wren...
I have pictures of them all but would need to pull out the box of pictures from under the bed and dig through it.
Thought maybe talking about these other birds would help me feel better about losing the baby today.
I promised Poppy that I would not get all down and depressed, but it's hard not to. Thank you all for listening and for your nice comments.
Thank you to my new followers, Lisa, and Oklahoma Girl. Blogging friends are the best!
Love,
Henny
You know, we probably should have carried the baby bird to a wildlife place that cares for injured or baby animals, but it never entered my mind. My first thought was to get it to a safe warm place and give it food. It just seemed to come to life after being fed...but then went down hill.
Poppy and I have saved several birds over the years. There were two baby starlings that had fallen from a nest above the door on a loading dock, and landed on a cement floor. The guys working there picked up the two featherless babies that had survived the fall and brought them to my desk. I brought the two starlings home and raised them. This was in the mid 1990's.
Here, they were fully feathered and growing fast. We named them Needy and Greedy...
Greedy, of course, was the larger one.
We brought a small tree up on the back screened-in porch. Sadly, later on, we lost Needy to a snake, but Greedy grew and grew and when we set him free...
he stayed close by. Any time we were outside, Greedy would appear from nowhere and scare us half to death by lighting on us. He used to light on top of my head. We loved them so much.
Another time, we raised a baby Robin that fell from a tall pine tree in the back yard. I actually carried that baby Robin in a shopping bag to work with me and kept him under my workstation so he could be fed regularly. When he was old enough to set free, the mother bird showed up and took over feeding him. It was the cutest thing. She must have been hanging around all along, watching. When we released the Robin, the two flew together and lit on top of the house.
Then another time, we raised a baby Wren...
I have pictures of them all but would need to pull out the box of pictures from under the bed and dig through it.
Thought maybe talking about these other birds would help me feel better about losing the baby today.
I promised Poppy that I would not get all down and depressed, but it's hard not to. Thank you all for listening and for your nice comments.
Thank you to my new followers, Lisa, and Oklahoma Girl. Blogging friends are the best!
Love,
Henny
I'm so sorry your little bird didn't make it. You sure have had a few to care for through the years.
ReplyDeleteYou have a soft heart and you're bound to feel sad when something like this happens. Just remember that you did the best you could.
Thank you Granny Marigold.
DeleteI'm so sorry. I tried to save one of our chickens earlier this year and it did not go as planned, for a good while afterwards I felt a bit lost without her as I'd spent so much time with her.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog a long while but via my own reader not via the follow button, I just clicked it now. :)
Thank you. It is so hard to watch one die, especially when you feel responsible for the little thing. Thank you too for following my blog. Don't know what I would do with my friends through blogging.
DeleteWildlife centers do amazing things with lost critters. One thing they've learned t do is "foster" Got a duckling you want looked after. Throw it in the first pond you find with ducks and the little guy will be immediately adopted.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that, but will remember what you've said.
DeleteAww I am sorry your baby bird died but you have had a lot of success with them to! Love you bunches
ReplyDeleteThank you Vicki. I went to Walmart yesterday and bought mealworms, but it was too late. Love you Vicki.
DeleteThat's sad news about the baby bird but I did enjoy your stories of earlier ones.
ReplyDeleteThank you Marty.
DeleteSo sorry you lost this one, but you have a remarkable record of success. I love the story of the starling that followed you around, and the robin that reunited with its mother. Heartwarming.
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda.
DeleteI'm sorry Henny. If you were not able to save that little bird then it just wasn't meant to be. He probably had some internal injuries. But without you and Poppy he would have died alone and hungry on the side of the road. You have saved so many birds over the years. I loved hearing about them all, especially Needy and Greedy. Thank you both for being there for all the little wild things!
ReplyDeleteThank you Bonnie. I wondered if the ants that were on the baby bird had bitten him. Poor baby.
DeleteIt's sad when an animal loses its life, especially one we've cared for You tried your best and that is all anyone could do. At least she/he spent their last day, hours being loved and taken care of. That was a blessing to that little bird.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the welcome. Love your blog.
Thank you Oklahoma Girl. I could tell that he was dying so I picked him up and held him up close to my heart. Things like this just breaks my heart.
DeleteAh! Bless!x So sorry to hear this..Poor little thing...
ReplyDeleteThat's the worst part of life...But we ALL have to
face it...! :(.
I remember when after 14yrs my pussy~cat George, became
ill, and had to make a final visit to the vet..that's him
on the left there!
I went back into the surgery three times to say goodbye,
the vet, then got hold of me and walked me to my car,
l just could'nt see, he sat me in the car, and said, he'd
send the Bill..and left, l sat there for half an hour,
before l could finally see to drive..goodness! What a state
to get into..mind you, l was much the same, when l read of
Audrey's passing on Debs Blog...Bless!x
Still..Onwards ans Upwards...There are a lot of happy stories
to read and tell..thankfully...! Bless! All the little gritters
around us...Oh! And, the BIG ones to..! :o). =(^ ◡ ^)=
Thank you Willie. Oh what a soft heart you have. George was a beautiful cat. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I felt the same about Audrey. When I saw Deb's post, my heart just sank. I cried too.
DeleteIt is always sad to see a creature die. sometimes it is meant to be and nothing you do will change the outcome. At least you tried and will probably try again in the future.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam. You are right. There will probably be another time.
DeleteSo sorry to hear your little bird didn't make it, but your tried your best and that is all anyone can do. It was so uplifting to read about your success's.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I appreciate that.
DeleteI'm sorry to hear this, Penny...
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandi.
DeleteYou just never know when it comes to animals that are hurt, but one thing you do know is that he was taken very good care of during the end of his life.
ReplyDeleteyou did your best. But I could tell it was needing feedings on a schedule that was unsustainable unless you gave up your own sleep to do so, so I'm not surprised. I am sorry for you, though.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so sorry, Henny.
ReplyDeleteBirds are smart and know good hearts when they meet one.
xoxox
Oh I am so sorry about your baby bird. I know what it is like to care for something and then it dies. Overall it does sound like you have had great success in the past raising and caring for other baby birds. Best to think on those you did save...Hugs!
ReplyDeleteAww, Henny.
ReplyDeleteI was so hoping the little bird would make it, but nature has it's own timetable.
So very sorry, the stories of the other birds, warmed my heart.
You are kind and caring souls.
Hugs,
~Jo
Oh, sorry about the baby bird. There only just so much a person can do and if that isn't enough they at least have the realization that they tried their best and doing good things even if they don't pan out do count for a great deal in the great scheme of things.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so sorry. Funny how we get so attached to animals. I know you did every thing you could for the little thing.
ReplyDeleteGrace & Peace,
Pam
*hugs* God bless.
ReplyDeleteOh I am so sorry to hear the baby bird didn't make it. Wonderful that you have helped so many others.
ReplyDeleteThose are precious stories of the baby birds you were able to save. I'm sorry about the little one that didn't make it. They are so tiny and helpless you can't help but love them and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the baby bird. Sometimes it is just inevitable. But at least he didn't die out in the woods alone. You were there to care for him. That means a lot.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad the bird couldn't make it, however, I found this post very beautiful. You are a great storyteller and I wish you could tell us more about the other birds. I'm especially intrigued by the story of the bird you snuck into work in order to feed it! You've lived such a good life because of your big heart, you're very generous. As an aside, I smiled because your love of little critters-- birds especially is such a Virgoan thing! Many blessings to you and Poppy and your dear home.
ReplyDeleteAww..sorry about the little bird. You have such good hearts and you gave it a really good try. I guess he was just not meant to spend any more time on this earth. I love your stories about the other creatures you have saved and raised. You have done wonderful things. I'm sure the good Lord will give you more chances to save little creatures in the future. In the meantime, Thank you for your big hearts. You guys are the greatest!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that your baby bird did not make it. It sounds like you did all you could for it. You have saved so many birds previously. Nancy
ReplyDeleteI love your story about Needy and Greedy (although, I must admit that I don't love starlings in general). I have followed the Raptor Research Project's Decorah, Iowa bald eagles for several years. I love their nest cameras and watching each year's nesting events through fledging. This year one of the area's 2 pairs of eagles lost their first eggs. They started over with new eggs and 2 hatched. But, by the time these new eggs hatched, it was warm enough for insects to be out in full force. The babies both died, even with wonderful care from their parents. The deaths were probably mostly due to the biting flies. Baby birds are very vulnerable and sometimes even their parents can't save them. With the trauma of falling from the nest and being covered with ants, this poor bird just didn't have much of a chance. I'm sorry the bird didn't make it. But, with your soft hearts, you'll probably do it again some day. Doing your best is the most that can be asked of you.
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was a toddler, her grandpa found a young baby bird after a bad storm. We never figured out the species. It was fluffy and it’s feathers were a pale peach-orange color. This was in Massachusetts, so it couldn’t have been a tropical bird. He took it in and fed it, kept it warm and safe in a box lined with a baby blanket but it died within a week. It seemed like such a hardy looking little thing, but there must have been something more wrong with it. I think you did the best you could, Melba, you gave the little bird some comfort after what was a trying experience.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if that baby bird had injuries that caused its death, that you didn't know about. Because you've kept quite a few other baby birds alive before, it makes me think this one was different. As you say, you tried -- you extended kindness and love. How much better for him to die in your care and tenderness, than in the middle of the road :(
ReplyDeleteHenny, I am sorry about your baby bird, but he probably injured himself/herself in the fall. You made it comfortable in the end, though. I love the story of the starlings, how wonderful and magical that must of been. Although, your whole life seems magical to me, with all the wonderful creatures that in and out of your life, it seems really that's what life is about. Helping out in time of need! Happy 4th of July Henny! Love Terry
ReplyDeleteHi Henny,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry about your baby bird. I enjoyed hearing about your other bird rescue stories. You are gifted in loving all animals.
Carla
How fortunate you have been to save so many lives.
ReplyDeleteI have successfully raised baby birds twice,and it was exhausting both times. I think both of the ones I raised lived after we let them go I have also failed a couple of times too, which is disheartening. You get props for trying!
ReplyDeleteThat is sad news especially since you tried so hard to help and it still didn't make it. I tried that once many years ago, and the same thing happened. You did try though, and that is the important thing.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry, but you gave it a great try!
ReplyDelete