Another Bird Adventure

Remember our baby birds adventure of 2010? Wow, I do.

Anyway, recently Daughter and I were in the yard checking on the garden when I noticed (almost stepped on) this baby bird. (sigh) Yes, he's much older than the original birds. So I was definitely less concerned about his well being. Two adult birds that look like him where flying around, so I figured his parents were apprised of the situation. He'll be flying soon. He's hopping around the yard, flapping his little baby wings. All is well.

Until we get in the house and Daughter starts crying because the baby bird fell out of his nest and he's hungry and it's scary out of the nest. (sigh) She wants to take bird seed outside for baby bird.

ok, ok. fine. We will take bird seed outside, Daughter. Not a problem.

I get a saucer, she gets the bird seed and we head outside.

I apparently got too close to baby bird because BOTH adult birds dived bombed me. seriously. Luckily, I didn't actually get pecked. I'm sure I'd still be traumatized from that mess. So, I had to explain to Daughter that I got too close to the baby and the parents wanted me/us to go away because they are scared of us.

I appreciate Daughter's concern for every living thing and most nonliving things, but sometimes, it's actually dangerous! (for me, that is)

helicopter parent. literally.

Wordless Wednesday: They are Still Happy Birds

The birdseed pine cone feeders

Remember when we went to Turkey Creek and Daughter told me all about how to make bird feeders out of pine cones, peanut butter and birdseed? yea, well, Daughter didn't forget.

I FINALLY remembered to pick up some birdseed.

tasting and carrying

spreading

more spreading

tasting again.

I predicted to BBWP that when we did this project one of the kids would try to eat the birdseed WHILE tweeting like a bird. Luckily, they stuck to the peanut butter.

ready for birdseed

yes.

heavily coated.

I'm glad I put the pine cones in this container to cover them with birdseed. It means that I was able to collect a lot of it for recoating next time.

Daughter showing off Husband's pine cone we made for him.

I'm double glad I scooped the peanut butter out of the jar and into a bowl for this project.

hanging in one of the dogwood trees.

When Son spotted a bird eating from it he screamed, "BIRD HAPPY! BIRD HAPPY!" That was cute.

EDIT: We did this about three weeks ago and I'm starting to wonder when I'm going to have to climb back up on that ladder and recoat the pine cones!

hummingbird pick-me-up

After yesterday's tornadoes, property destruction and loss of life, I just feel so heavy hearted.

We lost our cell service. And our chief means of communication was our home internet. (And of course we were watching Spann) For awhile we couldn't get in touch with my parents and didn't know if they were safe. Luckily, they are fine. Their house is fine. And BBWP in Arizona was actually able to get in touch with my mom before I did! I was so thankful for that. We didn't get cell service back until about 9pm. I would have been a nervous wreck if it took that long to hear from them!

Until about 2pm today I didn't think we had any damage. Sure, there was some wind, rain, lightening and thunder. But nothing "bad." We never even lost our Dish Network signal. Well, I finally looked in our yard and noticed one of our trees was almost split in half.

the view looking up

the limbs on the fence

Not that big of a deal. Nothing an hour or so of manual labor couldn't fix. (the fence is fine.)

But this broke my heart. I found it in the yard close to the tree.

It's a May 16, 2005 issue of Jet magazine. The label is an address in Pratt City (Birmingham, AL) A solid 45 minute drive from us. And we later learned that the street on the label is one of the ones totally destroyed. As in no houses remaining. (sigh)

It breaks my heart to think that this lady who owned/owns this magazine might not have survived. (right now I have no idea either way)

As a way to cheer up a little I decided it was time we filled up and hang the kids' hummingbird feeders. Earlier in the week, The Wonder Pets helped a baby hummingbird. Daughter was beside herself with excitement that such a bird existed. You should have heard her going on and on about this tiny red bird with wings that flap super fast that can fly like a helicopter and has a long beak. She was just a talkin' about it. Off we went to get each kid a hummingbird feeder. They've been talking about it for two days!

Showing off their feeders

"Mommy, we're just relaxing while you fill dem up."

and hung.

now we just have to wait for the hummingbirds to show up.

the baby birds!!!!

Remember my Did it List for August 4th? It included saving baby birds. Well, here is the long ridiculous story of how I/we saved two baby birds' lives.

Wednesday, I decided I needed to go to Wal-Mart to look for yarn. (my current thank-you gift is wash cloth/dishtowels and a bar of goat's milk soap from a local farm). So, I'm always on the look out for the yarn I use being on sale. So, I take Son into his room to change his diaper and get him dressed.

The cat was on the floor which wasn't really abnormal, but she really doesn't lay that close to the fireplace so that was kind of weird. AND the birds were chirping REALLY loud. For the second year in a row there is a nest in the top if this chimney. And sometimes their chirps echo down the chimney louder than others.

OK, stop.

Just to give you a better idea of what I'd about to describe:

This is what the fireplace looks like (actually this is Daughter's. Son was asleep in his room when it came time to take this picture so I took a picture of hers instead. It's exactly the same just on the other side of the wall.)

It's a coal fireplace that we have NEVER used. We've never even taken the cover off. the middle comes out (somehow) and I have just discovered that the bottom also slides open). There is a fireplace on each side of the wall and it shares one chimney.

So, my back is facing the fireplace, changing Son. Gracie is laying on the hearth. The birds are going crazy.

I start to panic a little. They sound so close. They HAVE to have fallen out of the nest and into the fireplace. I call Husband. In a panic.

How can I get these birds out of the fireplace and back to their mom? oh man.

THEN I realize ... The bird isn't in the fireplace. It is IN SON'S ROOM. About two feet away from the cat!! The best I can figure, the cat pried the grate open (because I can't imagine that the birds did it).

PANIC.

Then I realize the bird chirping was in surround sound. That's right, there were TWO BIRDS in SON'S ROOM!!

I call Husband again. Ask him to find a place that we can take the birds (because climbing on our slick metal roof up to the chimney to put the birds back in the nest was just not an option).

I'm getting the kids dressed and mentally preparing myself for having to pick these birds up for transport.

Daughter could definitely tell I was anxious and said, "don't worry, Mommy. I take care of baby birds. I know." She obviously heard me telling Husband that I didn't know how to take care of baby birds. My precious daughter. What a sweet loving spirit.

Husband calls back. We can take them to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Oak Mountain State Park about an hour away.

Now comes the fun part. I find a box with a lid. Stick an old towel in. Put on two pairs of gloves and DID IT.

Well, the first one was like, "oh Thanks. I appreciate you picking me up. Where are we going?"

The second one was like, "I don't know you. STRANGER DANGER. STOP!!!!" tiny wings flapping. claws dung into the hard wood floor. screeching. That one was high drama. I'm glad he was the second one or I would have lost my nerve.

On the drive any time the birds chirped, Daughter chirped back. She told me they were talking to her.

We stopped in downtown to pick up Husband. I don't think I calmed down until we handed the box over to more capable hands. (Then we toured the facility.) When we registered the birds they gave us ID numbers and a card to mail back so they could update us when the birds were released. I thought that was cool.

SO. Here are the birds.

This is the nice one who let me pick him up effortlessly. bat-like, huh?

both of them during the drive.

stranger danger bird

calm bird.

Their new temporary home

sigh. I'm so glad it turned out like it did. What if the kids found the birds first? What if the cat stopped being a watcher and started participating? (sigh)