Has this little fellow fallen?
Discussion
On our drive.....
So, seeming otherwise fit and healthy, but a little shaken. I moved him/her.....
to here...
From where mummy House Martin can keep a watching brief and do fly pasts from 30' up here.....
So, did I do the right thing?
It's looking otherwise unhurt, but obviously the first flight didn't go quite according to plan and mummy is quite concerned and keeping a close eye on the offspring. Is there anything else I should do or need to do?
I thought the roof of the car was safe as no cats can climb up and the lithe chap can take off if/when ready. there's no way I'm going up a ladder to put him/her back in the nest!![url]
So, seeming otherwise fit and healthy, but a little shaken. I moved him/her.....
to here...
From where mummy House Martin can keep a watching brief and do fly pasts from 30' up here.....
So, did I do the right thing?
It's looking otherwise unhurt, but obviously the first flight didn't go quite according to plan and mummy is quite concerned and keeping a close eye on the offspring. Is there anything else I should do or need to do?
I thought the roof of the car was safe as no cats can climb up and the lithe chap can take off if/when ready. there's no way I'm going up a ladder to put him/her back in the nest!![url]
Edited by Tyre Smoke on Wednesday 11th July 12:27
Edited by Tyre Smoke on Wednesday 11th July 18:13
It's fine to pick up baby birds as long as you don't purposely handle them for too long (contrary to popular belief!)
Having watched a baby bluetit repeated try to "fly" out it's nest in a low tree, and land on the ground, I kept putting it back in the nest (when the parents were away) with no problem whatsoever. After about 5 goes, the little beggar gave up for the night, to do the same the next day, and then the next - actually managed to get the hang of it the day after..
Can see you couldn't do the same here, but as long as they've spotted where it is, it should be fine ^_^ Might wanna keep an eye on it just to make sure that it's getting fed, and moved back to the safe place if needed.
Gotta say, what a little sweetie!! (the bird, not you.. but good on you for moving it, most would just say it was nature and not bother ><)
Looks like they've got plenty of feathers which is a good sign, and they're very bouncy little things for when they do fall/attempt to fly and get the ground instead!
Having watched a baby bluetit repeated try to "fly" out it's nest in a low tree, and land on the ground, I kept putting it back in the nest (when the parents were away) with no problem whatsoever. After about 5 goes, the little beggar gave up for the night, to do the same the next day, and then the next - actually managed to get the hang of it the day after..
Can see you couldn't do the same here, but as long as they've spotted where it is, it should be fine ^_^ Might wanna keep an eye on it just to make sure that it's getting fed, and moved back to the safe place if needed.
Gotta say, what a little sweetie!! (the bird, not you.. but good on you for moving it, most would just say it was nature and not bother ><)
Looks like they've got plenty of feathers which is a good sign, and they're very bouncy little things for when they do fall/attempt to fly and get the ground instead!
Edited by Degucrazy on Wednesday 11th July 16:26
All is well. For some reason the pic of the little chap on the roof of my car won't load. Anyway after about 20 minutes and a bowel emptying - the bird , not me. It was away. Not on the floor anywhere near so, I am assuming that it eventually made it into the air.
Certainly seemed unharmed, just a bit shaken up. Yes, loads of feathers, with just a smidgen of downy stuff under it's wings.
Certainly seemed unharmed, just a bit shaken up. Yes, loads of feathers, with just a smidgen of downy stuff under it's wings.
Degucrazy said:
Having watched a baby bluetit repeated try to "fly" out it's nest in a low tree, and land on the ground, I kept putting it back in the nest (when the parents were away) with no problem whatsoever. After about 5 goes, the little beggar gave up for the night, to do the same the next day, and then the next - actually managed to get the hang of it the day after..
Bluetits almost never fly straight up into trees, they often spend days basically grounded (occasionally climbing low shrubs etc). Picking it up and putting it back in a nest is wrong and unnecessary in my opinion. I've svaed them in our garden from getting stuck in netting, or droning in bin lids but would never move on over and over back to the nest. Fledglings of all birds tend to struggle, they don't just leave the nest and shoot of into the distance like a jetfighter. What OP did was good purely because the bird was in a vunerable position and likely to fall prey to cars, cats or chavs - all human problems. If that bird had landed in a field somewhere I'd have just left it and after a feed or two it'd most likely have taken to the skies again.
We've got ALOT of bird-munching cats around here, figured the middle of a concrete path frequented by said bird-munchers, wasn't the safest place for a baby bluetit.. no other suitable off-the-ground places to put it either, so back in the nest it went :P
Watched it for a good hour or so before moving it, the parents weren't flying right past, and it wasn't making a peep.
Considering it wasn't being fed, wasn't alerting them to the fact it was there, was probably a sign that with a whole heap of other chicks to feed (with the parents only using the entrance to the nest at the opposite side to the tree to the chick) it had probably gone un-noticed.
Watched it for a good hour or so before moving it, the parents weren't flying right past, and it wasn't making a peep.
Considering it wasn't being fed, wasn't alerting them to the fact it was there, was probably a sign that with a whole heap of other chicks to feed (with the parents only using the entrance to the nest at the opposite side to the tree to the chick) it had probably gone un-noticed.
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