20 July 2006

dove love, pt. III

full bellied by McBeth.

While gardening today at J&L's I discovered a nest that had fallen from a tall tree last night. Nearby there was a dead baby bird. I pointed it out to J. and we both sighed sad sighs for the little one who didn't make it. One more eyeball scan across the grass and I spotted another nestmate - still alive but injured and not looking so great.

With no parents in sight anywhere and feeling some urgency about getting care for this one, I scooped it up and we created a little homemade nest out of paper towels and a tiny wicker basket. I picked up a small canister of baby bird food on the way home (a formula mix similar in consistency to human infants' mix-with-water stuff) and hand-fed it every half hour or so until I could locate a wildlife center (at our county Humane Society) who would know far better than I how to best care for the orphan. Little bird is there now, as is the baby bird food which they can use to feed it and others; no doubt they'll be far neater with the hand-feeding than was I.

I'm starting to see this mourning dove/bird pattern emerging in my daily life. I wonder what that's about.

19 July 2006

Blog Archive

statistics are fascinating