Wednesday, June 19, 2013

To the rescue

Last night Lynn and I were finishing up dinner in our gazebo when we heard quite the commotion and saw a baby robin in Ruby's mouth. What a lovely way to end a meal. Thanks Rubes. Lynn retrieved the poor little one but there was no life left. We knew there had to be a nest close by, which meant it was in the dog's area. Why the robin's chose a tree in there is beyond me but it was what it was. We had a rough idea of location but could not see anything.
Jump to this morning, and we hear robins chirping loudly and the dogs excited. Finally we were able to see the nest with a chubby baby inside it. The parents were nearby and all was well. We felt better knowing the location in case there was an incident.
And, of course there was. This afternoon I was out cleaning the gazebo and what do I hear? The screaming of robins. I turned towards the dog enclosure and saw them swooping around the dogs, all of whom were out. Lots of running around, swooping, and chirping. I don't even want to know the language being used, I know it was strong. Of course I ran into the dog area and screamed at them and forced them inside. I looked at the nest. No baby. My stomach sank. That meant she was around somewhere, and hopefully alive. I was being harassed by the parents so I decided to go in the house for 5 minutes to give them a chance to chill. I came back out and listened for the little chirp. Low and behold she was on the bridge rail. I knew I had to relocate and soon. So I gathered up dried lawn clippings and placed them in an egg carton in an effort (albeit a lame one) to make a nest. I placed the nest in a safe location. Now its time to get the baby. Ugh, I hate this part. I am so heavy handed that I fear holding anything small and delicate. My apprehension did not matter. What mattered was safety of this little one so I reached out to her. To my surprise she flew but only a few feet, still in the dog area. I reached again, same thing. I kept at it until she crawled through the fence. All the while I am being screamed at (again I am sure they were using choice bird expletives) by the parents. I was sure they were around before I began to get her. It's important they not lose sight so they can continue to nurture the little one. Although she was outside the fence, I was not comfortable with the distance so I kept bugging her until she approached a large plant off of our screened-in porch, and inside the plant she went. The parents were satisfied and so was I. A day in life here.
Here's a pic of the little one before I prodded her.



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