The fundraising seems to be stalled at $869, so folks, please consider donating. Remember, the total shown on FundRazr doesn’t include donations outside that site. We have 8 days left to meet our goal, and we’re about to need more mealworms, rodents and fish, as well as ingredients for the songbird formula we use and fruits to further tempt the fledglings to self-feed…In other words, help feed these HUNGRY babies!
The tanager, goldfinch and robin are currently in the flight pen and should actually be good for release early this week.
They are joined by a fledgling cowbird who was found clinging to a twig in a dog water bowl. His finder dried him off and called LWR. I was worried the bird might have aspirated water in his attempts not to drown, so I suggested he bring him in for me to do a round of antibiotics, just to make sure he didn’t get pneumonia.
Cowbirds aren’t among my very favorite birds because they’re egg-dumpers: they don’t build nests; the female finds a nest with eggs in it and lays hers there, as well. So when the eggs hatch, the cowbird hatchling, with its voracious appetite, will generally end up getting all or most of the food, starving the other babies—or he’ll be so much larger physically that the smaller babies end up getting shoved out of the nest as he grows. Either way, they’re lazy birds in terms of raising their own (or, more accurately, NOT raising their own) and, as I said, not among my favorites.
They ARE, however, protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, as they are a native species.
Cowbirds aren’t among my very favorite birds because they’re egg-dumpers: they don’t build nests; the female finds a nest with eggs in it and lays hers there, as well. So when the eggs hatch, the cowbird hatchling, with its voracious appetite, will generally end up getting all or most of the food, starving the other babies—or he’ll be so much larger physically that the smaller babies end up getting shoved out of the nest as he grows. Either way, they’re lazy birds in terms of raising their own (or, more accurately, NOT raising their own) and, as I said, not among my favorites.
They ARE, however, protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, as they are a native species.
Here you can see the four pen-mates together—a rarity in the flight pen after the first couple of hours!
The Carolina wrens are full fledglings now, although you’d hardly know it. Young Caros are clingy little birds who like to hide and huddle together, as if for warmth or safety…as you can see in the photos below. It’s actually cute and rather endearing until you’re trying to feed wrens whose beaks you can’t see because they’re huddled under their “hidey-hole” (or in this case, “hidey-log”). They’re headed for the flight pen as soon as the larger birds are released.
What? The mealworms are for EATING, not nestling down on? What an interesting concept!
The screech owl continues to grow but stubbornly won’t rip open his own rodents; until he can do that, there’s no flight pen in his future. He’ll get there; remember, owls are NOT known for their intellectual prowess (and if intellect and aggression are inversely proportional, this little guy’s in big trouble)!
Aaannd…the bird you’ve all been waiting for: the heron chick! We’re pretty sure now he’s a yellow-crowned night heron (and watch us all be wrong—won’t be the first time!). Despite his frazzled “hairdo” and paranoid expression, he’s actually a pretty laid-back fellow now that the food’s regular.
In the video clips below, you can see how much calmer he is, even first thing in the morning before his breakfast. In the second clip, he’s full and drowsy but still interested in wiggling fingers!
In the video clips below, you can see how much calmer he is, even first thing in the morning before his breakfast. In the second clip, he’s full and drowsy but still interested in wiggling fingers!
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