ToMang07
Active member
So every summer we have a big bonfire or 2, usually later in the summer, after most of the wild birds aren't nesting as much.
Went out last night to the burn pile, (appprox 12'x12'x6' high) check it and poked/prodded it looking for wild life and/or nests. Saw 1 bird fly out, and saw/heard nothing, so good to go. Or so I thought.
About 25 minutes after it lit off, I was going around the outside with a 10' stick, pushing un-burnt sticks and brush into the center of the fire to burn. I look down at the very edge of the pit and see something that resembled a toad hopping around, just a couple feet from the intensely hot fire. It was a baby bird.
I felt TERRIBLE, I really did. I picked him up, completely dumbfounded he was a live, I could barely stand that close to the fire. I quickly took off my hat and put it into it, and brought him away from the fire, pulled out my flash light to look him over. Not a singed feather on him.
I set him down in the hat on my seat, and took the light and checked all around to see if any more survived. Finding none, and feeling like crap, I started searching for a wild bird rescue. Eventually I found 1 in Maine, but it was 3 hours away, and it was ~10pm.
So I sent them an email, and to my surprise, they emailed me back in minutes, giving me a number to call, letting me know they would call me early in the morning. I pulled out a shoe box, made the little guy a nice little paper towel nest, and placed him in the pantry, as it was warm and un-air-conditioned.
Got woken up at 8 this morning, by a nice older lady who does wild water bird rescue, IN THE NEXT TOWN OVER! Literally a 10 minute drive. I immediately went to check on the fluff ball, and he was still alive, chirping up a storm, and clearly HUNGRY. I had him to her place in 15 minutes, where she said she had all she needed to feed him and would get him up to the rescue in a couple days.
I feel horrible still, but clearly somewhat vindicated by at least saving this one baby. I'm pretty sure it was a swallow as well, one of my favorite breeds.
Here's hoping the little guys makes it back to the wild soon!
Went out last night to the burn pile, (appprox 12'x12'x6' high) check it and poked/prodded it looking for wild life and/or nests. Saw 1 bird fly out, and saw/heard nothing, so good to go. Or so I thought.
About 25 minutes after it lit off, I was going around the outside with a 10' stick, pushing un-burnt sticks and brush into the center of the fire to burn. I look down at the very edge of the pit and see something that resembled a toad hopping around, just a couple feet from the intensely hot fire. It was a baby bird.
I felt TERRIBLE, I really did. I picked him up, completely dumbfounded he was a live, I could barely stand that close to the fire. I quickly took off my hat and put it into it, and brought him away from the fire, pulled out my flash light to look him over. Not a singed feather on him.
I set him down in the hat on my seat, and took the light and checked all around to see if any more survived. Finding none, and feeling like crap, I started searching for a wild bird rescue. Eventually I found 1 in Maine, but it was 3 hours away, and it was ~10pm.
So I sent them an email, and to my surprise, they emailed me back in minutes, giving me a number to call, letting me know they would call me early in the morning. I pulled out a shoe box, made the little guy a nice little paper towel nest, and placed him in the pantry, as it was warm and un-air-conditioned.
Got woken up at 8 this morning, by a nice older lady who does wild water bird rescue, IN THE NEXT TOWN OVER! Literally a 10 minute drive. I immediately went to check on the fluff ball, and he was still alive, chirping up a storm, and clearly HUNGRY. I had him to her place in 15 minutes, where she said she had all she needed to feed him and would get him up to the rescue in a couple days.
I feel horrible still, but clearly somewhat vindicated by at least saving this one baby. I'm pretty sure it was a swallow as well, one of my favorite breeds.
Here's hoping the little guys makes it back to the wild soon!
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I'm sure you were heart sick.
