Best Bike Ride Ever
I went on a bike ride with my daughter today, and we noticed a bird flopping around on the ground in some distress. I wanted to leave it to the fate of nature's will, but she vetoed that idea, insisting that we try to save it.I approached it slowly, and it hobbled away escaping through the bars of a fence. So we rode around to the other side of the fence and found it hiding under a bush. As we tried to catch it again, it flew up into a tree.
"See, it can fly. I guess it'll be OK," I said reassuringly.
Then it fell to the ground. So we had to ride around to the other side of the fence once again, where I was able to capture it fairly easily. It has a damaged left wing and a chunk out of it's butt, probably after having narrowly escaped from a cat, I would wager.
So I carried it in my right hand, steering the bike with my left hand all the way home. There is a local lady who is an expert in animal rescues who takes in injured animals and nurses them to health, so we'll bring it to her tonight.
Needless to say, my kittehs are very interested in our new pet. We made a little nest for it in one of their cat carriers.
Labels: pictures
posted by scalpel at 6:51 PM
10 Comments:
Awww!
How nice!
Poor birdie! Looks like a mourning dove. Is it keeping you awake yet? I had one for a pet and it drove guests nuts with its cooing.
Sweet!
We have injured ducks here everyday, I wish there was somebody close who can help them. We try but we only feed and water etc.
Good job on being a good human!
Random story:
I had a parakeet get mauled by my dog when I was a kid and my dog broke its leg. We called around to vets to see about fixing the bird's leg and people were all "uh, $200" or some other crayzee price. My mom took the bird to the pet store where we bought it and Pet Store Dude was all "psst--come back here, but don't tell anyone."
So my mom and I brought the bird into some secret back room at the pet store where the guy basically had a mini pet hospital set up. He wasn't a veterinarian, however, so it was illegal. He had some "connection" at a pet hospital and the "connection" gave him the leftover pet meds and all sorts of other doohickies. He set the bird's leg in a little splint and told us what to do, etc. Worked out well. In a couple weeks, he was good to go!
Your daughter obviously has a kind and caring soul, all in all, not a bad thing to have.
And you're a good sport.
We need more people like you two.
Do you have West Nile in your area?
It is a mourning dove, and yes, sounds like typical cat damage. You did the right thing by setting it up in a comfy, padded, enclosed place; panic and stress will often kill injured birds when the injury itself isn't lethal.
I found a dove like that when I was your daughter's age. We nursed it back to health and I kept it as a pet for fifteen years. Doves (and all the Columbidae) make great pets because they're cheap to keep, they can't bite, and their cooing is actually pleasant and soothing -- compare all of the above to a more typical pet hookbill like a conure.
Obviously the comment about WNV is irrelevant to your or your daughter's well-being, unless you've got a mosquito infestation in your home. You can't get WNV from simply handling a bird.
And good on ya for saving it, doc. Daughters are good for teaching dads about compassion, aren't they?
Your little girl is such a sweetie just like her dear old dad:-)
MJ
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