It all started when my baby brother had a play date. Suddenly both boys came running, telling how they had found a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest. And I, being the nature geek in the family, was sent to investigate. At first we couldn't find it again, and the boys started getting rather worried, fearing that our cat would eat the little thing. But after a few moments of frantic search, I spotted the poor thing. Turned out to be a Mistle Thrust, and a rather large one too. I don't think it will be long until it can fly.
Now, the boys where pretty confident about what tree it had come from, but given that I could not see the nest, returning it there was out of the picture. However, I had no doubt that the parents would be near, and even if we left the hatchling alone, they would tend to it. The problem here would be the cat, a brutal huntress, who have brought home everything from regular dead mice, to frogs, that where very much alive. (We had to move a lot of furniture to save the poor thing).
So leaving it on the ground was a no-go. Instead I planned to move the bird up onto a nice branch on its home tree.
Easier said then done.
Me up on a ladder, bird in hand. It was a bit wonky, but I was sure I could handle it, I found a nice spot between three branches and proceeded to place the hatchling. At the moment, of cause, said hatchling became frantic, creating a chain reaction. Because at this moment the mother (or father) showed as well, making it rather clear that This-Was-Not-Tolerated. The hatchling jumped from my hand, and hid in a small hole in the ground, me following. In the meantime the cat had showed up, making the parent even more loud, as well as making the boys panic.
I got the bird out of the hole, and made another attempt, with the same result. This time, I stayed on the ladder and got one of the boys to capture the hatchling, while the other brought the cat inside.
Removing the cat seemed to work, because the adult calmed down, and when I got the hatcling, it didn't jump. I did, however. Telling the boys to removed themselves fast as well. I hoped that both birds would be calmed down then, so the hatchling would stay in the tree.
And now, half an hour later, it is still there, so I got my hopes up.
Now, before I end this, I know the myth about not touching wild animals.
It only applies to mammals, because young animals have no scent, so that predators cannot find them, and if a human touches it, the poor thing will smell like human, and scare the mother away.
Birds do not use smell that way, living in a nest and all that. So touching baby birds are not dangerous in any way. It is good to leave them alone as it is, because the parents will often care for them anyway. But if you can see, and reach, the nest, it is perfectly alright to move it back. Your smell won't contaminate the bird.
Though, sometimes, especially with very small hatchlings, it is a larger sibling that pushes a weaker rival out. So placing it back might result in another tumble down. Larger hatchlings have a tendency to fall out when the become braver and more mobile, before their wings are full grown. And I believe that is was the case here.
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