Our Big Mistake

by Jody
(Illinois)

This one will not have a happy ending, unfortunately. I hope it will help some people learn from my mistakes. I wish I would have found this web-site yesterday.

Our Grandkids woke up yesterday to find a baby bird under our Maple tree. All morning I watched it out the window as I pecked and hunted on-line for local Wild-Bird sanctuaries and even called a few places but could find no help.

By this time the baby was on the move, walking back and forth from tree to tree and trying to fly but not doing a very good job at it.

Outside I searched and searched but found no nest within my eye's reach of our huge trees.

As I knew our neighbor kids were already eyeing "Princess Alex", (my 9 yr-old Grandson named him Alex and my 4 yr-old Granddaughter named him Princess) we put him within the fenced backyard, to keep him out of harm's way.

He continued to walk around our house and at one point settled into a corner where we gave him some water. He drank it very well but didn't know how to eat the birdseed we offered.

Each time when we would go to check on him and couldn't find him, my Granddaughter and I would mimic the small chirping noise he made and he would answer, helping us find him!

As night fell I expressed my worry over him to my husband.

I wish I would have followed my own instinct but my husband, knowing the animal lover I am tried to help by suggesting putting him in a box in the garage with food, water, etc. "Just overnight, to keep him safe from the wild animals that roam at night."

I said I was afraid it would die but it sounded like a safer bet, as we have many raccoons, skunks, opossums, cats, etc. that roam the neighborhood.

I figured in the morning I could let him go again, to continue practicing flying. I was terribly wrong.

I had a very restless night of sleep, worrying about him. This morning I entered the garage and called to him with the chirping noise, but there was no return call.

I checked him and he had died during the night, probably stressed and starved, as your website teaches! I was, and still am, heart-broken! I could not even tell my Grandchildren the truth, as it hurt me so much I was afraid it would affect them worse.

We had all gotten close to the little guy. I will, however, teach them the proper way to treat this sort of situation if it ever happens again.

In reading your information on this site I see all the things I did wrong.

Readers please don't make the same mistakes I made if you come across a baby bird, please read the instructions on this website carefully.

And say a prayer for "Princess Alex" for us tonight.