Baby Birds (1 Viewer)

[ChiefD]

Just found two baby birds on my front lawn. Must have blown out of their nest in our storm last night.

Mama bird is hovering above on a branch. Other than running them over them with a lawnmower, what’s my play here?

Thinking I may get a beer box I have and put them on my neighbors rock wall, which sits about 4 feet off the ground. I could scoop them up with a plastic shovel and put some grass in that box as a psuedo nest. It would be about ten feet from the tree where they fell out.

Thoughts?

 

[ChiefD]

Put them back in the nest if you can reach it?  

Or breast feed them.

Nest is too high.

I can breast feed, but I only produce beer.

 

[ChiefD]

After further review, the nest is only about 15 feet up. My extension ladder can easily reach it. The question is, will the mama robin peck my eyes out if I try and put these back in the nest?

I do have safety goggles.

 

[Osaurus]

After further review, the nest is only about 15 feet up. My extension ladder can easily reach it. The question is, will the mama robin peck my eyes out if I try and put these back in the nest?

I do have safety goggles.

Distract her with the lawnmower

 

[Ray Barboni]

After further review, the nest is only about 15 feet up. My extension ladder can easily reach it. The question is, will the mama robin peck my eyes out if I try and put these back in the nest?

I do have safety goggles.

Why inhibit your face with goggles? Just make sure to scale the ladder with your eyes closed ... stuff the birds in your pocket so you can have both hands free for climbing.

if momma robin still gets mad - just start breast feeding something, seems simple enough.

 

[Da Guru]

Just found two baby birds on my front lawn. Must have blown out of their nest in our storm last night.

Mama bird is hovering above on a branch. Other than running them over them with a lawnmower, what’s my play here?

Thinking I may get a beer box I have and put them on my neighbors rock wall, which sits about 4 feet off the ground. I could scoop them up with a plastic shovel and put some grass in that box as a psuedo nest. It would be about ten feet from the tree where they fell out.

Thoughts?

Stop it!

 

[ShamrockPride]

Is it one of those situations like when they're an egg still if something besides mama touches them, she won't come back for them? That still work like that when they're newborn?

 

[Ron Swanson]

Sounds like you have all of the ingredients for Ortolan. Bon Appétit!

 

[psychobillies]

Release some Bolivian tree lizards to wipe out your bird problem.

 

[ShamrockPride]

Release some Bolivian tree lizards to wipe out your bird problem.

The neighborhood cats will beat them to it.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I swear. Everything my parents told me was wrong.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/a-bird-in-the-hand/

@ChiefD Read the article. Are they nestlings or fledglings? Probably fledglings this late in the spring.

Fledglings usually spend several days on the ground or on tree limbs after leaving the nest but before their flight skills have developed well enough for them to no longer need the care of their parents. During this time, the parents bring food to these little ones and teach them various survival skills.

 

[EYLive]

You're overthinking this. Just throw them back into the nest. Your chances of success increase if you yell "Kobe!" at the top of your release.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

If they have adult feathers, leave them be.  If they are still fluffy chicks, put them back in the nest if you can.  Mom will be happy.

Keep your cats and dogs indoors.

 

[ChiefD]

I swear. Everything my parents told me was wrong.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/a-bird-in-the-hand/

@ChiefD Read the article. Are they nestlings or fledglings? Probably fledglings this late in the spring.

We have both. One is ready to rock. Following mama around on the ground and she comes down to feed it. The other one just sat there in the grass.

So, I got out the ladder and got the nest out of the tree. Set the nest on the ground and took a plastic shovel and put the babies in the nest.

Mama came down and fed the birds - good sign. But, the bad-### bird jumps out of the nest, walks around, and starts crossing the street.

Grab the nest again with the shovel, and the nest still has the poooosay bird still in there, and carry it across the street into my neighbors yard and park the nest in some bushes.

Go back and get Mr Rock Star and put him back in the nest. Mama bird comes down and starts feeding the birds again. Another good sign.

I go back to my house and resume drinking a cold beer. 

 

[ShamrockPride]

We have both. One is ready to rock. Following mama around on the ground and she comes down to feed it. The other one just sat there in the grass.

So, I got out the ladder and got the nest out of the tree. Set the nest on the ground and took a plastic shovel and put the babies in the nest.

Mama came down and fed the birds - good sign. But, the bad-### bird jumps out of the nest, walks around, and starts crossing the street.

Grab the nest again with the shovel, and the nest still has the poooosay bird still in there, and carry it across the street into my neighbors yard and park the nest in some bushes.

Go back and get Mr Rock Star and put him back in the nest. Mama bird comes down and starts feeding the birds again. Another good sign.

I go back to my house and resume drinking a cold beer. 

You sir, are a saint. Enjoy your beer.

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

We have both. One is ready to rock. Following mama around on the ground and she comes down to feed it. The other one just sat there in the grass.

So, I got out the ladder and got the nest out of the tree. Set the nest on the ground and took a plastic shovel and put the babies in the nest.

Mama came down and fed the birds - good sign. But, the bad-### bird jumps out of the nest, walks around, and starts crossing the street.

Grab the nest again with the shovel, and the nest still has the poooosay bird still in there, and carry it across the street into my neighbors yard and park the nest in some bushes.

Go back and get Mr Rock Star and put him back in the nest. Mama bird comes down and starts feeding the birds again. Another good sign.

I go back to my house and resume drinking a cold beer. 

"Badass" and "poosay".   Nice work, btw.

 

 

[ChiefD]

Went out this morning to grab the paper, and it appeared Mama bird was still hovering around the nest in the bushes from last night. So hopefully things are going well over there.

Will do a check later tonight when I get home. I'm sure bad-### is probably flying by now, banging other baby robins behind the compost pile. Pooosay probably still in the nest, mouth wide open looking for Mama.

Will report back.

 

[jwb]

I found a fledgling on the ground in my backyard Saturday, but figured he was just getting ready to fly. Next day, he was still there, and whenever I approached, he'd open his mouth like he was starving. He didn't look too healthy. No mama in sight the entire time (would have left him alone if there was), so I scooped him up and put him in a box. Grass / paper towels / etc to make a little nest. We soaked some dog food into a paste and fed him (read online that that's what's preferable in this situation). He greedily ate, but didn't make the night - was dead the next morning.

At least there was a last meal and a comfy nest at the end. Nature can be cruel sometimes.   

 

[GregR]

Is it one of those situations like when they're an egg still if something besides mama touches them, she won't come back for them? That still work like that when they're newborn?

The "someone else touching them" thing is an old wive's tale.  Birds generally have a very weak sense of smell, they wouldn't notice a person's scent on them.

 

[RokNRole]

Is it one of those situations like when they're an egg still if something besides mama touches them, she won't come back for them? That still work like that when they're newborn?

I think if she senses any danger to the babies she chews their heads off.

 

[RokNRole]

The "someone else touching them" thing is an old wive's tale.  Birds generally have a very weak sense of smell, they wouldn't notice a person's scent on them.

This sounds like a fascinating field of study. Chowing down on party packs of Taco Bell and and ripping foul farts in rooms full of birds just to see if it agitated them. I should have gone in to ornithology.

 

[Franknbeans]

take this saga to the wholesome thread

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

How's poosay doin?

 

[Phil Elliott]

Sunday, found the almost complete bird's nest in our geranium on front porch.  I took the nest out and tossed it. Two days later, the next was completely rebuilt and there were 5 eggs in it. Guess she needed a home quickly. Not kicking them out now.

 

[ChiefD]

How's poosay doin?

Not sure. I checked yesterday and the nest was empty. The Mama robin was still around, so I'm guessing they are in the bushes somewhere nearby. At least bad-### probably is.

Poooosay may have met his demise to a roaming cat or the owl that lives in our neighborhood.

 

[parasaurolophus]

If they have adult feathers, leave them be.  If they are still fluffy chicks, put them back in the nest if you can.  Mom will be happy.

Keep your cats and dogs indoors.

We have two nests in the bushes in front of our house. One of which has been awesome because it is right outside our picture window in front so we have had an amazing view. There is also a family of little squirrels about 40 feet from that. Cardinals, Robins, Red squirrels. Yesterday we saw a cat in the backyard. I immediately thought of the nests. I ran out and as I was running out I grabbed a can of wasp and hornet spray(different topic but I always have several cans available). Thought spraying the cat with it would piss him off enough not to want to come back.

Anyway, I get outside and this cat is being harassed by two cardinals, a robin, and red squirrel. They literally group chased him off my property together. I was pretty much expecting them to high five each other afterwards. 

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

You're overthinking this. Just throw them back into the nest. Your chances of success increase if you yell "Kobe!" at the top of your release.

I laughed way too hard at this.

 

[Ned]

The "someone else touching them" thing is an old wive's tale.  Birds generally have a very weak sense of smell, they wouldn't notice a person's scent on them.

Yeah, but this is @ChiefD we're talkin' about here.  I can smell him through my monitor.  :X  

 

[PlayaHata]

My wife is a bird aficionado with lots of feeders in the backyard.  We live near some ponds so ducks come over quite often to nibble on the seed that drops to the ground.  About a month ago, a mama duck brought 12 tiny ducklings over to the feeders.  The next day there were 8 ducklings, the following day 5, then 1, then none.      Not sure what got them all, but some a$$hat ran over 2 of them in the street in front of our house - middle of the day too so it's not like they weren't seen.  Seriously how cruel can you be.  

The good news is that a mama duck showed up again yesterday with 5 new ducklings and came back again today with the same 5 ducklings.  Crossing fingers it stays that way.

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

what's the opposite of a bird aficionado? whatever it is, I'm that. I can't stand 'em. they poop on my patio furniture (and everything else), try to make nests in all over my property, make too much noise, and have air to air dogfights in my backyard. they suck. and since I'm in California, I can't get rid of em because most of them are 'protected'. ugh.

 

[PlayaHata]

what's the opposite of a bird aficionado? whatever it is, I'm that. I can't stand 'em. they poop on my patio furniture (and everything else), try to make nests in all over my property, make too much noise, and have air to air dogfights in my backyard. they suck. and since I'm in California, I can't get rid of em because most of them are 'protected'. ugh.

I like most all birds with the exception of geese, which I despise more than almost any other living thing.  

 

[nirad3]

what's the opposite of a bird aficionado? whatever it is, I'm that. I can't stand 'em. they poop on my patio furniture (and everything else), try to make nests in all over my property, make too much noise, and have air to air dogfights in my backyard. they suck. and since I'm in California, I can't get rid of em because most of them are 'protected'. ugh.

california birds can suck it.  they wake me up every morning well before my alarm.  i have to turn the TV on to drown out the squawking so i can try and get at least a bit more shuteye........

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Anyway, I get outside and this cat is being harassed by two cardinals, a robin, and red squirrel. They literally group chased him off my property together. I was pretty much expecting them to high five each other afterwards. 

You should mockingbirds do this.  We saw one chasing a red tail hawk a couple of days ago.  I always figured the mockingbird is so annoying, the hawk leaves in disgust.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

what's the opposite of a bird aficionado? whatever it is, I'm that. I can't stand 'em. they poop on my patio furniture (and everything else), try to make nests in all over my property, make too much noise, and have air to air dogfights in my backyard. they suck. and since I'm in California, I can't get rid of em because most of them are 'protected'. ugh.

They are federally protected.  California has little to do with this one.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I like most all birds with the exception of geese, which I despise more than almost any other living thing.  

For me, it's the small black birds that infest trees around here.  I think they are small grackles.  

Also sparrows.  They are non-native imports- sort of avian kudzu.