Topic: Baby sparrow

[Jesse]

Poppy our cat caught a baby sparrow, she's not a very good hunter and I don't think she really knew what to do with it. I've taken it away from her and left it outside under cover of the ivy for a couple of hours. I thought it had flown off but Poppy has got hold of it again. I've now put it into a cardboard box in a quiet place. He is looking quite perky considering his ordeal but he won't fly, I'm not sure he can or whether it's because he's hurt. What should I do with it, food? water? try letting it go again later this afternoon?

[TheGrowingFamily]

A few weeks ago, we came home to find a baby dunnock on the door step, we watched him for a bit but with magpies around and then he ran and fell in the drain, I phoned the RSPB for some advice. They gave us two options, 1) Put him back in the tree near his nest but with the magpies around this wasn't ideal!
or
2) bring him in, try him with cat food! Yes I said CAT FOOD.
Which we did, and a few hours later then he was flying out of the box.
we did step one.
We watched from the window as his mum came back for him and she flew off with him walking behind her lol.

[Jesse]

Happy to report similar success. I left him inside the box, placed a warm hot water bottle underneath to give him some warmth. Poor thing was soaked and I think that's why he couldn't fly. Fed him a little weetabix mixed with water which he obligingly ate off a toothpick (pointy bit chopped off). About an hour ago I took him outside and put him onto the bird table that hangs from the apple tree. He was nice and dry and warm with feathers all fluffed out, he flew off into the bushes in our garden where he sat chirping his little heart out. Mother came within minutes and started relaying between bird feeder and baby to feed him. After about half an hour of sitting there he flew up into the hedgerow. Cat was most indignant because she had to sit locked in the conservatory watching this and was dying to climb out through the window and catch the poor little birdie for the 3rd time. Happy ending :)

[Georgie]

Nice work, Jesse. :D

G x

[MrsKP]

congratulations !!

i've had loads in the garden today not really knowing what to do with themselves.  they get all brave and then look around for mum.  it is lovely to watch but if a predator came round the corner or swooping out of the sky i'm sure they'd have had their chips.

never really paid any attention to this time of year before so i'm well chuffed.