AUGUST 9, 2024 AROUND TOWN Operation robin rescue: do's and dont's I was on my way to the library. I had some applications to follow up on and I was going to orate my article for the Groundcover Speaks podcast. I was just making my way as I usually do —shouting obscenities at passersby and generally being offensive — when I saw a baby bird on the ground. This little bird didn't look happy. I looked up and I saw the nest, which was WAY TOO HIGH!!! I couldn’t reach it. I was faced with a choice: I could give up my plans for the morning or say “that’s life in the big city” to the bird and keep moving. I picked up the little bird and I wondered what to do. I couldn't leave him to the ants, the life of a bird is short enough and they would get theirs soon enough. A man walked up to a pick-up truck nearby and I asked him if he would help. He said yes! But when we examined the area below the nest site his truck was not going to fit. “Oy vey,” he said with a sad look on his face. He wanted to help, but the planters by the tree were not gonna move. Those planters have to weigh tons! So I thanked the kind man and I figured maybe someone at the Groundcover office might help? They sure weren't expecting me to walk into the office at that time and definitely not with some kind of dang baby bird. But I did it anyway. I thought maybe there would be a step ladder or something we could get. Many people were apprehensive about the bird's fate. Many said, “You touched it, now the momma bird will reject it.” I explained if I didn't the poor bird was destined to be ant food, so I had to try. It turns out I did the right thing. I went outside the office and turned over rocks till I found a grub and two worms. I didn't go full on momma bird and chew them up, but I did smash them a bit. The bird bros had this to say: “If you find a baby bird, it likely does not need your help unless it is featherless or has its eyes closed. These birds are nestlings and aren’t ready to leave the nest yet. If you can locate the nest nearby, the How to Help a Grounded Baby Bird When you come upon a hatchling or TONY SMITH Groundcover contributor nestling on the ground, look for a nest in the area; it’s likely to be within a few yards. Then follow these steps: (1) Put on gloves (or, if you don’t have gloves, wash your hands). (2) Gently pick up the baby bird and place it back into the nest. Note: If the nest has been damaged best thing to do is simply place the nestling back in the nest. If you cannot locate the nest, leave the nestling where you found it or move it to a shaded area. The parents will come back. Don’t worry, your scent won’t deter the parents. “As birds get bigger, they outgrow the nest and need room to move around, flap their wings and learn to fly. These more developed birds are fledglings and they can easily be identified by their more developed feathers. They can hop and flutter on their own. Fledglings don’t need help — their parents are nearby and still caring for them. Be sure to give them plenty of space.” (US Fish and Wildlife) It's important to know the stages of a bird; when they first leave the nest it might be awkward. My guy seemed like late stage two to me. Baby birds go through three stages: Hatchling (usually 0-3 days old). It hasn’t yet opened its eyes, and may have wisps of down on its body. It’s not ready to leave the nest. Nestling (usually 3-13 days old). Its eyes are open, and its wing feathers may look like tubes because they’ve yet to break through their protective sheaths. It’s also not ready to leave the nest. Fledgling (13-14 days old or older). This bird is fully feathered. Its wings and tail may be short, and it may not be a great flyer, but it can walk, hop or flutter. It has left the nest, though its parents may be nearby, taking good care of it. or is too high to reach, you can place the bird in a woven basket from your local garden store and hang it on a low branch. A basket looks to birds like a natural nest and the weave design will allow rainwater to drain through it and prevent the baby bird from drowning. Watch from a distance to see if the parent comes back to the nest. This may take a few hours, so if you can’t stay, try to come back later that day to check. If the parent bird doesn’t return to the nest, or you can’t find the nest: 1. Using gloved or clean hands, place the bird in a container (e.g., a shoe box) lined with soft cloth. You can use paper towels, a baby blanket or a piece of clothing. 2. If you have a heating pad, place it on the lowest setting and put it under the soft bedding to keep the baby bird warm. A hot water bottle also works well. 3. Place the box with the baby bird in a dark, quiet place away from people and pets. 4. Don’t give the bird food or water. 5. Contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center to arrange for further care. I left the Groundcover office with the bird in a blue laundry container. I’d squished a few worms and a grub. I was this bird's mommy now — a mommy from Hell! I had a chair and one of the Groundcover reporters came with me in case I needed a hand. I was grateful for her because my plan involved balancing on a chair made during the Eisenhower administration. As luck would have it things would work out perfectly. When we arrived at the corner I soon found out that the chair was not going to cut it. So I had the idea of trying the library; the librarian was helpful but no one was available to help. So I returned to the scene. The little bird was chirping and its mother stood a distance away calmly watching the situation. Its little mouth opened wide and its eyes squinted hard so I gave it the last of the worms while I figured what to do. It was then birdy lightning struck. Across the street were two guys one with a ladder of just the right size and another with a pull cart. I yelled and gesticulated wildly as I ran across the street. The look on their faces was definitely one of trepidation. That all changed when I told them the situation. They gladly came to aid in my mission of mercy. We set up the ladder and got to business. During this time I learned that the pair worked for the city hanging banners on street lamps and putting up posters. Very likely you have passed their work many times. They may not paint the art for the pieces they hang, but if not for them and their coworkers the many beautiful pieces would not be hung so often and changed with good regularity. In an instant the heroes of this story turned from regular working guys into an elite bird rescue team. As a backup, I had the number of the nature rehab people on deck, but as you will see in the film [https://files. catbox.moe/5m22x3.mp4], everything worked out. A few days on everything looks fine, I’ve checked and no dead Birdy :). I did see their mother catching worms the next day, and heard the wee birds' near-ravenous peeping. As I was doing the final revising of this piece I had another interesting bird experience. This time with a fledgling (the last stage of baby birds). It landed on my back and proceeded to chirp in my ears for like ten minutes. In this stage of bird development the birds can fly, but they are still learning. A nice lady wanted to keep the bird because she thought it was lost. Enjoy and be kind to our feathered friends. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 HOUSTON from page 4 implement the Housing First model with varying degrees of success and failure. Atlanta says that they succeeded in reducing their community’s homeless population by 40% by using the Housing First approach. Dallas and Salt Lake City saw some improvements. However, Los Angeles is still searching for a significant improvement after implementing the Housing First strategy. Grand Rapids/ Kent County’s coalition to end homelessness which includes more than 60 Continuum of Care partners recently plans to house 100 chronically homeless people within 100 days. Houston’s Housing First success story should resonate with local and state government leaders who are searching for durable solutions to their challenges with unhoused, unsheltered and growing street homelessness. Houston presents a good case study. National Alliance to End Homelessness research has shown that Housing First is more cost effective than traditional rapid rehousing programs. Washtenaw County is not as large an urban county as Harris County. However, Ann Arbor, the County Seat, lacks affordable housing. Rent inflation continues to be too high. Ypsilanti is somewhat more affordable, but the cost of housing is rising there, too. Local and state governments should implement Housing First policies but they will likely need economic support from the federal government to make substantial headway.
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