Fledgling robin. Hope I did the right thing...

[Gaina]

This afternoon I was carefully presented with fledgling robin courtesy of Billy (I tried to tell them that building a nest in a SMALL conifer outside my back door was a bad idea, but they carried on regardless).
So, mum put it under the hedge next to the garage which is nice thick cover with low branches for it to jump into and we thought that was it....

Mam went to lock the laundrey at about 10:30 and the little tyke was sitting on the mat in the back porch! No evidence of having been given a ride (like in somebody's mouth) so I really don't know if it marched back in of it's own accord!

Ok, so it's dark although thankfully dry and rather mild and we've got a problem. At first I thought about wrapping a hot water bottle in a towel and popping it in a box, and try offering it some cat food, but then if it survives the night I have the problem of what to do next. Then the little critter got increadibly feisty and started fluttering around the porch (it has no down on it, it's a miniature of its parents) so I figure if we put him somewhere out of reach of Badgers or other predators it has half a chance, so we popped it back in the conifer it came from, which is really thick coverage and I'm thinking it has a better chance if it's litterally under it's parents noses.

So Mum ushered it into a box and put the box in the conifer (making sure there was as little human scent on it as possible). Last we heard it had jumped out of the box into the foliage and was shouting at us (so much for gratitude! haha).

Now I can just wait and hope I did the right thing...

[galanthus]

Phew, persistant little thing, what a predicament . Hopefully mummy robin will dutifully look after it from here on in.

[mrs fish]

Baby robins are so sweet looking

The parents should hear its calls

[Adam Cheeseman]

You should never interfere with young birds no matter how well intentioned. If you have to move it for any reason, don't touch it with bare hands as you will pass on your scent and the birds parents are likely to avoid it if it smells strange. If in doubt, leave it alone.

Cheers,

Adam

[mrs fish]

Anxiously awaiting an update


I saw a blackbird fledging to-day, it was sitting on a wall telling all predators where it was !!

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

You should never interfere with young birds no matter how well intentioned. If you have to move it for any reason, don't touch it with bare hands as you will pass on your scent and the birds parents are likely to avoid it if it smells strange. If in doubt, leave it alone.

Cheers,

Adam

I rescued two young blackbirds last year from next doors dog. We had get a ladder to climb the fence.
The dog killed one, so we got the chicks and put them in my garden, where the mother found them and fed them. They stayed around for about two weeks then flew off.

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

You should never interfere with young birds no matter how well intentioned. If you have to move it for any reason, don't touch it with bare hands as you will pass on your scent and the birds parents are likely to avoid it if it smells strange. If in doubt, leave it alone.

Cheers,

Adam

Adam, I agree completely. I would only have interfered if it had been wet and/or weak. As soon as it got feisty I knew he had a much better chance if we just popped him in a safe place as close to the nest as possible.

It turns out I had done the right thing because he's been flitting around the garden this morning, being fed by the parents.

[mrs fish]

That is good news

[galanthus]

Originally Posted by Gaina

Adam, I agree completely. I would only have interfered if it had been wet and/or weak. As soon as it got feisty I knew he had a much better chance if we just popped him in a safe place as close to the nest as possible.

It turns out I had done the right thing because he's been flitting around the garden this morning, being fed by the parents.

Hooray well done you and mummy/daddy robin