Baby Bird Rescue! What to do when you find a baby bird!

This post is very random and doesn't really fit with my blog but it's what I've been up to today! My sister spotted a little baby bird in the garden today. I believe it was a baby collared dove. The poor thing only had a couple of feathers and was too fluffy, chubby and young to fly! I have a dog so I was quite worried he would try and adopt it as a chew toy or something. The bird was in a very vulnerable position so I knew it had to be moved quickly!

The first point if call is finding a nest to return it to. The parents are likely to return to the nest and carry on caring for the bird. If you have located the nest, pick the chick up with gloved hands and place it inside of the nest. Check the on the bird regularly to ensure its healthy! (otherwise scroll down to Plan B). Our little bird was sat on a patch of grass below a tree. However it was far too heigh for anyone to reach so we needed a plan B! Whilst debating what to do next and examining the tree my sister spotted a second bird! This one was huddled next to our fence, hiding in the grass. So we had not one, but two baby collared doves to addend to!

Plan B :

My boyfriend's brother works at a local wildlife centre and after a quick text from him we decided to take them down there. We found a spare cardboard box and placed a few handfuls of shredded paper in the bottom for warmth and comfort. Newspaper, grass or any other soft waste could also be used. My boyfriend Ryan had to do the next stage because I'm useless at this kind of stuff. Anyway, you need to tenderly scoop the bird/birds up and place them gently into the cardboard box. Its vital to make the bird aware of your presents before you go and grab it, otherwise you will frighten the poor thing too much. You should always wear protective gloves when picking up animals as they carry diseases and could possibly bite or peck! Ensure you wash hands thoroughly afterwards too. Ryan didn't use gloves because he's a daring kind of guy; normal people please wear them, it's better to be safe than sorry!

We then took the birds to Weirfield Wildlife Hospital, a local centre within Lincoln, and handed them over to a staff member so she could look after them correctly. The hospital will provide all of the care needed for these birds until they are fully developed for adult life. We forwarded  our details so that the hospital can contact us when the birds are ready to be released. This means we can take them back to our garden, their birthplace, and set them free which is great for us and the birds! They lady who took them from us also supplied us with a leaflet so they we could read up on all the information about the centre! 

If we didn't move the birds it was more than likely they wouldn't survive! It is important for baby birds to receive care, regular food and fluids and a warm environment to settle in until they have developed enough to live independently. Although many people think birds are pests it's always important to care for all animals, especially those in a vulnerable position! These little birds were far to cute to leave alone and I have found it very satisfying be able to save their lives.

Animal hospitals, like Weirfield, are located all over the country, they're mainly registered charities so it's always kind to donate to help them along. This could be anything from food, items and volunteer work and doesn't always have to be a cash contribution. If you ever find an baby animal alone or an animal in distress it's best to call a local centre if you're unsure of what to do. If you can't find the time or resources to take the animal to the centre yourself, most centres will pick the animal up themselves. But as I said before it's always good to contribute a little yourself, even if it does mean going out of your way for half an hour or so! Weirfield also gave us a reference number for the birds so we can phone and see how they're doing. When my sister phones them I will keep you updated on the news of these little collared doves! Otherwise, that's a wrap for this very random post! 

Ellabella 

♥ ✝ ☮