2 2008-07-21T10:40:41-07:00 false I am just blown away this year about the number of bird rescues and encounters I've had so far in 2008. Yesterday was quite the interesting day indeed!! * First in the early AM as I'm sitting in the garden with my coffee, I hear screeches from multiple birds that sound like hawks. Sure enough out on the uppermost limb of one of my 200 year old Douglas firs are 2 baby birds of prey (still investigating what they are)...making all sorts of noise as mommy drops in with breakfast for them!!!!! Oh what a sight. I had my camera in my hands and was so blown away at this unusual sight in the confines of the city that I zoned out taking a photo!!!! I have plans to set up the tripod today with the 400 mm zoom and hope for the best!! * The photos in this journal entry are about my evening encounter. I went out in my yard with my hot tea in the evening ( I do love my hot beverages apparently...lol) and was sitting, taking in the garden and the peacefulness.....when I suddenly heard splashing in my small wildlife watering hole I went over to investigate and here was a tiny chickadee in fledgling feather flapping for his life in the water. My guess is he must have just fallen in or he would have been more exhausted. I scooped his little shivering body up out of the water and cradled him in my hands and called to Steve to grab the camera and he got these pix. It's a very hard call to know what to do with these "almost ready for flight" babies when I find them. He was fine but cold so I warmed him up and dried him, then back into the garden we went to see if he would fly. He stood for about 5 minutes on my open hand while I talked softly to him and finally hopped off onto a dogwood shrub about a foot off the ground. His mother was watching when I walked away she came down to see him so I hope he made it through the night. As long as mommy is feeding him things should be ok. (crossing fingers) I love this series of 3 photos. Such a fragile little life in the safety of human hands 1 false 23874 false false false Entry 1210 User 2008-07-20T17:00:00-07:00 DMY 27158 Public 2008-07-21T10:40:41-07:00 1210 Cloudy 64 F