BABY GOLDFINCH .. PEEP, PEEP, PEEP ...

[ThatGuyRick]

Late Sunday I was looking out at the backyard from the sunroom when I heard a "peep, peep, peep." I kept looking but I couldn't see anything so I decided to go out back. When I got out there I saw a baby Goldfinch in the grass and it was crying out - "Peep, peep, peep." The little bird could not fly very well but it could run along the grass and then fly about three or four feet before landing back on the ground. I worried about it until I saw one of it's parents land on the ground and feed the baby. The baby goldfinch was quiet for a minute then started peeping again.  It soon got dark and a storm moved into the neighborhood. It was a strong storm with high winds and heavy rain. I closed the sunroom windows and went in to watch TV. 

I started thinking that I should have caught the baby bird and put it on the porch, or in a box until the morning. I was afraid it would drown in the storm. I thought of the little Goldfinch a few times that evening. 

Monday morning I looked out onto the backyard again, thinking that the little bird could not have survived last night's terrible storm. I saw the hummingbirds on the sugar feeder, and I saw many other birds at the seed feeders. And then I heard it - "Peep, peep, peep." The little bird was still out there and calling for it's parents. I had to leave for a few hours so I don't know what happened after that. I do not see the little thing tonight but I hope that it made it. I'm hoping that it made it.  - Rick -

[Donna-Z5]

You have such a good heart for all the little creatures Rick. It's hard to know exactly what to do in a situation such as this. I'm with you on hoping your little gold finch made it. Please let us know. :)

We have been keeping close watch on a dove that has a broken wing. He/she seems to be on the mend but we will keep on filling a little bowl with niger seed and water.

[Ladybird]

Love the story and I hope it made it

[carross]

Poor little guy, yes you don't know what to do.  Knowing myself, I would of kept looking out the windows to see how the little bird was doing. But maybe he was in hiding.

Thanks for sharing with us.

[Stella]

It is very difficult to know what to do when you see a fledgling alone without it's parents.
I am wondering if a bully bird threw it out of the nest (have seen this happen), or the
bird is not going to survive (according to it's parents)...such is the law of the 
strongest I suppose in nature....well at least that's what I see on National Geographic.

You can pick the little bird put it in a shoe box, and try to find a wild life organization,
or call a vet.


Good luck!

[luvmyb_b]

I think you did right in letting the parents take care of the situation, Rick.  I have heard wildlife experts say that unless you are POSITIVE the parents won't be back for the baby, it is best to let nature take care of things.  It is HARD to do that.  I applaud you for being able to restrain yourself. 

One year we had a mother mallard take her late season babies in our in-ground pool.  They'd done that for years, but before that it had been earlier in the spring when we still had the winter blanket on the pool.  With that, they could just swim around on the cover in puddles, and then climb out when they were ready.  The year in question was much later, like in July, when the babies finally went into the pool.  Our water level was not anywhere near the top so it was hard for a couple of the babies to climb out.  I threw such a hissy fit!  DH went out with the skimmer net for the pool to try and scoop them out.  Bad idea, and very much my fault.  A baby jumped out of the net before DH could lower it to the ground.  Something vital broke, probably its neck, and it died.  Not one to learn my lesson from that, I next had DH put a wooden board in the pool creating a plank for the babies to climb out.  That ended up putting a pin hole in the liner, which we then had to replace.  I've also been known to put rafts in the pool during a thunderstorm so the babies could climb up and rest on that until the storm passed.  Didn't work.  They weren't interested in my raft because they were fine on their own.  It was about that time that I heard wildlife experts say to leave babies alone and let their mothers handle things.  After all, who knows more about being a duck or a bird than a mother duck or bird?  Certainly not me.    What a concept!

  

[Deleted]

You done good, Rick! Cute story! You may have gotten dive bombed by the baby bird's parents! Who knows really what to do? i once remember rescuing a baby owl when i was young! I think we took it to a rehab place

[Kathy_SD]

My baby wrenss were the same way, I would on the ground peeping away and could only fly up a couple feet but the parents were always around somewhere feeding them and this went on for about five days.