Sunday, February 21, 2010

Feeling Kind of Like...Well, Crap

 
A Picture of Mourning Dove Chicks

Yesterday, G and I were heading out to a movie and dinner (our belated Valentine's Day) and G stopped in the middle of the driveway and pointed down to the ground.  "It's a chick," he said.  And it was.  It was a Mourning Dove day old chick just lying there all by itself and it was alive.  I didn't know it was a Mourning Dove chick at the time.  I thought it was some kind of mutant alien chick, actually.  Uuuugggllllyyy!  Something definitely only a Mother would love.  But, I scooped him up and ran in the house to find a box and something to keep him warm.  We were already late so we skidaddled.

The little guy lived through the night on a heating pad. 

Well, this morning I got up early and began some research on the computer. 

The original nest had been in a tree next to the house so I went out to investigate what might have happened.  Turns out the whole nest had pretty much disintegrated from the rain.

In my research, I discovered that I could remake a nest and place it in the same area and the parents would probably return to use it.  So, that is what I did.  I had some wire fencing that I molded into a nest holder and filled it up with hay and straw.  I put it up in the tree and secured it hoping for the best.  The parents were around watching everything.  I had high hopes that I would be able to place the chick in the nest and have the parents come back and tend to it.

And, then I biffed up big time.  I came in and did some more research and read that I could use a heat lamp to keep the chick warm.  So I set the little guy up with a heating lamp (the one I used for the chickens when they first arrived).  I must have placed the lamp too close because when I came back into the room he had crawled into a corner and was panting.  I immediately lifted the lamp much higher and placed him back into the center.  I thought I had caught him on time but I think the damage had been done.

I then ran to the store to pick up some Gerber baby cereal to feed the little guy.  I mixed it all up and got the little syringe filled up and came downstairs to try to feed him.

I knew it as soon as I touched him.  He was gone.  I feel soooo bad.  If I would have left him on the heating pad in the blankets he probably would have been just fine. 

Not feeling real magickal right at the moment.  Dang it.

10 comments:

  1. I am so sorry to hear that. I know how you feel. This little birdie had once fallen off the roof of the other house we used to live in. We put him back, but he was out again so I figured the parents just didn't want him. But, the neighborhood was loaded with cats...so I fixed him a nice little bed and put it in our garage...forgetting that one of the screens had been broken. I hate to even say what I found the next morning. I just felt awful You did what you thought was best. Don't beat yourself up.
    Mary

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  2. I think your compassion is a beautiful expression of the magical, Mizz Dessa.

    Shade and Sweetwater,
    K

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  3. Oh! Do n't be so hard on yourself, it is really difficult to take care of young birds. Your heart was in the right place! Try to cheer up, at least the parents have a brand new nest for themselves.
    Brightest blessings.

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  4. I am sorry to hear that the little guy didn't make it. But you did try and he probably lived longer than he would have if you had not saved him from the road.

    {{HUGS}}

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  5. Bless you for giving it your best, Dessa. I think Ana has the gist of it - he probably lived longer than eh would have if you had not saved him from the road. I know that may or may not make you feel any better right now though. *hugs* I'm very very sorry. =(

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  6. ~oh i am so very sorry...how loving your heart is and humble of you to take forth every effort to help this little one out and his family...i agree with the above...you efforts speak loud of what your heart holds...much love and light and brightest blessings~

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  7. Dessa, you were an angel to that little one. Your spirit and soul are just so beautiful. Now the baby is with the great earth mother with a kind send off. Acknowledge yourself for what you do and not what you "think" you "should" do. Believe in your self and your gifts.

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  8. Bummer that you were not as successful as you had hoped in your wishes to give him a long happy life...It's very difficult to know when is too much...I'm sure you'll get the chance to try again and you'll be able to use what you learned this time...

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  9. Honey, you tried. You tried hard. Not many people would have gone to all that trouble.

    Don't beat yourself up over this. Your intentions were good and that's what matters.

    )O(

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