General Chat

The cat caught a baby blackbird the other day. We thought it had died but unless there's another baby, it seems to be walking about ok but cannot fly.

I put some water out at ground level just in case. I have no idea what to do! Does it need food? If so what? I think the mother is still about, would she be feeding him?

The cats have been grounded at the moment. (they're really indoor cats anyway)- I may take them for a little walk around the front garden to compensate. They always think that is a special treat anyway as they're not normally allowed out the front.

Blackbird fledglings will have it's parents nearby, I imagine, and they will still be feeding a bit, but....... it is part of a blackbird chicks progress to adulthood... they are ground feeders, mainly, so they have to be able to learn to survive by foraging for worms and suchlike on the ground.... so if you have a nest nearby, you might find all the chicks will have spent a bit of time at ground level..... with anxious parents watching out.

What you are suggesting with the cats is just the job.....

Love

Daff xxxx

Thanks Daff, I feel better about that now. I do think we have a nest nearby. We don't try and encourage the birds because we do have cats and we hate anything to happen to them.

I took one of the cats out into the back garden for the first time yesterday as there had been no sign of the bird but lo and behold a bird (couldn't see it) seemed to be rustling in the bushes and couldn't seem to make it to the fence where the mother was.

Luckily when I shouted to the cat (I wasn't far behind) she stopped where she was going, (she's quite a well behaved cat for me) and I quickly scooped her up and took her in.

However, we've spotted the baby for the first time today on the patio and then the patio steps. I didn't go too near as I didn't want to scare it.

I've also seen the parents watching in the garden. Blackbirds do seem to look after their children well. A lesson which a few humans could learn.

Just leave it alone, mum and Dad will be around to feed it.

I had four in our garden, there is at least one still hopping about the others went over the fence to next door.

I was in the garden the other day and both parents were coming up to me.. feet away. As I was weeding they were having a great time getting worms. I even threw then some lol.
I went out with the washing yesterday and Dad came up to me, I think he thought I was out to weed again. I went in and got them some weetabix lol.

They are used to seeing me around as we could walk right past the nest and mother didnt move even when OH cut the grass.

There was a bit in the paper the other day about well meaning people lifting them up thinking they were hurt.

I'll nudge up my thread re our nest.

Marion

Thanks Marion, I appreciate that,

No I haven't touched him because (a) I'm a bit screamish and (b) I didn't want the parents to abandon him because he smelt human if that makes sense.

I didn't realise they were so brave but maybe you're a Doctor Doolittle and they sense that you mean them no harm :)

We haven't fed the birds for the same reason... we have 5 cats, although one is too elderly to do much more than twitch in her dreams, bless her.... but we are surrounded by woodland and have two reans (drainage ditches, but they are very like mini canals) one actually bordering our back fence, the other just 20 feet or so from our side fence... and we get all sorts of birds, most of which I have no idea about, just that they are different.... in that very very cold snap, I decided that the birds would die anyway if I didn't help feed them... so they would need to take their chances with the cats... I just made sure that where I put the feed, it was impossible for the cats to get to.....or that they had all around vision so could watch for danger.

They soon learned... and even in a few short months, I have seen them coming closer and closer to the house.... the blackbirds enjoy the sprinkler, lol.... they all line up watching hubby when he comes home in the evening, to see which part of the garden is getting the soaking, lolol...... they are very very funny to watch.

Love

Daff xxxxx

n

I was thinking about deleting this earlier this evening as I hate thinking about it. Just don't ask......nothing to do with the cats.

Edit: It (they) was doing really well, I kept checking to see if it was ok. I did suspect that it was two birds. Then when doing the garden the other day, found two of them dead. Fortunately I wasn't there. The parents of the bird(s) had been doing an excellent job - don't know what happened.

oh dear. i take it it never made it ? :((