Teen Brain

Rob took the dog for his usual meander this morning and spotted a little brown/black blob on the sidewalk. A closer look revealed it was a baby hummingbird. He came right home to retrieve a small box to scoop him into. I found a small dropper and tried to give the bird some water. He did open his beak for one drop but then no more. Maybe because it wasn’t sweetened?

We quickly checked with a local group online and found a bird rescue person about a half hour away. We called and they said they’d take him. I also read online that we should keep him warm by filling a bottle with hot water and putting it in the box. I left the bottle in the box while transporting him because he was leaning up against it and it seemed to comfort him. I was nervous about it sliding around during the drive, so I held the box at a slight angle. It didn’t roll. Halfway there, he started chirping. We were so relieved and happy.

We dropped him off at a beautiful home with a lovely older couple who obviously knew what they were doing. The woman told Rob that the bird was a juvenile. “Like human teenagers, juvenile birds sometimes think they can leave the nest before they’re ready.” she said.

Rob told her about the chirping as he watched her feed the fledgling a formula through a tiny feeding tube. She said hummingbirds chirp when they’re in trouble. So here we thought the little guy was feeling better and it turns out he was crying for help. He’s getting some now.

He took one drop of filtered water. I tried a few more drops but he closed his beak. Maybe as a teen, he only likes soda?