Birdies Birdies Everywhere

Today was apparently the Day of the Birds around here!

Last week, a gal posted on PDXBackyardChix that she had three "escape artist" hens she needed to rehome. She got an offer in Oregon City, but she lives not too far from me, and that's a long ways from where we are. I happened to see the post then, and offered to take the girls to enhance my flock. They were delivered today; two Buff Orpington girls and a little game hen which apparently lays bluish eggs. They will be added to my three Buff Orpingtons and one Rhode Island Red tonight after dark. (Mama and the four chicks are still sequestered, but they will be integrated eventually as well.)

While I was chatting with the gal and her husband, I happened to glance over and saw a flailing thing in the potted fuschia. I thought at first it was a mouse, but it turned out to be one of the baby House Sparrows which had fallen out of the nest. Its eyes were not yet open, it was not feathered at all, and it was chilled. I picked it up, and with the help of the chicken folks, tried to put it back in the nest. I got it back inside, but after the folks left I watched the Mama Sparrow try to figure out how to get past the baby and into the nest, so I decided to work on it some more.

I got up onto a ladder (NOT my first choice in any event) and took down the nest. I didn't think the lid came off, but the little neighbor girl suggested undoing the main screw on the front, and lo and behold, the lid does come off. The nest box was literally stuffed to the rafters with dry grasses, moss, and feathers. Turns out it was a good thing I opened it up; the actual nest cavity was in the very back of the house, with a little tunnel leading to it. The baby would never have made it back that far, and I'm not entirely certain how it got out. I pulled some of the nesting out, picked up the little escapee, and snuggled it back into the nest with its siblings. I got Todd to rehang it, and I've seen Mama bird coming in and out of the nest, probably trying to figure out how all her babies got upside down and why the house is such a mess. Hopefully all is well inside the nest tonight!