This Saturday was for the birds. Literally. Every year, night herons try to nest in the big oak tree in our front yard. I wouldn't really mind because they are kind of cool, but their poop... For the past three years or so we haven't had any nests in our tree, which was a good thing because I got really tired of coming out to my car in the morning only to find bits and pieces of frogs, crabs, snakes, cockroaches, etc, in the driveway and on the car. This year, we ended up with a nest, but it is over the neighbor's yard instead of being over a driveway.
So...this morning, we took the puppies out for a potty break and Dad said that one of the big birds was in the yard and that the puppies were interested in it. About that time, I looked out to see Miss B running toward the back fence, where there was a baby bird standing there looking back at her. All of the puppies went running toward the invader to see what it was doing. The bird took off through the garden box. The puppies did not appreciate this at all. If they aren't allowed in the garden box, then there is no way they could allow this bird to run around in the garden. They ended up in the back corner, with the bird near the fence and all of the puppies barking and growling at it. From a healthy distance of course. Even little Miss M had her hackles up and was barking at it. This thing had to be dangerous. It was squawking and flapping its big wings. I mean seriously. How could it not be dangerous? Just look at the wild hair and eyes.
So...this morning, we took the puppies out for a potty break and Dad said that one of the big birds was in the yard and that the puppies were interested in it. About that time, I looked out to see Miss B running toward the back fence, where there was a baby bird standing there looking back at her. All of the puppies went running toward the invader to see what it was doing. The bird took off through the garden box. The puppies did not appreciate this at all. If they aren't allowed in the garden box, then there is no way they could allow this bird to run around in the garden. They ended up in the back corner, with the bird near the fence and all of the puppies barking and growling at it. From a healthy distance of course. Even little Miss M had her hackles up and was barking at it. This thing had to be dangerous. It was squawking and flapping its big wings. I mean seriously. How could it not be dangerous? Just look at the wild hair and eyes.
I think they were all secretly relieved when Mom picked up Mr. M and told everyone to go inside. This thing was scary. And it was big. These are not small birds. The baby in our yard was 14 to 16 inches tall.
After we got the puppies inside, we got the camera and took some pictures of it. We are pretty sure it either fell out of the nest or failed miserably at flying lessons. We are not actually even sure how it got into the back yard. The nest is in the front yard. When we went outside a little later, it tried to climb the chain length fence in the back and got its head stuck in one of the openings. It was flailing around and we were afraid it would hang itself, so we used some grilling gloves (they were the thickest gloves we had) and gently lifted it up so that it could get its head unstuck. We put it on the top of the fence, hoping it would fly off.
A few hours later when we took the dogs out again, the bird was still there. Then it started pouring rain. We thought for sure that the bird would have gone back home, but when we went back out to check, it was still there.
With it on the fence, the puppies didn't pay much attention to it. They knew it was there and would go to where it was sitting and stand up on their hind legs to try to smell it, then they would get bored with it and go play. We tried calling the wildlife rescue center, but they were already closed. When the evening came and we saw the bird was still there, we decided to put it at the base of the tree under the nest in hopes that the parents would feed it. We aren't really even sure if it came from that nest, but it definitely wouldn't last long just sitting on the fence. We think that it was just scared and didn't know where to go. If it's still there tomorrow, we will call the wildlife people.
After we got the puppies inside, we got the camera and took some pictures of it. We are pretty sure it either fell out of the nest or failed miserably at flying lessons. We are not actually even sure how it got into the back yard. The nest is in the front yard. When we went outside a little later, it tried to climb the chain length fence in the back and got its head stuck in one of the openings. It was flailing around and we were afraid it would hang itself, so we used some grilling gloves (they were the thickest gloves we had) and gently lifted it up so that it could get its head unstuck. We put it on the top of the fence, hoping it would fly off.
A few hours later when we took the dogs out again, the bird was still there. Then it started pouring rain. We thought for sure that the bird would have gone back home, but when we went back out to check, it was still there.
With it on the fence, the puppies didn't pay much attention to it. They knew it was there and would go to where it was sitting and stand up on their hind legs to try to smell it, then they would get bored with it and go play. We tried calling the wildlife rescue center, but they were already closed. When the evening came and we saw the bird was still there, we decided to put it at the base of the tree under the nest in hopes that the parents would feed it. We aren't really even sure if it came from that nest, but it definitely wouldn't last long just sitting on the fence. We think that it was just scared and didn't know where to go. If it's still there tomorrow, we will call the wildlife people.
"You talkin' to me?"
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