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Yesterday... after a
l--o--n--g afternoon we came to the conclusion that neither Don nor myself felt like cooking
One of those days...lol... Mind you we live on the outside of town ... How I only wished that we had pizza delivery out here...HA! Anyways.. we all jumped into the car and off to town we went to go fetch our dinner. Normally we take the frontage road that skirts I-10 just incase any "critters" need our help.
We were driving behind a dump truck when out of no-where a bird flew directly out of the brush and under the speeding dump truck in front of us... UGH!
That dreadful sight ... I hate to see, is a flaling bird plummet to the ground. We screeched to a stop and I jumped out to retrieve the lil' fallen one. It was bleeding ,so I wrapped him up with the bottom of my T-shirt and... back HOME we go. Don and Ryland rushed around to help get the pet carrier all set up. At this point I had time to inspect our new found patient and he had broken his lower beak a tiny bit which was where the bleeding came from and he couldn't fly.. After a few minutes of pressure, the bleeding stoped and I got him all situated. Picked up the phone and called Charis... to ask for help. Between Charis and Cindy; they were able to confirm that it was a female Gila Woodpecker. Cindy mentioned that it looked like a fledgling (By the way, I Thank you Charis and Cindy,for helping me)
I was able to get in touch with THE ONLY Southwest Rehabber in Tucson...and she kindly agreed to take the bird, as long as I brought it to her. In the mean time I would keep her until the morning. SO we fed her with a syringe with a piece of soaked dog food in water ...and she gobbled it right up!... Speaking of Gobbling.... My newfound Pizza delivery Guy...(I love my hubby) finally arrives with the pizza, Cold cuz of our snaffu! OH well--- Cold- pizza brings back memories and we too, Gobble it up!
By morning the baby had pooped ...(Yay) so I feed her again. She LOVES the syringe. And then off to town 45 minutes to take her to the rehabber. Upon arrival she is inspected and found to have a broken wing along with her small injury of her broken beak. Is indeed a fledgling... Who I now wonder if she was taking her madien voyage when she had the mishap with the dump truck. She was given fluids to re-hydrate her and into a holding observation cage she went. The owners of the center are elder in their 80's and several volunteers were zipping in and out taking care of all the lil' critters that called this their home. We were given a tour ...and saw birds of prey, baby bunnies, ravens, doves, house finches, barn owls... among MANY others... They are filled to capacity with calls coming in as I was standing there for animals in need.... Because I showed such interest they asked me If I had an interest to volunteer. <<smiling wide>> "I would LOVE to commit to that", I say... and so my new adventure begins...
I will be volunteering every Friday morning with several others who do the same. I love the animals... but for me the hardest part isn't making the commitment and dedicating the time to help....its realizing the rightful order of the food chain. THAT will be the biggest challenge for me, Growing a stomach of Steel! Below is the lil' one who helped me find my new home away from home. I guess it really isn't just all the "critters" that can make that claim after all....
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l--o--n--g afternoon we came to the conclusion that neither Don nor myself felt like cooking
One of those days...lol... Mind you we live on the outside of town ... How I only wished that we had pizza delivery out here...HA! Anyways.. we all jumped into the car and off to town we went to go fetch our dinner. Normally we take the frontage road that skirts I-10 just incase any "critters" need our help. We were driving behind a dump truck when out of no-where a bird flew directly out of the brush and under the speeding dump truck in front of us... UGH!
That dreadful sight ... I hate to see, is a flaling bird plummet to the ground. We screeched to a stop and I jumped out to retrieve the lil' fallen one.
It was bleeding ,so I wrapped him up with the bottom of my T-shirt and... back HOME we go. Don and Ryland rushed around to help get the pet carrier all set up. At this point I had time to inspect our new found patient and he had broken his lower beak a tiny bit which was where the bleeding came from and he couldn't fly.. After a few minutes of pressure, the bleeding stoped and I got him all situated. Picked up the phone and called Charis... to ask for help. Between Charis and Cindy; they were able to confirm that it was a female Gila Woodpecker. Cindy mentioned that it looked like a fledgling (By the way, I Thank you Charis and Cindy,for helping me) I was able to get in touch with THE ONLY Southwest Rehabber in Tucson...and she kindly agreed to take the bird, as long as I brought it to her. In the mean time I would keep her until the morning. SO we fed her with a syringe with a piece of soaked dog food in water ...and she gobbled it right up!... Speaking of Gobbling.... My newfound Pizza delivery Guy...(I love my hubby) finally arrives with the pizza, Cold cuz of our snaffu! OH well--- Cold- pizza brings back memories and we too, Gobble it up!
By morning the baby had pooped ...(Yay) so I feed her again. She LOVES the syringe. And then off to town 45 minutes to take her to the rehabber. Upon arrival she is inspected and found to have a broken wing along with her small injury of her broken beak. Is indeed a fledgling... Who I now wonder if she was taking her madien voyage when she had the mishap with the dump truck. She was given fluids to re-hydrate her and into a holding observation cage she went. The owners of the center are elder in their 80's and several volunteers were zipping in and out taking care of all the lil' critters that called this their home. We were given a tour ...and saw birds of prey, baby bunnies, ravens, doves, house finches, barn owls... among MANY others... They are filled to capacity with calls coming in as I was standing there for animals in need.... Because I showed such interest they asked me If I had an interest to volunteer. <<smiling wide>> "I would LOVE to commit to that", I say... and so my new adventure begins...
I will be volunteering every Friday morning with several others who do the same. I love the animals... but for me the hardest part isn't making the commitment and dedicating the time to help....its realizing the rightful order of the food chain.
THAT will be the biggest challenge for me, Growing a stomach of Steel! Below is the lil' one who helped me find my new home away from home. I guess it really isn't just all the "critters" that can make that claim after all....
