'Nicky Doodles' the Baby Dove.....
by Jan - submitted June 4, 2005
| "IF
GOD BRINGS YOU TO IT..HE WILL BRING YOU THROUGH IT"
I have
heard these words spoken many times...and have had them
several times in cards, letters and E-mails. I would
think...Hummmm...You know that is so true...what a great saying.
NEVER....Have I realized the powerful meaning behind those simple words
more...than now! Whew....What a great challenge and 'fragile'
responsibly it is to be a Mama Bird. As you all know...for all of
my life I have been an Animal person. Always had them around
me...always aware of them on this earth....Always had a love and
compassion for them....Always the Rescuer! Most of the animals
placed in my charge have been the kind that probably could have
survived regardless of my efforts, with just kindness and nurture.
WHEW....never had Birds been placed in my path....that needed my
help!
I have always said throughout my life....that 'GOD' just places these little needy creatures in my path....because I am a willing Soul. I now know he waited until I was 'OLD' enough...and Wise enough...and Mature enough before he starting bringing me the BIRDS! The 'wisdom lesson' in this is that you know 'nothing'! To be a Mama Bird to these wild birds is an enormous responsibility...their little lives are so fragile..delicate...and individually critically balanced. It will humble you to your knees to assume this kind of responsibly, and you soon learn that all of your self proclaimed 'Nature/Animal' experience, abilities, and willingness, have little value when raising a baby bird. AND SO NOW....another 'LIFE' is placed in my charge...one that is a totally new experience with completely different needs than the Two that I have somehow managed to provide for.  This
baby Dove and his sibling I am assuming were thrown out of their nest
by a predator bird. The sibling was dead on the ground and very
apparent it had been attacked. 'My' little guy was struggling for life.
I think they had been out of the nest for quite awhile. It was the
first thing I saw when I got up on Friday morning! I opened my front
door to find these babies laying under the Pine Tree in the front yard.
It just happen to be the Pine Tree that is very close to the front door
and right of the sidewalk......'couldn't miss it'!!!!I could not see a nest....or see any parent bird around and there was NO PLACE to even try to leave this little guy in a protected area to see if the parents would come back around to it...and it was exhausted from the struggle to survive. It couldn't fly or move very much...just flapping and flopping on the ground...not uttering a sound. SO....I picked it up and rushed it into the Garage and placed it in a bowl with tissues and towels and put it under a lamp. I had no idea what kind of bird it was. I just knew I had never see a baby like this and it looked so unusual to me. As always with baby birds I didn't think he would make it. Where ever the nest was... in the Pine Tree is was So HIGH up there...I couldn't believe it survived the fall. I continued to search and look for the nest and parents throughout the next few hours. No sign of them. Luckily I was prepared this time for a baby bird and had 'hand feeding formula' on board as well as armed with lot's of information about rescuing baby birds....after my ignorant experience with my Nemo. SO...I started the feeding process
and the critical care process. The strange thing was his little
beak was so long and so thin and he didn't open it or utter a sound and
acted clueless as to the whole eating process....yet he was so
alert!!?? SO...I started the force feeding....opening his little beak
the best I could and force feeding him with the syringe. At
best...it is so scary to feed a baby bird when the situation is
good....but when you are having to do it by force....It leaves you will
a sunken feeling and a predicted poor out come. I managed to get
some of the formula down him as well as a little Karo water...and then
started my 'Life by the Hour' saga.
I hurriedly got on the Computer and
tried to search for what kind of baby this is.....but, had no luck
finding it. Without that knowledge I didn't know how to take care of
it....now and in the 'developmental' future. I went back outside and
sat for a while trying to see any and all birds that were in the trees
in the front yard. I called my friend Jeff who also rescues and cares
for these little guys of any and all species too, and he went to
work on trying to help me determine what kind of baby I had....after I
sent him pictures of it. WELL....to my surprise...A pair of
Mockingbirds flew out of the top of the Pine Tree....and based on the
coloring of this baby...and never having seen a baby Mockingbird...I
just knew that was what is was!!!! So I searched the Internet....got
all of the Info on Mockingbirds that I could quickly get....Called Jeff
back....He sent me more good information....and I went into action to
raise a baby Mockingbird. I felt comfortable now knowing that it was
O.K. to have to force syringe feed it...and that probably it was
just the trauma and shock that it had gone through as to why it wasn't
responding to the syringe feedings. HOWEVER....I keep looking a this
little guy...and kept thinking how unusual this baby was...It didn't
really look like what I thought a Mockingbird should look like....BUT,
Oh Well...'IF' it survived...time would make the difference in his
appearance...and it could also be that he was not a normal baby
Mockingbird anyway. But....I just wasn't 100% comfortable with that
assumption, however...the task of 'survival' was the GREATEST one at
hand! I continued the hour by hour ritual and to my constant surprise
he was surviving and did so throughout the day and night...I really
don't know how...other than knowing God must have had HIS
hands around both of us. All I knew to do for sure was to pray,
pray, pray!
The next morning....He was still
here....brighter and more alert! So...I started with the same approach
and routine...got the feeding done....got the baby tucked in and warm
and started my rounds for the rest of the 'Zoo'.
I opened the front door....looked on the
ground....looked all around...and then glanced up in the tree....and to
my SURPRISE....Two Doves flew out of the tree! DUH....all of the sudden
with great clarity I knew what my 'new' baby bird was.....IT IS A
DOVE! That started another panic search for information...and
then the 'Sinking' discovery that all I had been doing was SO WRONG for
a baby Dove!!!!
Baby Doves do not open their beaks or
take their food from their Parents 'poking' it in. They suck/drink
their food from their Mom's mouth. Their food is called Dove's
Milk...and the Mom regurgitates the food products into her mouth as a
form of a milky substance. The Babies will then suck and
drink the food. GEEZ....CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS BABY SURVIVED
ME????????????? The sad thing is that the Parent Doves lay just two
eggs...So...they lost both of their babies....the good
thing was...this baby needed and would 'suck/drink' the formula
that I had been 'SHOVING DOWN HIS LITTLE THROAT' !!!! GEEZ...What
a little survivor for sure!! I really think it was the
"MOCKINGBIRDS" that got them!
 He is SO eager to eat at each feeding time. Going to
have to get a better way of feeding him though...WE are getting more On
him than In him! He loves his formula....YEAH! He still hasn't
made a sound...no cooing or chirping but is very alert and knows when
the food has arrived!
He is a GOOD BABY BIRD! I read where it takes up to 38 days
before they 'fledge'...(can fly, eat and leave the nest). I think he is
about 10 to 12 days old....based on some pictures I looked at. I don't
have a clue yet if he will be able to be released back into the wild or
not...as long as it takes them to mature naturally....I am afraid that
he will imprint/bond on me (humans) by that time. OH WELL....Time will
tell.
Here are some pictures of Baby Dove 'NICKY' taken this morning after his bath...He is wrapped up in warm towels from the dryer...and is falling asleep with a full tummy! His new nest leaves a lot to be desired...he lives in humble surroundings...MY GARAGE! I cannot have him around Nemo and Bingo....SO his 'nest' for now is on the table in the junky garage....among all the junk and clutter. I am too afraid to move or change anything for him yet...his existence is at least working for him!!! As long as he is in his homemade nest cup...He is content....WHEW!   We had a bad stormy night last
night...winds and lot's of rain. I sat praying and pleading with GOD to
please keep everyone in their nest tonight! Whew...when I made my
yard rounds this morning...all was clear!
<>Whew...THANK YOU GOD! :)
Way to Go Little Nicky....You are truly
a Survivor!
"IF GOD BRINGS YOU TO IT..HE WILL
BRING YOU THROUGH IT"
June 7th: It's after 10pm and baby Nicky is all snuggled in for the night. This is his snuggle blanket.  I bought this for Nemo when he was younger and he was afraid
of it. You tie it on the cage bars at the back of their
perch and it makes a snuggle cup.... and they are supposed to
snuggle up against it for warmth and security. NOT NEMO!! He
wouldn't go back in the cage until I GOT IT OUT!!!!
SO...I thought little Nicky might like it and think it was
his Mom sitting on him and snuggling him. HE LOVES IT! I have it tented
over him and he goes to sleep after he eats. He is doing so good and
loves his formula. We are still struggling with getting more in
him...without so much lost and all over him. He gets a bath every
morning...and we start out fresh and clean...but, by the end of the day
he is a little slimed crusty boy...as you can see in the
pictures.....but, he is content, full and snuggled.
AND.......SO PRECIOUS!
SO....Once again another Animal Story from the life of Jan and the Cracked Egg Zoo! |
