Awwww.. how cute. I admire what you do. I'm too "chicken" to deal with baby animals. I guess it comes from having too many die when I was a kid... you know, the baby bunnies and moles the dog would drag in.

Babies are doing well, getting more colour and getting bigger too! :-)
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Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! And the hairdo! *giggle* Too funny - the wide grins and the fuzzynesses around the ears!

:) Mary

They are adorable!!!! They look like ducks with those bills.lol Thanks for the pics.

Regards,
Lisa

Here's the little fuzz-heads this morning ... lookin' more like swallows. :-)
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C3D Photos

C3D,

Thanks for the pics, and all that you do. I check back on this forum just for updates and to see what else you are nuturing back to health. It is so wonderful to see the little birds. Amazing!

Regards,
Lisa

Look at me! I am soooo shiney and black when the digital camera flash is off!
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My siblings and I are doing well. Poopy too! :-)

Ginger Kitty has been watching two nests, one holds a single robin and the other two chickadees. She got upset when the robin started trying its wings. When it fell from the tree branch it tried to land on she picked it up and carried it to me. She was very careful. Once I was able to convince the baby to stay on the nest for a while, Ginger went back to her watching spot until I took her in to eat. The parent birds had fits until the baby was actually on the nest.
I hope the baby gets stronger and can grasp that branch soon so Ginger won't pick it up again. She brought us a huge moth the other evening.Its wing span must have been 5 inches. Once again she carried it with a soft mouth so it had no injuries. I'm glad we were able to release it outside. It would have been difficult to catch inside. Sandy

Wow, good kitty!

And cute chickies! Keep us updated!

The poopy babies needed a bath today! LOL!Lookie that .. Those wing feathers are looooooooooooong! :-)
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So the babies went out into the free flight yesterday and had a great time!
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One is demonstrating some flying skills already! :-)

And then there was the Chimney Swallow who dropped in for a visit. {{gwi:169635}}

.... and yes, she was as cranky as she looks in her photo! LOL! Got a quick cuddle and released. 8-)

That's a Chimney SWIFT not a Chimney ~Swallow~.

Been taking the Swallows outside so they can start doing what they need to do. They sit on their branch. They DO NOT move!

Entertained them yesterday with a display of MY flying insect catching abilities ...with the aid of a butterfly net . They were impressed with the tastey tiny gnats I caught and served up to them ... served ala net, dontchaknow?

*Almost* caught a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird too! Eeeeeekkkk! She too was interested in the gnats. She flew through the little swarm just as I was taking the net through as well! She then flew onto a branch in the Olive Tree. First of all I can't risk injuring her if she's accidently netted and second ... she's soooo tiny. I don't want to take HER food away from her or her chicks, if she has any yet, .... sooooo I reversed the net and released whoever I had caught and took my "show" to the front garden. Mrs. Hummer resumed her feedings undisturbed.

We moved the branch to an area where the tiny gnats were hovering. Sounds all impressive but in reality I was standing in the front garden with arm outstretched holding the Swallows on their branch. I was not trying to entertain the neighbours or the travelers who drove by ... that's where there happened to be a concentration of flying insects.

Any way .... Success! First one and then the other started to snatch the tiny gnats from the air and then both took flight and were swooping and catching the tiny morsels. A small group of Chimney Swifts twittered over head and the Swallows returned to my shoulder. We looked around for more gnats or small insects but didn't really see anything too promising.

We had a successful late afternoon lesson and went back inside. I'm sure today's learning experience will be even better!

Ahh the things we do for those we love! :-)

I haven't been online for a long while, but I found myself hoping to find one of your rescue stories. I have rescued too many kitties to count any more. I remember the bottle feedings and sleepless nights. I'm so glad to hear the little babes took to their wings in flight!
thanks for keeping us posted, Pam

I just love this story. I can picture the insect catching game you were trying to teach the swallows. How are they doing on catching insects now? Any progress? They are beaufiful birds. You are a good mom too.

Lisa

Aw C3D, that brought a smile to my face - I love your adventures. How are the swallows doing?

We're on our second brood of swifts - they are getting very vocal!

Those feathers are amazing. I am in awe at your healing and nurturing abilities Chickie.
By the way, Ginger's robin is now on its own and the chickadees are on their second family. Sleepless

Oops! Didn't realize I haven't updated this thread for a while. LOTS going on at Camp Nappy. Any way ....

The triplets were in the free-flight and the parrot, Pepper, asked, "Hey! What's going on there, Shorty?"

I don't know if she was referring to my 5ft. 2in. stature or the chicks. LOL!

A week or so later one of the chicks became septic. He had horrid diarrhea and an overwhelming bacterial infection. :*(

He's got IV warmed fluids, IV antibiotics, probiotics, warmed food and many tears and kisses. :*(

He' was trying to live. He was trying to die. Within 8 hours he died. :*(

Then there were two ....

And they were doing well. They were getting better at catching flying insects. And so are we.

Had a little scare a few days later when a Cooper's Hawk was spotted in the Willow Tree watching our lessons. The Swallows were the ones who saw the Hawk and they immediately flew to my shoulder! Lesson was cut short and we went inside. Good to know the Swallows have a sharp eye and recognize potential danger. I can't imagine what the Hawk was thinking of while he watched me with *my* youngsters.

We were catching little gnats, moths and other small insects and releasing them with the Swallows inside. Only here would that be an acceptable practice! LOL! We've been looking for aphids, which is supposed to be a big part of their diet, but .... where's a SINGLE aphid when you need one?!?!?

We arranged to release them at the horse barn where they were found when the time comes.

Oh my. I have gone on a bit! Anyone still awake?

And then on August 2nd ....

We always worried this would happen, more so with the Swallows than any other chick we have raised.

The two Barn Swallows were practicing their flying and hunting skills yesterday afternoon. We were sooooo proud how well they were doing. They would fly around then land in the trees, on the roof or on me and then take off again.

Mike and the children were outside and on watch duty but it came out of no where. One of the fledglings was on the roof and fluttering his wings and chirping for food as they do .... In an instant a Cooper's Hawk snatched him up and was gone.

The little Swallow's end was instant, I'm sure. I know the Hawk needs to eat too but our little Swallow? Eating him would be like eating one potato chip. Not really a meal, was he?

Lesson was over at that moment. We've known the Hawk is around but they are everywhere too. I need to get brave and let the lone survivor out again to perfect his skills and return to the wild. There's no real way to protect him from Hawks outside. ~SIGH~

We got permission to visit the horse barn where our little Swallow was found. He was been flying around and becoming familiar with the area and interacting with other Swallows. I would not doubt that he may have met his parents too. Barn Swallows are not exactly the friendliest bird species to one another.

Initially they were in attack mode at the new intruder and the little one would quickly return to me for protection. As time has passed ... they seem to accept that he's a part of the territory and no longer swoop down on him or chase him, but rather allow him to join in their little groups as they hunt the various insects.

I wasn't sure at what point we leave him on his own. I suppose it will be when he doesn't return to me for protection or if I call to him. Even then ... we'd return for a few days to see if all is well. He isn't tagged or banded in any way so we really have no way to identify him once he rejoins his family group. He'll just be one of the flock with a unique chick-hood.

Well ..... I left little Chip at the horse barn for the night.

His first night outside like the big birdy we hope he will become!

We returned repeatedly to see if he's OK. If he needs breakfast. If he needs a cuddle. ... I know I didl!

He's been at the barn for about a week-ish. Yesterday is the first day he didn't come back to me for a cuddle and a meal. There's tons of swallows there and one of them is our little Chip. We'll go back for a few more days but ... I think he's become a big birdy and has returned to his rightful home.

Without a doubt ... it has been the most difficult challenge yet for me ... to try to raise the Barn Swallows! Sadly we lost two of them but hopefully Chip will go on to raise many more chicks.

Little Chip-a-roo hasn't come back to me today. I'll go back tonight but am sure he's well on his own now.

God speed, little Chip! You've given me more grey hairs but you were well worth it!

Oh Chicka... a bittersweet victory. I'm sad about the first two, but it's great that the last one is doing well!

And just remember, without you, there wouldn't have been any Chip at all!

:) Mary

It is so hard to let them go. It must have been heart breaking to lose the first two. I bet Chip still remembers at some level that you were his mom even though nature has taken over. Remember them fondly, I know I will. Sandy

C3D... Awww, sorry about the sick baby and watching the hawk get the other one must have been awful!!! There is one (or more) that knows that bird feeders are like a buffet table for hawks.

However the littler birds aren't totally defenseless when banded together. I watched grackles keep one treed for over an hour attacking it every time it tried to fly away, screaming at it the whole time.

And, yes, as you said, they, too have to eat and they have babies to feed.

I'm glad little Chip was able to rejoin the swallow community and I'm sure it was sad at the same time.

Anne

How sad and yet how beautiful too. C3D you are a great Mom giving the swallows a chance to live. Losing two must have been hard......so sorry that happened. But giving them a chance at life is so beautiful. I hope the surviving chick grows up, and has little swallows. It is a hard job that you do, putting your heart out there to give the little ones a chance. I am so glad that you do it.

Lisa