The kids found a baby Blue Jay in the driveway. What to do?
My first thoughts were that it feel a heck of a way to be on the driveway and must have its internals smashed to bits. Noah stands guard and I go get my gloves. I pick it up and it seems healthy enough walking on my hands, flapping its wings but apparently unable to fly, looking around and even squeaking a bit.
I’m a mature adult. I know you can’t save these things. Besides, Blue Jays are the rodents of the skies. They are the one bird I dislike. Good targets for BB guns (not that I do that). But I can’t help but want to help this bird.
The outdoor cat stalks 30 yards away wondering what prey we’ve caught. This creature doesn’t stand a chance. Shoe box? No way! I know better.
We even try feeding it a worm. No bite. It simply falls asleep in my palm.
The middle 3 kids assist me in a hunt of the yard with a flashlight for a safe place for this bird. There is no such thing. The best place we can find is smack dab in the outdoor cat’s killzone. We concede and prepare the space. It’s a knot hole in the old sycamore (I think) tree nearest our house. I line it with some hay and let the bird crawl into it. The poor thing seems in shock. I give it a few hours before its on the ground. 20 minutes after that the cat will torture it for about 8 minutes and then its dead and left as a "gift" on the porch. Hopefully I see it before the kids.
Update: It lived through the night. Apparently I build a good nest.
