You may remember that I wrote a post a while back about my tedious ability to murder animals with my car.
Whilst I am busy running birds and animals down, Stuart is busy collecting them from the side of the road. Not the dead ones, but the injured ones.
The first bird he brought home was a galah (also called a 'pink and grey' cockatoo), whom we rushed to a avian vet. That bird started bleeding out of his nostrils and did not make it the night.
The second bird was a rainbow lorikeet. This bird was hit by a car. We put him in a cage and kept the conditions safe and warm. Within a few days he was lively and did not have any broken bones or injuries.
Stuart wanted to keep him, but at my insistance, he was released into the wild again.
The third bird was love bird, which was either released or escaped from being a household pet. Stuart was sitting at the outside table on his laptop when this love bird suddenly landed on the keyboard.
Of course love birds cannot survive the wild, so it was placed in a cage to live a happy life with our resident cockatiel (which prompted some concern as every bird that has a shared a cage with this particulat cockatiel has ended up dead within a week).
Now for the fourth bird rescue which just happened last night. Stuart came home from the local farmer's market and walked through the door with this thing clutched to his chest.
I, of course, remained calm. Not recognising it as a bird when I noticed this thing I screamed and jumped back a few feet.
It was a baby pink and grey which was hit by a car.
I got the spare bird cage out of the barn and grabbed a towel to wrap it up in and keep it warm.
The couple minutes it took to get back from the barn, the bird had gotten worse. His head was just hanging there, as if the spine had been severed. In fact, as I walking back up to the house with the cage and caught a glimpse of him, I thought he had passed on.
I made a nest with the towel and gently covered him to keep warm. I figured that when he dies, at least he would be comfortable.
Last night I wrapped the cage with a thick blanket to create a dark warm and quiet space for him.
This morning he was doing a lot better, sitting properly and head movement came back.
Then a few hours later he let out a soft "caw".
Just before, I was out there giving him fresh water in a very small dish and he then climbed on the side of the bowl and went to sleep.
He looks healthy, as in no broken wings, legs or spine. Just seems a little bit subdued and sleepy. Which is expected after such a trauma.
We will see how he is tomorrow and then next couple of days and if all is well then he will be released back into the wild.
