Backyard birding.
Just back from vacation and hit with amazingly summery weather this weekend, I was feeling a bit lethargic and my gardening activity was somewhat limited. I attended a few local plant sales and got some more starts in the ground (namely some beets, whose bronze-y foliage alone makes them worth growing; they look great surrounding my mustard plant with similarly colored leaves).
While I was prepping my spring/summer containers, I noticed a rock dove kind of “plunk” out of the sky. It was clearly injured, but I didn’t want to interfere until I was sure it couldn’t fly. I went about my business, and Scout (yes, I name all injured birds that land in my yard; there are been a few) slowly backed into the side of my garage. He was done flying, a neighborhood cat had taken notice, so it was time to take action.
Fortunately for me, there is a wonderful nearby resource called TriState Bird Rescue and Research in Newark, Delaware. I love this place. They will take any injured bird you bring in and nurse it back to health. If it’s an adult bird, they will ask you to come back and pick it up so that you can set it free in its familiar surroundings. It’s really wonderful to release a bird that you saved from certain death.
If you’re unsure what to do with an injured bird, follow TriState’s handy directions. You’ll be glad you took the time to rescue a little piece of nature!
{ M.E.W. }
