There are myriad opportunities to encounter wildlife here on Orcas Island. Yesterday while my husband was out in the forest pulling out ivy, he came upon a baby Western Tanager on the ground. Its parents up in the trees were responding to its calls, so he put it in a bucket and kept it next to him for a few hours while he was working so that no predator would get it until we figured out what to do.
We decided to create a makeshift nest up in a tree so the adults could continue caring for it. We were so excited to have come up with a little abode.
We left the tree basket alone and stood far off, watching the parents swoop past it until the momma decided to land on it. Hope rose in us! A few minutes later, she flew away and the baby climbed to the edge, calling for her.
After a few minutes of calling, the baby jumped off and flew as well as it could, a gradual descent right back to where we had found it on the ground.
Oh golly. Back to square one.
We have an outside cat, so we decided to bring the birdie in for the night to sleep safely in the bucket.
This morning, we were stumped as to what we should do to help it. We put the bucket outside so at least the parents could vocally reconnect with it, as it boldly and loudly called out for a response.
The mother flew into a nearby tree and looked on. Since it was pouring rain – kind of an anomaly for this place; usually it’s an ongoing drizzle – we put an umbrella over the bucket so the baby wouldn’t get drenched. The parents understandably went away, not sure what that umbrella meant.
Our ten-year-old and I considered chewing up some earthworms to spit in its mouth and when he ultimately decided he just couldn’t do it, we gave Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center a call. They are on call at all hours to advise people or come pick up an animal needing care. They will rehabilitate animals until they’re ready to be released safely back in the wild.
We were elated to hear that nothing needed to be done – that we should put the baby back down on the ground in the forest, and that’s right where it will pick back up on flying lessons from its parents, receiving food from them here and there.
We didn’t want to stay near it long in order to give the parents a feeling of safety in returning to it, so we walked back to the house while hearing it call out to them after saying a prayer for its safety.
Our son named it Buttermilk. May all predators stay away from it and this little fledgling live a long, happy life high in the trees.
Great story, thanks for sharing!
Blessings Buttermilk!