Writer finds herself caring for tiny bird in distress

Vernon — “Are you my mother?” That’s the title of a classic children’s book written and illustrated by P.D. Eastman. The story tells the adventures of a baby bird that has fallen from its nest while its mother was away searching for food. I recently found a baby bird that had fallen from its nest, which was located on a high tree branch. The tiny creature seemed to be barely breathing, and as the story goes, Mother Bird was nowhere in sight, so I decided to take it home. Over the next four days I learned a lot about birds. When I arrived home, I tried to simulate a nest for the bird by shredding paper towels and placing them in a small basket. (Shredded towels allowed for easy clean up.) I placed the “nest” on a heating pad that had been covered with a towel and hoped that this low temperature would substitute for the mother’s body heat. The next question was, “What should I feed it?” (I mistakenly thought it was a mockingbird, but it actually was a blue jay.) I checked various avian related Web sites and wildlife rehabilitation centers. A mixture of moistened, softened, dried dog food combined with cooked egg seemed to work well. This food, when placed on the handle end of a plastic spoon, was readily gobbled up every two hours by the bird, who seemed to be thriving despite my trial and error methods. However, I knew that a wild animal would not benefit by being kept in captivity, so I contacted my local veterinarian. Fortunately, the vet’s office had the telephone number of a wildlife rescuer — Giselle Smisko — who provides rescue services within the Sussex-Wantage area. When I met up with her, she examined the baby bird, said that it seemed to be in pretty good condition and assured me that I had saved its life. She was confident that the bird would be accepted by other blue jays when it was reintroduced to the great outdoors. What to do, or not do, in similar circumstances Here’s what I learned: Provided that the nest can be reached and the bird is uninjured, it should be put back into the nest. The mother bird will accept the baby. If the nest is destroyed but reachable, tie a woven basket to the tree near the original nest. Place the old nest in the basket and put the bird in it. Watch for 20 minutes to be sure a parent has found the baby. It is important that the basket is not solid because if it rains a solid basket will not drain, and the baby will drown. The basket should be covered by branches to protect the nest from sun and rain. If the nest cannot be reached or located and the baby is brought home, place it in a box in a dark, quiet place away from pets. Keep the bird inside and contact the avian rehabilitation center as soon as possible.