We rescued a baby dove...its not that exciting, but hes cute!

[MandyMarie]

Totally non-guitar related, I know, but I was at a friends house in downtown Austin and I see this baby bird...being torn to pieces by two pigeons. I walked over to it, the pigeons bailed, and then realized this little dude couldn't fly to escape. He'd obviously fallen out of the nest and walked his way to the parking lot. The pigeons were hanging around like creepy horror film villains, so I used a tea towel to pick up the little dove and drive it to John's gig (where I was heading at the time). I left it outside the Waterloo Ice House while John played and worked up my game plan : I gotta convince my husband we need to take this little stupid bird home, let it's bastard pigeon wounds heal up and help it. He thought I was crazy, but agreed :)

Its now safe in our back garden. Looked up a ton of tips online and now we're baby dove Mommy and Daddy... we had to teach it how to drink out of a tin, teach it how to eat....and now we're just waiting for it to build strength, get the heck out before I get attached!

Yeah...he might still die. But at least we know he had a fighting chance.

Birds usually kind of creep me out, but this guy is kinda cute and I just wanted to share! :-)

[ADinNYC]

Good for you MM!

Nice shot of Poppa John and Baby Bird.

Have you named it?

[Buckocaster51]

Good on you!

I'm sure the critter appreciates having an advocate.

[Boubou]

Cool, we have mourning dove at our feeders, I like them, they like Niger seeds.
Been feeding a couple of mallards for the last few weeks, actually we have a couple of mallard every summer for the last 5 years

Sent from my iPad using TDPRI

[Toto'sDad]

My wife rescued one once, it had fallen out of it's nest, and was only a baby. My grandkids were there when it was found so my wife really made an effort to save it. It ended up making it, and was just completely attached to my wife who fed it every day with an eye dropper and baby food. I thought it would one day leave but it didn't. I wish the story ended there, but one day while we were doing our lawns, it got out in the front yard, we always kept it in the back yard. A cat attacked it, we were all devastated.

Little Tommie as we called it, even liked our two little dogs and would ride on their backs, I think she didn't know to fear the cat, which was I suppose our fault, for letting the dogs and Tommie play together. Our little dog Candy was just heart broken when Tommie was gone, and for the longest time, Candy would sit outside and watch for Tommie's return.

That was clear back in the summer of '98, but I still think of little Tommie. It's better to have known the love of something wild than never to have experienced it though, so even though it was a heart breaking experience, I am grateful to have had little Tommie for the time we did.

[MadJack]

My "clientèle" at work rescued a Sparrow Hawk who kept jumping out of his nest. Fed him grass hoppers, crickets, lizards and tree frogs. Made a box nest for him and let him stay outside. His biological parents found him and continued to feed him, as long as we weren't too close to baby. He now resides in a tree right outside the building with his mom and dad caring for him. He flutters, but isn't quite flying smoothly yet.

[jhundt]

good work. fluffy little thing, ain't he? and the bird is cute too.

[nickwort]

That's so cool. I'm glad you were there to help the poor thing.

[BoogerRooger]

Well done for rescuing him, he looks quite at home now.

Well done for saving the bird as well!

[Omiewise65]

Very nice . Good kharma will be coming your way .
Saved this little sparrow last year . It fell out of it's nest and i had to feed it .

[blue metalflake]

He looks to be enjoying life - well done both of you

[boneyguy]

So you deny two pigeons a good nutritious meal? Seems kind of cruel to me. Now those two pigeons will have to go drink from a puddle of antifreeze and eat empty calories from dirty french fries laying on the sidewalk. Shame on you!!!

[DeepSouth]

If he's a dove how come he's standing pidgeon toed?

The pics are cute!

[trev333]

was it crying?..... what did it sound like?..

[MandyMarie]

He left this morning! It's a big world out there...worms with daggers, pigeons walking around like characters from West Side Story...good luck little fella!

Now I gotta go calm John down...poor guy. He was so emotionally attached. Trying to convince your wife that doves taste best with a little garlic butter is exhausting!

[Big John]

I swear he didn't fly straight into the kitchen !! - he didn't !!! OK ?


*buuuurp*

[czook]

Dove is good. Tastes a lot like Spotted Owl.

[PunkKitty]

Cute little guy. Thanks for taking care of him.

[E5RSY]

Cool. You sure it's not a baby pigeon? They are very close relatives and look a whole lot alike.

[Big John]

Naaah, pigeon tastes different !!

*oooooop, shouldn't have said that *. :-)