Chimney Swifts

We have a family of birds living in our chimney.  They are so loud it is amazing to me!!  I really don’t mind having them, but they need to keep their babies IN THE NEST!!  I am finding out that I am NOT a good baby bird mama at all!!

This baby above is the latest—you can see the progression from the one below which was from last week.  He was so close to flying too, but not there yet. Note—in the above picture that  is not blood or anything gory—it is the food I was trying to squirt down his throat.

This one I tried my best to save.  He was in the fireplace and all the cats were lined up looking at something.  I heard a tapping on the glass and sure enough, this little guy was hanging on for all he was worth, banging on that glass.  I got him out and into a “nest”, and looked up what to feed it.  I dissolved cat food in water and got my handy dandy dropper, but he wouldn’t open his mouth for nothing!  Mike said it would be best to put him outside, as near the chimney so mom could find him.  I did so, but when I came inside Mom was in the fireplace!!  I told her to hold on and ran to get baby.  When I came in, she was gone—go figure—I then put baby back in there and squeezed him a few time to get him to yell out so mom knew he was back!!  Mom came down a bit later but didn’t seem to find him :( 

All that was Friday, on Sat. I decided it was best to take a field trip to Black Bayou Wildlife Reserve and give him to them to care for.  I had looked up online and made sure they were open, but I didn’t call…  we drove that poor baby all the way there to find out there is no one who can take a bird on the weekends!!  I was not happy with this news.  I called vets and the zoo, but decided it was best to just put him back in the fireplace and hope for moms return.  I did try to feed him again…

We had a party to go to and while there I talked to a bird lady and she told me what to do to get him to open his mouth, and how best to care for it.  I came home excited with my new knowledge, but baby had died :(

So, the new, older baby comes and I now know it’s really best to let nature take care of it—mom should find baby and all will be well.  I did not remove him, we just watched and he was close to flight and would fly/climb up the chimney.  I thought sure he would make it out.  We waited all day and then only interfered when we added a pool noodle ladder for him to get higher up.  He was so tired by this morning though—I found him sitting on the flue.  I got him out and tried to feed him, but he too would not open his mouth and I tried the technique the bird woman told me about, but it wouldn’t help.  He is back in the fireplace right now dying and I hate it!!  I believe I will allow Clara to dissect this one so he doesn’t go to complete waste—at least we can learn something from him.  Mike needs to close the flue and make sure it is completely closed this time as I just can’t handle the bird deaths!!

It feels like a zoo here most days!!