Danni and the baby bird

[Marcia from MI]

This year the top of one of our downspouts was privileged to play nursery to a nest of baby birds.  From past experience I knew that the mama bird might dive bomb any person or animal who exited the house so I tried to keep Danni as far away as possible from the area and it worked, Danni never noticed the nest and mama bird ignored the puppy.  Yesterday though everything changed, for the good.

Early yesterday morning I let Danni out and noticed one of the babies, now a fledgling sitting in the grass near the porch.  When Danni first walked past the bird she either didn't see it or chose to ignore it.  On her way back to the porch she saw the baby and I began to panic, calling her to me, but Danni had other ideas.  She stopped a foot from the bird and slowly walked up and as she did so the baby opened its mouth and chirped, indicating it wanted to be fed, Danni walked right up to the bird and tried to stick her nose in its mouth, quick thinking mom called her.  Danni started to walk to the porch then stopped and turned back, so mom quickly used the magic word and Danni came running to the porch almost knocking mom over.  Later when Danni went out again she went right back to the spot where the bird had been and sniffed around then went off to play find my blue tennis ball.

[Teresa]

That's better than what Schatzi did. As far as we can tell, Schatzi officially ate her first baby bird this week. She has left a few feathers here and there once before, but she came in last Sunday with something stuck out of her mouth. I thought it was some fuzz. A few minutes later Randy said for me to check her mouth and make sure she wasn't bleeding because there was blood on the floor in the kitchen where she had come in. Her mouth was fine, but, after walking outside and seeing baby wrens behind the shrubs, near the side porch, I put two and two together. I have a feeling one of the fledgelings made it up to the porch and Schatzi thought it was a gift for her!

[David C.]

Animals that are young and defenseless seem to transcend species boundaries.   Rudy-angel, who has a VERY predatory dachshund, encountered a pair of baby robins that had fallen out of their nest.   When he approached, one baby bird opened its mouth as if to say "Are you my mother".   Rudy SHOULD have snarfed the baby bird instantaneously.  Instead, he actually seemed quite taken aback.  Before his predator instinct kicked back in, I was able to scream "RUDY!" and he came.  Once I grabbed him, the predatory instinct return and he began making his pursuit / hunting barks.   Too bad, I put him back inside. 

We set up a substitute nest and mama bird found her fledglings, but unfortunately, the baby birds didn't make it.  I think the nest we chose was too exposed and they dehydrated.   

When Jessica was an infant, both Rudy and Max were very protective of her.  The first couple of weeks when she cried in the middle of the night, the two of them would dash headlong into her bedroom.   After that, they got used to it and didn't bat an eye.   We were lucky, though, by 6 weeks, Jessica was sleeping through the night.

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

That was a lucky baby bird! I'll bet Danni's hunting instincts would kick in fast too if she saw that often. Yeay for the quick thinking Mom.

[peterparker]

dis is Parker:  Dani - birds is for eating. Babies are specially yummers. I caught a birds once and da Momma bird dive bombed me. Yikes. Good fing my Mamma was dere an carried me into da house. I wouldn't give up da baby doh. Den Daddy yelled at me to drop it an so I did. I don't mess wif Daddy. Daddy scooted da birdie outside.
Den I had to go out da odder door to take care of business, cause dat Momma bird was waitin for me on da eavestrough.
I just don't know what da fussin was about.   

[Roberta]

Me to they land in MY garden take the consiquences...............have not managed to catch any birdies up here, but I try...............Parker learn to not hear da DROP command at certain times even if they go blue in the face yelling at you
WEE Amy

[PattyInAK]

Thats great that Danni was so gentle with the baby bird!