As hard as I tryed, he still didnt make it.

If some of you remember, I had saved a baby blue jay from the feral cats in my yard. I had him for a long time and loved him a lot too! I named him Boo berry. I had released him into the wild but he still didn't get the concept of flying so he got attacked by the cat... So I brought him to a wild animal place so he could play and grow with the other jays. But that night even with all there trying he passed away. there was too much scars and they were too deep so he got sick. I did not know this until now. I was wondering what happened to him so I called them and this when I got the bad news. I am devastated. He saw me as his mother and I saw him as my little fid! remembering the days he would fall asleepon my lap gives me a smile! If he would have made it, they were going to call me so I could come and take him to release at my home. He would have been banded so I could tell when I saw him.

Fly free my feathered friend you will be safe now! :21:

I am so sorry to hear that, it is heartbreaking :'(

I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm happy he met you when he needed help so badly.

Sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss!!!! I've always wondered about the baby Robin or the mourning dove I've released outside on how they were doing and all. The baby robin love sitting in the rocking chair with us. I'll always think of them.....

Thanks everyone. I will miss him so much! His little happy dance when it was feeding time or when he would do his little screech of pure joy when i came to say good morning! He never really bonded with anyone but me! I guess he knew who his mom was! And i am very grateful for the rescue people for trying their best to help him! He looked so award with his little Mohawk and his long legs that were too big for him!

Mikey: I hope your little wild fids our doing good! Thats cute how the robin would hang out with you! How cute!

Sadly there is a 50% mortality rate with these guys...

I've got a blue jay story of my own to share. There was a wild flock of Blue Jays I used to tend when I was in California. I put food out for them (and they would actually fly to my window and tap on the glass to get my attention when the feeder was empty, then fly to a branch above the feeder until I filled it.)

One year, there were three new hatchlings that the parent bird brought around. Two were healthy, one was a runt... (and his siblings used to beat him up and steal his peanuts!) Poor thing wasn't getting any food. So I began putting his peanuts INSIDE the house, and giving him extra.

The first time he went to go get one, DAD quite literally flew off the fence and tackled him in my yard to prevent him from going inside. But he was so hungry, he "disobeyed" dad and came inside anyway... His reward was an open door, and all you can eat food dish.

Soon, the runt wasn't a runt anymore. And when his siblings figured out that he was getting extra food by coming in the house, THEY ALSO began coming in. But THE RUNT was always my favorite wild bird...

One day, I took a nap on the couch with no less than 8 parrots on either my person, or the back of the couch. It was a hot day, and the sliding door was open... I woke up with 11. The three birds came in, and saw it was "flock nap time." When I woke up, they were immediately out the back door... BUT clearly, they had been accepted into the flock.

THE RUNT used to tag along with us when I took my birds out for our evening walks. He would fly alongside from tree to tree chirping at us. "Wait for me, I'm coming too."

THEN HAWK NESTING SEASON STARTED. Suddenly the only bird who came around was Mom, Dad and "the runt." Until one day, I was watering my yard, with my front door open. I heard the runt screaming in a panic, flying full speed ahead, towards my open front door. Only a few yards away from me, a red tailed hawk dove down and plucked him right out of the sky... he made it to about the sidewalk. He was the length of my yard from safety.

But he was dinner. PURINA HAWK CHOW. I saw it happen, so at least I knew what happened to him, and didn't need to wonder why he didn't come around anymore.

IN ALL THE YEARS I FED MY SCRUB JAYS, ONLY MOM AND DAD SURVIVED. AND FOR SOME REASON THEY SURVIVED YEAR AFTER YEAR. None of the babies lived much more than a year. They always ended up being someone's dinner. THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, IS THEIR ROLE IN NATURE.

I miss my little runt, but he would have been left to starve, and wouldn't even have lived as long as he did had I not fed him. And the trade off was, he made a run for it, when maybe he might have lived if he had hidden instead. (OR maybe the hawk would have found him anyway.)

You tried. That matters.

Fly Away by Indigo Girls - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3bjaANcjZM

Aww, our condolences.

Birdman666: I am so sorry you had to whiteness it happen! But I am glad you knew what happened.

The cat that killed him is my cat I have had since I was 4 and I'm lot older now and Rosie has been my companion through thick and thin. When I would cry she was right there wiping my tears away with her head. Always comforting me! It is very devastating that he is gone now but I can't hate her. Its her nature to hunt and boo just didn't know what to do. She didn't do it on purpose to try to hurt me. So I forgive her but I will miss boo so much and he will always be in my heart. <3

Birdman,

I feed the wild birds too and they too come taping on the glass window asking me to feed. For the first time a pair of robins nested in my large crape myrtle in the front yard this year. They never freak when I'm by their nest as I would wave at the momma bird daily. Even when their babies was coming out, they never got upset with me looking at their babies. Same with the Wrens last year, they never got upset with me looking at their babies. The parents stick around but didn't use the nest this year. It had fallen over and I think I put it back up a bit late. This year humming birds are coming daily to feed at the nectar feeder and the flowers blooming. Plus a Golden finch, they're hard to find around here and we got one coming to the feeder. Now if I can only get the Blue birds to come around, I saw a pair down the road from us one day so I know they're around.

So sorry for your loss. Rehabbing wild birds is difficult.

Yes, it is hard. I guess they are just too fragile. I have successfully rehabilitated 3 birds but it was out of 7. Most of them hit the window and I did release a starling but when it was flying mid air it just dropped! Poor thing so I don't think it lived much longer.

MikeyTN said:

Birdman,

I feed the wild birds too and they too come taping on the glass window asking me to feed.

Click to expand...

Once they figure out you're a friend... How cognitive is that?! This stuff isn't limited to parrots.

I fill my feeder before I go to work every morning. There are several flocks that visit my feeder, and they leave "sentries." The minute I step outside they fly off and summon their buddies. By the time I leave the neighbor's tree is loaded with them... BUT none of them come down to feed until after I start my car.

Five years and they still don't trust me!

kq_fan said:

Birdman666: I am so sorry you had to whiteness it happen! But I am glad you knew what happened.

The cat that killed him is my cat I have had since I was 4 and I'm lot older now and Rosie has been my companion through thick and thin. When I would cry she was right there wiping my tears away with her head. Always comforting me! It is very devastating that he is gone now but I can't hate her. Its her nature to hunt and boo just didn't know what to do. She didn't do it on purpose to try to hurt me. So I forgive her but I will miss boo so much and he will always be in my heart. <3

Click to expand...

Can't blame a cat for being a cat, especially when the bird was a sitting duck.

kq_fan said:

Yes, it is hard. I guess they are just too fragile. I have successfully rehabilitated 3 birds but it was out of 7. Most of them hit the window and I did release a starling but when it was flying mid air it just dropped! Poor thing so I don't think it lived much longer.

Click to expand...

I did wildlife rehab with the Lindsay... and even a good success rate isn't all that high.

I'M REMINDING YOU BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE: EVEN IF YOU ONLY SAVE ONE, THAT'S ONE THAT WOULD HAVE NEVER HAVE LIVED ANOTHER DAY, IF YOU HADN'T BEEN THERE.

Wild bird mortality is high. It's hard. Even if they fly just fine, will they find the protection of a flock? Will they find food and water?

Yes I agree, bird death is very high! Those poor little things! They are so beautiful yet they can't seem to make it through life! Cats, dogs, hawks, eagles, cars you name it! They are just to little. But I bet birdy heaven is just so beautiful! With all the gorgeous birds both pet and wild! That would be a sight to see! And I am so glad to help any chance I get! Because the ones you saved I don't know if they realize what happened but for the some that do, I bet they sing a little more every day because they are alive! I see it on my bunny's face everyday! He was in a tiny tiny cage for 3 years, was never let out and all he could do was just sit there! So depressed! Now he runs wild in my chicken run! He jumps and skips every morning! He knows he was saved! And that makes me feel so good inside to know I helped him and now he is the sweetest bunny ever!