Quoth the Raven, SAVE MY BABY

Wednesday was a rare day indeed. First thing in the morning was enticing loose little doggie Sky back home. Well, enticing is hardly the word. She was so anxious to snuggle, she would've followed me anywhere. But I digress. I went about a boring day until our evening walk with K and Nick, which is always fun, instructive, and of late, exciting. That's when we encountered the second drama of the day.

A pair of Ravens were clearly in panic mode. They were cawing in distress and a couple of concerned people were standing there looking up at them. K immediately asked what was going on and the bystanders said that the Raven fledgling had landed behind a garage and the parents didn't know where and were panicking. Naturally, my immediate thought was - well, if you know where the baby is, why aren't you doing something about it. That snarky thought I wisely kept to myself. Instead, K and I asked where the fledgling was and we went to check it out. 

K wrangled Nellie and Nick (no small task) while I blatantly trespassed to get to the very narrow alley where the bird was spotted. It took me sucking my gut in to get past waste bins and other items, looking in between the fence and the concrete border, to finally spot the baby. She didn't seem injured, so that was a plus. But she clearly was stressed. By then, the homeowner came out to see why I was prowling around and had attracted so many onlookers. A quick explanation and request for a towel brought an instant smile and action. 

Luckily I was able to catch the baby with ease and carried her out to the large open area which is the neighbor's yard, whereupon I released her. Mom and Pop finally figured out where she was, kept swooping in to give her food, and she kept trying to get aloft. 

Now I wish I had a complete ending to this story, but we all felt it best to decamp and let nature get on with it. I confess, it drives me a bit bonkers not knowing a final outcome, but we did the best we can do.

And here is our baby:

Quick note:  Too many people still believe the misinformation that handling a bird results in the parents kicking them to the curb because they have the smell of human on them. Yes, there are animals who will not touch their young if there has been human intervention, though that is rare. Birds, on the other hand, are not noted for their sense of smell, and have no qualms about getting all the help they can get. They happily accept chicks that have fallen out of the nest. So if you see a very small chick that is too young to fly, and you can see the nest, don't be afraid to tuck the chick back in. Mom and Pop will thank you for it by not pooping on your car for a week. OK - I made the last part up. But you get the idea.