Easter Last Year

It was a very early Easter last year and it was still freezing. Like I told you earlier: I run every other day.

That Easter morning, I was running my normal circuit and after a few km. I came on a small woodland with there beside a ditch. At a given moment I saw almost 25 m. in front of me a small animal jumping on the small road, I saw that there was something wrong with it. When I came closer ...it jumped up and fell into the frozen ditch. It was a black bird. It was wet and entirely soaked and it could fly no more. I saw one of its wings was hanging down and It couldn't get out the ditch. Therefore I stepped into the frozen ditch and picked it up. It was so cold and shivering. I opened my runners jacket and kept it close to my body between my sweater to keep it warm, it remained very still. So I went back home walking with the little one close to me and so now and then I caressed it gently.

When I came back home I took some lukewarm water and gave it a bath and now it became more alive. I took the little one and blew it dry with the hairdryer.

That was the second time in my life I did that. The first time I did it with a soft yellow duckling (Pipke) and now I did it with a black bird. They had both things in common they were both in need.

We discovered it was a Jackdaw ( in Dutch: kauw) a very common bird here in Belgium.

I let it rest for a while in a small plastic ice cream box on a soft lining and then I inspected it.

I saw blood on the wing that was hanging down and it seemed not good at all! I saw the wing was broken and you could see the bone in the open wound. The poor thing, what could I do for it.... what is a bird that can't use its wings and can fly no more!

There is a Dutch proverb that says: *het is een vogel voor de kat! It had little change to survive!

I called a bird relief center and they said we could bring it to them. So we took the car and brought the bird towards the center.

There they examined it also and their conclusion was also “not good”! The veterinarian would treat it if he could save it! If it was not possible to save it, then they would take care for it so that it would not have to suffer. He then would give it a lethal injection.

I gave it a last cuddle.... and we went back home with mixed feelings! It made me sad... I wished we could have done more. Now I know ....we did everything we could do !

Two days later we received an email from the relief center with the message that: the poor little thing had died!

As a sign of gratitude for their efforts we donated an amount to the bird relief center and since then we receive every three months a magazine with news about their work.

It's remarkable how many animals in need are brought in there! All types, large and small and it gives me such a “good feeling” ....to know that there are still so many people who love animals and care for them!

All critters great and small....I love them all!

PS:* litteraly translated that means: it's a bird for the cat!