Sense, Sensitivity and Insensitivity

Maybe you will not believe this, but on Friday May the 15^th, only a few days after Jen found the two ducklings, we have rescued again two little birds.

We really do have something special with birds in “need”!

What has this to do with “sense and sensitivity” you shall say, well then: read my story.

What happened: that early Friday morning we were woken by the loud noise of chainsaws!

You must know, just behind our garden there's located a large enclosed meadow, a pasture. There's a stable with a few horses. On the other side of that meadow there is also a stable with all kinds of hens and a pond with ducks and gees: a real beautiful countryside scene!

To the left of our garden, just behind our fence, stands a very large Laurel tree of almost 5m high and 8m wide with the branches hanging over our fence and hedge. A really beautiful tree, a hiding and nesting place for many birds.

The owner of the ground with the laurel tree had decided to shorten down the tree till 2m. We made him aware on the fact that maybe it was now not the “correct” time to do that because there were many birds making their nests in the tree!

Oh, he found that this was not his problem!

Of course: he is the owner of that ground and he can do on his property what he wants, it was not on us to say something about it and we could not prohibit him to do that. We only were worried for all that young life in the nests on that tree, but we had to do some errands and so we had go.

When we came back after a few hours we asked him if he had seen nests and yes - his son who was helping him answered : he had found nests - but, he had thrown them away between the chopped off branches and stumps without looking in it and: they had chopped ... and chopped blithely further!

We could not understand that someone could be so cruel and with no feelings at all.

Perhaps - and I can admit it - “I” have sometimes a little too much feelings and maybe I'm a little too sensitive but, what would the world be with “less” feelings than there is already now: a hell for every living creature!!

In this case I think it's better you have a little too much of it!

In the late afternoon they stopped working (not all the shrubs had been cut down) because there was a heavy rainstorm.

What they had left behind was: a real ravages!

Gone was the beautiful laurel tree - gone was the bird paradise - the place where once so many birds had their nests and hiding places!

We thought, it must almost be impossible that a little birdie could survive this.

But - probably you can guess it. Nevertheless we went to search because - maybe!

At first sight ... we couldn't find a young bird, it was very quiet between the branches.

After an hour my husband went back. He stood there listening for a while when he suddenly heard a little birdie chirping under and between the pruned branches.

How could it survive this “unscathed”!

The whole day those brute men had been cutting this three. The branches and stumps had fallen down there where the young bird was sitting.

It was really a miracle that it had survived this!

It seemed to be a Thrush young.

We took it and fed it a few earthworms.

When it was recovered a little, we called the bird sanctuary and they advised us to bring it to them because it's habitat was totally destroyed. There, they asked us if we had not seen an other young because mostly there are a few young in one nest.

So, when we came back home from the bird sanctuary my husband went back to the laurel tree but he couldn't find an other young.

But after a while - I had to go back!

I had the feeling that there still must be an other one. This time - I searched behind the horse's stable. There stood a tubeless car tire against the side. The tire was filled with water because it had poured rain an hour before.

When I came closer I saw that something moved inside the tire! A young birdie lay there in the water. It tried to jump up but because off the curve off the tire it could not get out off it. I took it and it began to chirp very fiercely. Immediately the parents came flown over. It were Blackbirds ! You could see that they were worried about their young, they circled around above my head. The little one was so cold and wet! What must I do with it!

Tomorrow, the men would come back to cut the rest of the tree and if I left it there then the parents could not come close to it, and it would be again in danger. Thus - I decided to take it with me.

First I blew it dry with the hairdryer and I also gave it a few earthworms.

When it was recuperated a little I called the bird sanctuary again. They advised us to bring this one also because it was all soaked and cold , it would not survive this!

So - there we went again!

They both had so much luck!

The first could have been crushed under the falling trees or stepped on by those brute men and, if I had not found the second one it had drowned in the tire.

It really gave me a good feeling that I had rescued them - although I was still worried for all the other birds who lost their young and their shelter!

Probably there must have been more young birds and it's a pity we could not save more but, we did all we could!

That evening it was very quiet in the garden. So now and then we could see birds flying over their destroyed habitat in search for their young, or to find their hiding places. They circled around and around but thereafter they disappeared!

It's good that we have several trees and a high hedge in our own garden so they always can find new hiding and nest places and I hope they all come back very soon.

But oh - we do miss the beautiful scene of that laurel tree - the pleasant racket and singing of the birds - their flying up and down that tree!

I hope that the laurel tree will start to grow again very soon and also that the two little “lucky ones” will survive it!

Fly birdies - fly - high up in the sky!

UPDATE: see comment on this post!