Ahhh, C3D, I'm so glad you posted about Maurice -I've missed your rescue stories! As for Maurice, it really sounds serious - how do you treat a fractured pelvis and sternum in such a tiny patient? You've pulled off miracles before but this one is so tiny!

I'll be sending good thoughts your way! Keep us updated!

Hiya Jean! No rescue stories because no one was rescued really since Barry-boy. Well there were the 5 bunnies the same day that Barry left ... and the two kittens an hour after the bunnies arrived... LOL! But no one since then.

Who is Mini Maurice? Is he a Song Sparrow or a Wren? He's looking Carolina Wren-ish to me but I'm not sure. Any ideas, Jean?

Birdy bones heal *VERY* quickly. Literally within days! We just try to allign the bits and pieces as best we can (he was anesthetized for that) and hope they remain in position. No surgical fix for this tiny one. He was very quiet yesterday, with good reason, and was getting antibiotics and pain medicine.

Mini Maurice is proving that size doesn't matter when one has the will to survive. His breathing is already vastly improved and although he uses his left wing for added support, he does get around fairly well. His little battered body is resilient and healing quickly. This tiny tot chirps so sweetly and is fed every 30-60 minutes. He even is starting to sprout that all important tail! I promise to keep my hands OFF the tail.

Still not sure as to his true identity although there is no question ... he is adorable! I'll take a photo of him today and hopefully he'll show off the little stub of a tail.

Honestly! How can he be soooooo cute?!?!?

Here's Maurice today, feeling better and looking like a proper birdy! :-) {{gwi:169304}}

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Photos by C3D

He is so adorable! I wanna cuddle! He does look like a song sparrow. How is your little patient today?

I watched a family of chickadees tonight, Mom and Dad were very busy keeping up with the younguns and boy were they noisy!

Thanks for the ID! :-)

Maurice is fantastic! There's more of a tail each time I see him ... about every hour... He's doing a whole lot of fluttering and gaining a little altitude too! YIKES! For his safety we are now feeding him in an enclosed room, cat free, in case he does make that first all important first flight.

I can't believe how quickly he's recovered in so few days.

Here's our tiny hero this morning complete with a tiny tail! he's lookin' a bit round but then he does enjoy his baby bird cereal. :-)

Goodness! He's a real handsome fellow, isn't he ... she asks as though a proud parent. LOL! {{gwi:169308}}

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Photos by C3D

Oh my gosh!!!! He is beautiful! I love those wispy feathers on his head. You are doing a wondeful job helping him mend. Thanks for the pics of his progress.

Lisa

Mini Maurice isn't too keen on learning to feed himself. I know that Marcello, the finch, is a good teacher as he has done this before with other pupils. We even placed a small dish of the baby bird cereal in with him and lengthened the time between feedings but .... Maurice rather wait to be fed.

He is advancing, though. Yesterday is the first time he has been able to perch on a branch. He's been on soft towels since he arrived but was unable to perch because of his injuries. He still holds up his left leg a little but both feet work well and he was brave enough and strong enough to sit on a branch like a big birdy! Sooooo many things for him to learn! Gotta fly. Gotta perch. PLUS he needs to feed himself! Poor little one ... he must be overwhelmed with all those duties plus remain cute!

He's a natural at that last item. :-)

He took his first flight (upward) this afternoon!
WooooooHooooooo!

How far did he go? I can't wait for the next update. Thanks C3D.

Regards,
Lisa

Hi. He flew about three feet and landed on my shoulder. LOL! :-)

The little flying fellow ATE the seeds that were left with him this morning!

Of course he still wanted a ~proper~ breakfast of warm cereal. (Who could resist feeding him?!?!?) Yes, mini-Maurice is well on his way to being a wild birdy! One last task is perfection of the perching ability. That will come when his pelvic fracture is 100% healed and the soreness is gone.

He still gets medicine for pain but I'm sure if he does something extra ... he's not comfortable with it. We're getting there, though.

Hi C3D,

Any updates on Maurice?

Lisa

Here's baby Maurice... Lookin' good but still not quite sure about eating food by himself. :-)
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Photos by C3D

Oh he is just toooooo cute! Look at those cute little feet :^)

I just love him!!! Look how his shape has changed. He is looking so healthy. C3D you are amazing!

I just love birds. My neighbor shooed a Robin from her nest building and the robin came across the street and built a nest on my porch. DH is afraid of birds but allowed her to build her nest and dirty our newly painted porch.

She is on her second batch of babies this year. I hope this batch does well.

Regards,
Lisa

Awwww. You have little Barrys! 8-)

Little Barrys batch one.

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Chicka, Maurice is so sweet! Thanks for sharing - and thanks for taking care of him.
We have a batch of little Barries in the weeping cherry smack next to the front door. I can see them in their little nest from inside, if I sit on my heels and peer in the deep, dark shade under the highest hanging branches, right on top of where the lowest branches spread out. The babies look just like yours. Traffic through the front door has been banned for now because mom and dad Barry are a little nervous.
And there are a lot of cardinal in and outs in the viburnum off the balcony in the back of the kitchen...
I love spring and little birds!

:) Mary

Awwwwwwwwww! Lookie the little Barrys! How sweet is that?!?!? :-)

Hi Mary! You have little Barrys too? Lucky you! We don't have Robins nesting on our house this year. :-( Lots of other birds are nesting in the yard though.

And then we got triplets yesterday. I think they are Barn Swallow chicks. Their crops are *very* tiny and they are fed every 15-20 minutes. I'll get some photos of them up later ... after feeding the chickies, feeding Maurice ... :-)

Our little mini-Maurice was available for a photo shoot today.
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He's eating 100% on his own now and flying is not a problem at all! We'll delay his release until after the 4Th of July fireworks schtuff. Don't want to frighten the little guy with explosions. :-)

DH finally figured out why the electric bill last month was over $200. The new bill this month was only $18. The meter readers couldn't read the meter because the robin's nest is on top of it and the door over the meter was closed. This month the parents are letting us get close without dive bombing us. Sandy

And so it came to pass as predicted ... Our once brave stripey little chick named Maurice has transformed into a beautiful stripey WILD SONG SPARROW who is afraid of the concept of captivity and even more afraid of his human captors.

Little Maurice was a little stand-off-ish this morning and this afternoon is in a full blown panic if humans get too near. Yes, I know. This is how it should be and I agree but allow me some sadness, if even for a moment, that we'll never share a cuddle again. He has no reason to be afraid of me other than instinct has brought him back to the reality that will allow him to return to the wild and be free.

We'll still wait until after the July 4th fireworks and all that extra noise to release this little wild bird. Until then Maurice will be left alone except to give him more food and water. *~*~*SIGH*~*~*

Congrats C3D!
Yes, we will certainly allow your sadness, but the very real "warm fuzzy" you'll get when you let him go will make you smile! That rejection of your kindness is THE BEST outcome! He can be released into the wild and SURVIVE!

Chalk up another save to Camp Nappy!

S

Hi C3D,
"Little Maurice was a little stand-off-ish this morning and this afternoon is in a full blown panic if humans get too near."

Sounds like typical teenage angst! lol But seriously, thanks for the journey. And best wishes to you Maurice.

Regards,
Lisa

Hi C3D,
C'mon back over to the orchid forum! One of your old threads resurfaced.... We're still alive!

I've been very busy caring for a fox terrier diagnosed with myasthenia gravis back in Feb, I think. I keep the records but nowhere nr the pc. The terrier is doing very well with the accompanying megaesophagus other than an infrequent bout with aspiration pneumonia every 3-4 months.

See ya?

--Stitz--