chicks
One of the girls, Vio, found a baby bird on the ground underneath a tree. We had an old nestin a tree so Patricia put the bird into that layered with paper and gave it some water through a syringe. An hour later, Vio found another one, a few feet from the other and ran to me to show what she found. I went out and looked up into the tree to see if I could find the nest since I suspected a cowbird as the reason for the dislodged chicks. A little while later Vio found a third, this one even bigger than the others, each getting progressively larger. Four is a typical brood count so I was anticipating another. Patricia looked up and found a nest not too high. I got a ladder and climbed up to see if any more remained or if there was a nest parasite. Nothing.
They look like rufous bellied thrushes which are common in the yard. Zorzal Colorado is the local common name, Turdus rufiventris, is the latin binomial. I call them Argentine robins since they are red-bellied and are sisters to our Eastern Robins. We went to get some crickets and meal worms that we use to feed the fire ants in the laboratory but apparently, our stocks are deplete until Monday. So, we are feeding them, softened catfood pebbles. Earthworms would be nice, we had a good rain and their tumulus in the backyard is everywhere. I don't make a good mother Robin, however. You have to be able to hear the earthworms and peck through the soil to grab them. My ears are too old and my mouth is much too wide.
Why do this? Patricia and the girls started it but have little interest following the initial salvation. At this point, I don't think I can sustain them too long but I would hate them to just die of thirst. I learn something in the process, as well. The chicks produce a fairly rigid meconium which I assume the parents would remove from the nest to keep it clean. I'm also fascinated by the fact that they seem to respond to my clucking, when I cluck they reach up and open their bright yellow mouths. Maybe they will follow me around the lab, como Lorenz when they are big enough to walk.
They look like rufous bellied thrushes which are common in the yard. Zorzal Colorado is the local common name, Turdus rufiventris, is the latin binomial. I call them Argentine robins since they are red-bellied and are sisters to our Eastern Robins. We went to get some crickets and meal worms that we use to feed the fire ants in the laboratory but apparently, our stocks are deplete until Monday. So, we are feeding them, softened catfood pebbles. Earthworms would be nice, we had a good rain and their tumulus in the backyard is everywhere. I don't make a good mother Robin, however. You have to be able to hear the earthworms and peck through the soil to grab them. My ears are too old and my mouth is much too wide.
Why do this? Patricia and the girls started it but have little interest following the initial salvation. At this point, I don't think I can sustain them too long but I would hate them to just die of thirst. I learn something in the process, as well. The chicks produce a fairly rigid meconium which I assume the parents would remove from the nest to keep it clean. I'm also fascinated by the fact that they seem to respond to my clucking, when I cluck they reach up and open their bright yellow mouths. Maybe they will follow me around the lab, como Lorenz when they are big enough to walk.