Jules

I was pottering in my garden first thing this morning when I spotted a young blue tit on the grass. Unfortunately, next door’s cat spotted it at the same time and we both raced towards it. I pushed Harry cat out the way and shooed the bird to fly away, but he didn’t. He fluttered up in the air a little, only to drop back down.

I realised that he hadn’t learnt to fly properly yet, and knew I couldn’t leave him there as there are too many cats in the area, including my own.

I scooped him up and put him in a box in the kitchen while I cleaned out my currently unused snail hospital. I then put the bird inside with food and water until I could decide what to do.

The RSPB were useless, their ‘emergency’ line only being manned during office hours! The RSPCA suggested taking him to a vet, but it’s Sunday and I didn’t think there was anything physicallly wrong with him. And I didn’t think it wise to remove him from his birth area.

I read a few forums, but advice is so very contradictory, and so I decided to go with my own instincts.

I kept a close on eye on him during the morning and noticed he was becoming stronger and braver. I took him outside a couple of times in the hope that he’d fly, but he just landed on my chest both times! So I took him back inside.

I left him to rest, and about an hour later he started chirping loudly. He seemed very alert and keen to be heard, so I took him outside again. This time when I released him he landed on my hand, and made his way to my thumb. I lifted my arm in the air hoping he’d fly off, but he remained. Then he started chirping again. Within seconds I could hear further chirps in response, and an adult blue tit landed on the phone line that goes across my garden. The two spoke to each other for a while, then the adult flew away.

My little bird kept chirping louder and louder, and then the adult returned, this time with another adult. The two adults chirped loudly then flew from the phone line to the tree. My bird just watched. The adults then flew back to the phone line, chirping constantly, and then back again to the tree. Again, my bird just watched.

On the third time, as the two adults flew across to the tree, my beautiful little bird took off and flew after them!!! He flew perfectly, and landed happily in the tree with what I assume are his parents.

I kept an eye on them from a distance, and eventually the three of them flew off together and out of sight.

It’s been an absolutely amazing experience and I’m delighted that it has such a happy ending.