Yesterday morning I had a new experience---feeding baby birds.   Carolina Wildlife Care center has been overwhelmed by 70 baby songbirds rescued from the limbs of trees trimmed without regard for the birds nesting there.  Caring for so many nestlings has placed a tremendous burden on the regular staff and volunteers.  The birds were housed in temporary cages constructed from cardboard boxes, netting, and electrical tape.  There were several cages of finches and grackles, and one of bluebirds.  There were wrens and a brown thrasher---and they were all hungry!  Joanna Weitzel gave me a tour of the birds and basic instructions on feeding and cleaning the cages even as she continued feeding the nestlings herself.  I began to replace the soiled papers that covered the floor of each box.  Other volunteers were hand-feeding in a seemingly endless rotation.  Reaching into the boxes to pull the old papers was an interesting introduction to bird behavior at close quarters.  Recently fed wrens huddled together quietly.  Finches danced about the interior avoiding any chance contact with my hands.  In another box, three very hungry grackle babies rushed the door and weren’t at all shy about perching on my hand as they tried to use it for an escape route out of the box.  Their protests at my attentions to their cage instead of their appetites was vociferous.  While I managed to keep those noisy boys contained in their box, a quick little finch flew right past my hand before I had the door quite open.  Luckily, Joanna is an experienced bird-catcher.  

In the past, I have taken several injured animals to the center ---birds, a big turtle, a baby squirrel---each animal was accepted with concern and gentle care.  If you love animals and have a few extra hours in the upcoming weeks, helping the dedicated staff at the Carolina Wildlife Care center through this special crisis will be a fine way to give back to the birds that fill our yards with beauty and song.