Rescue Day of Eastern Bluebird Nestling - 8 to 9 days old

Recued Eastern Bluebird Nestling - 8 to 9 days old

During the drive, after I picked up supplies, I stopped every 30 minutes to check on and feed the little nestling.  I had made the food mixture in a parking lot in my car using a plastic spoon and a disposable soup bowl with a lid.  I fed Sammy with a coffee stir stick during the drive and had to gently pry open his beak each time...he just would not gape.

He seemed a little weak, I don't know how long he was without food.  I had checked on the nestlings the day before around noon and rescued him around noon today, so it could have been up to 24 hours since he last was fed by his parents.  He swallowed the food fine once it was placed in the back of his mouth, although I was pretty messy with it.  It's going to take a bit of practice to get the hang of this! I fed him 2 or 3 little bits of the food mixture at each feeding.

We arrived at our destination around 6:30pm and I promptly fed him again and moved him into his terrarium covered with a towel. My son, Jason, couldn't believe I showed up with a baby bird!
His daughters, Audrina-almost 5 and Jaelyn-two and a half, thought the baby bird was just the cutest thing.  Especially Jaelyn, she seems to have a soft spot for living things. She has enjoyed watching the blue jays and other birds when up north at our home and will sit for several minutes watching them. When she saw the baby bird, she softened her voice and cooed "hello baby birdie" to him.

She wanted to hold him so badly, but I couldn't let her, she was just too young and the baby bird was just too little.  She watched me feed him and said "night-night" to him and blew him a kiss and a hug when I placed him back in his little nest.  Audrina thought he was adorable and so little, she enjoyed seeing him too and was very quiet when she watched me feed him.

I fed him that night every 30 minutes until 10:30pm, later than the rehabber said, but I felt he needed the extra food as he didn't seem to be very strong.  He still wouldn't voluntarily gape, even after gently rubbing the side of his beak and tapping it lightly.  I had to pry his beak open with my fingernail for every morsel, which I hated doing to him, although once I had it open a tiny bit, his beak seemed to fully open almost by his own free will.  It wasn't a struggle, I didn't have to "force" it open and it didn't seem to be uncomfortable or stressful for him.  He just didn't seem to know or understand that he needed to open his beak so I could feed him.

After the last feeding, I placed him back in his terrarium nest, covered it with a towel and put him near me on the table beside the couch where I slept.  I was worrried about him and wanted to be able to check on him throughout the night.  I wished him a safe night and begged him to please make it until morning, then I settled down on the couch to try to sleep.

Rescue Day of Eastern Bluebird Nestling - 8 to 9 days old