How To Save A Baby Robin
-Loudly exclaim expletive*, because this sort of thing always happens when you are home alone.
-Confirm that the bird is still alive. Yes.
-Survey the surrounding area to see where the baby may have come from. Locate nest directly overhead in apple tree, maybe in reach with the help of a ladder.
-Run to shed and grab ladder, which actually was conveniently located right inside the door.
-Situate ladder as steadily as possible on uneven ground, tell toddler to spot you stay out of the way, and climb as high as possible (two steps from the top). Still too far below the nest.
-Run to shed and grab apple picker, grab the branch with it (why is it so hard to avoid getting it stuck when you're picking apples, but now when you want to grab the branch, it keeps falling off?), and tell toddler to pull down on the picker stay out of the way while you again climb as high as possible. Pull the branch down with the apple picker, but do not dislodge the critical nest from the branch. Still too far below the nest.
-Run to shed and grab grain scoop to pick up the baby bird. Climb back up the ladder with grain scoop in one hand, pull on the picker with the other, and attempt to tilt baby bird into the nest. The darn baby bird is alert and active enough to know that this isn't a good idea and he is scrambling to stay in the scoop. With quaking arm muscles, admit defeat. Expletives may be uttered during this entire process.
-Grab the toddler, run to neighbors to ask for assistance from tall neighbor. More expletives may be uttered when they are not at home. (Or just inside avoiding the crazy neighbor.)
-Run in house, call tall brother, and ask him to drive 20 minutes out of his way to save a bird's life. (Luckily he was headed this way anyway.)
-Tall brother saves the day, after two attempts to get the baby to stay in the nest. Present brother with reward. Homemade chocolate whoopie pies are well received.
It is a myth that if you handle baby birds the mother will not return.
*This is one of those times when something other than "Gosh darn" was uttered.
Shared on Our Simple Homestead Blog Hop.