I was sitting peacefully in my office which has a lovely garden view, being that our offices are converted from a residence. Just then my cellphone starts ringing - frantic missed calls from Bradley. I phone him back. He is on break. He has a headache and doesn't want to go home in Uncle Norman's van. He has developed a dislike for his transport lately. I explained very nicely to him why I can't just drop everything at work and go down and fetch him. It's about 9kms to his school and the same back up to work and I only have half an hour break. Well he got more and more hysterical and I could hear my voice rising. Various threats later and with my boss very pointedly closing his door, the call was concluded. Brad had to go back to class and I had half promised to fetch him but very reluctantly.
I pushed open my blinds to stare outside pensively and something caught my eye on the ground just outside my window. A little black bird, a tiny baby was flapping its wings and trying to crawl into the mondo grass. It quite obviously couldn't fly. So the decision was made. Since I had half promised to fetch Bradley, I would rescue the bird and take it through to the aviary and rescue centre at our local New Germany nature reserve. I hunted for the right size box in the office, cut a flap into it and stuffed it with paper hand towels. With the bird safely deposited in the box, I came back inside and showed it to some of the staff. Reactions range from "Oh sweet" to "Take it away, it's got fleas!". Anyway with the baby in the box in my office, I again looked out the window and there was the mommy bird sitting on the grass looking around with a grub in her beak as if to say "Now where did you get to?" Anyway I felt bad and took the box out with the baby in it and left it on the ground. Just looked again and the baby has hopped out of the box. Mommy is back and forth but I really can't leave it there cos it can't fly and either a local cat or the neverending rain will get it. So now I am definitely going to fetch hysterical Brad and do a round trip past the nature reserve and then back to work! Just another day.
Aw, poor little baby bird. You're doing the right thing taking it to the place in New Germany. And why doesn't Bradley want to go with his regular transport?
ReplyDeleteBradley gets a bee in his bonnet about his aftercare facilities, transport, etc., and after a while of using the transport or the aftercare he suddenly refuses to go to the aftercare or on the transport. He can be very difficult at times. He says the kids are too noisy and Uncle Norman doesn't stop them from jumping around in the vehicle and the kids tease him. Also the transport does a few trips and he sometimes only gets his lift on the third trip. I will be more than happy when he is big enough to walk home.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap. This story made me so upset. I hope the momma and the baby got along okay....
ReplyDeleteYour office sounds great. Oh, and nice work with the bird.
ReplyDeleteSB - Don't worry - I think the baby will be fine. The nature reserve peeps are fully equipped with tubs of goodies that the babies eat and she had another baby too - a starling. The mommy I think will just get over it and start another family.
ReplyDeleteCap'n - Thanks it is very pleasant and good not to look at a carpark or traffic. I have had offices in my time without even any windows - yuck!