Feeding the Birds
May 8 , 2011 by Ellen BettsYesterday 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.