Radical Changes For Baby Blue

Last night, I was sitting in the easy chair and Baby Blue was fluttering about the living room, when she landed on my crossed leg. For whatever reason, she slipped off, and fell. Even though the drop was only a foot-and-a-half, she hit hard on her breast, and instantly retreated under the coffee table in the manner of a wounded animal.

This morning, she had considerable difficulty standing up. She wobbled and weaved and fluttered, and backed up against barriers in order to keep standing. Once, tumbling over, she screamed in pain. Nevertheless, she largely kept her appetite, which suggested to me that the injury need not be life-threatening if she got care (and presuming that the problem was indeed an injury, and not something else, like poisoning, or vertigo, or an inadequate diet, or etc., etc.....)

For an hour, we cuddled in the back yard.

I called the 'Bird Doctor' veterinarian, but it wouldn't be until tomorrow until his mobile van was in my neighborhood. I called the Wildlife Care Association (WCA - 965-WILD), but their Scrub Jay consultant's phone had been disconnected. So, I decided to take Baby Blue directly to the WCA in Carmichael.

The small house housing the WCA had a reception area in one room. Various signs suggested that patrons donate; for example, to adopt recovering crows. In the next room, I could see a woman in a lab coat tending various boxes on shelves from which a cacophonous roar of many dozens of birds could be heard.

The WCA volunteer clerk asked me to fill in a form describing how I came to find the bird. Then he removed Baby Blue from my cardboard box, did a quick inspection, and placed her in a small container topped with a screen. Our conversation was confrontational, however:

MPV: May I come and visit the bird?
Clerk: No, you may not.
MPV: I just want to make sure she is OK.
Clerk: In our six-month season, we receive five to seven thousand birds. You may not come and visit the bird.
MPV: Well, then, may I have the bird back?
Clerk: It is illegal to keep wildlife. You may not have the bird back.

I was reminded of the scene from "Oliver!", when Mr. Bumble is reminded that, in the eyes of the law, he is responsible for his wife's actions. "Well, if the law supposes that, then the law is an ass." Continuing, the clerk said:

Clerk: The bird needs to be among her own kind. We will take care of her. You did the right thing.

I donated some commercial baby bird food to the WCA and then slipped out the door. Then I returned to drop $20 in the donation box. The clerk had gone into the other room, where I overheard his conversation with the woman there:

Woman: Oh no!
Clerk: I know, the guy's crazy....