Bye, Bye Bird

About a week ago, I found a small bird hopping along the ground by our house. This isn't unusual in itself, except that normally the closer I'd get to the bird, the more likely it would fly away - snubbing my human form - as I am incapable of following. This bird did not fly away, it just scurried a little faster away from me. The bird did make several attempts at flight, but I noticed its left wing did not return to its normal position after extension. I went inside the house to figure out what kind of bird it was. She was a Common Redpoll (CR), a species I've seen a lot of this past winter and thoroughly enjoyed them clamoring at the bird feeder outside office window. I realized that I hadn't seen any for a few days and noticed in my book that they normally migrate to the arctic around mid-April. I decided I would try to catch her.

It took about an hour - she's a lot smaller than I am so she traveled through the scrub brush with minimal effort. I, on the other hand, looked like a homeless person by the time I caught her -- twigs in my hair, my face scratched by branches in the dense underbrush...

I built a makeshift cage out of a couple of large dollar store storage bins, some shredded paper and some twigs as perches. I spent several hours the next day building something larger and more suitable. I neglected however, to check to see if CR could fit through the holes in the mesh I was using. She pulled Houdini and was outside the fancy shmancy cage I'd slaved over in less than a second - the mesh I had chosen was too big! :)

I tracked down a cage for free (thanks Sharon!) and I set up CR in it. She spent her days outside, and her nights inside. By the 7th day, she was able to fly, but only to places at or below the same height she was at and her wing was now retracting properly. She was much more active than when I first found her and flitted around in her cage continually during the day.

When I checked her progress on the 8th day. CR could fly from the floor to the top of the door frame in our entryway. It was time...

I put her back in the cage and let her rest and eat for an hour or so, to renew her energy reserves. Then I took the cage outside on the patio table and I opened the door to the cage.

I waited...

and waited...

and finally I reached in and brought her outside the cage. She flew to a nearby willow tree and began pecking away at it for food.

I was delighted!

I followed her for a few minutes and took a few pictures. I wished her luck on her journey and hoped that she would stick around for a while. Then I lost sight of her within a thicket of young willow saplings.

I hope she finds her way...at least I know she is much more prepared to deal with the perils out there now that she can fly again.

UPDATE!

CR and her beau may be settling in to nest here! Several days after CR's release, I saw the two of them gathering seeds together under the birdfeeder! Squee!
I'll keep you updated!