When you go bird watching, you have the opportunity to witness nature at its finest. There’s nothing quite as relaxing as taking the chance to get outside and just be at one with nature and alone for a while. It’s really something that can make you feel freer when you finally put down the cell phone, the tablet, and all of the other electronic equipment and go do something completely different.
It’s even better when you have the right pair of birding binoculars so you can actually see everything that’s going on more clearly. Every once in a while, you’ll run into a situation where something completely unexpected happens, and you’re not quite sure how to respond. Such is the case when you find a baby bird using binoculars. If that happens to you, it’s important to know what you should do.
Don’t Touch It
You might think that the baby bird has been abandoned or that it’s in trouble, but that’s not likely to be the case. Chances are, the mother has simply gone off to find food for the baby and will be back shortly. If you start manipulating the baby bird or the nest, the mother may not come back, and the baby may end up starving. The best thing you can do unless you are certain that something has happened to the mother is to just leave it alone. There’s certainly nothing wrong with watching the nest for as long as you feel like watching it, in order to see whether or not the mother bird comes back. You really should refrain from touching the nest or the bird, no matter how tempted you might be.
Think Things Through
If you’ve been watching the nest for several hours and you’re starting to believe that no one is coming back for the baby bird, it might be time to take action. Even if you’re positive that something has happened to the mother and you feel the need to intervene, it’s imperative to do it the right way or you could be causing more harm than good. It’s not a good idea to simply grab the bird or the nest and take it home with you. Ideally, the baby bird would do far better if it could be cared for by someone that understands exactly what it needs and that knows how to meet those needs.
This is one time that it might be a good idea for you to pull out that cell phone that you’re undoubtedly carrying around in your pocket and use it. Most people that have been bird watching for any length of time have become familiar with wildlife rescue organizations in their area. If you’re not, familiarize yourself with some and plug their numbers into your phone. That way, if you really need help or advice, you can call them and let them know what’s going on. They can then provide the help they need to provide in order to ensure the baby bird’s safety.
What if You Can’t Get Cell Service?
You might be in an area that is so remote you can’t even get service on your phone. In that case, a few survival skills come in handy. If you have these skills, you can plot the coordinates. Then, when you get to an area where you do have service, call a wildlife rescue organization, and give them those coordinates. They can then send a team out to take care of the baby bird whether you’re there or not. If you don’t have these skills, you really shouldn’t go running off into the wilderness to do bird watching or anything else. It’s just a matter of common sense.
Birds can be some of the most charming creatures in the world, but it’s heart-wrenching when you see one, and you think it’s in trouble. Nine times out of ten, it’s really not in trouble, and everything will be just fine if you’ll just leave it alone and let nature take its course. If you’re absolutely certain there is a problem, don’t hesitate to call for help but refrain from the urge to try to do it on your own unless you are an expert in that particular area.