A Bird In The Hand and A Bird In The Bush

by Di Swift  

Just over 3 weeks ago Bob was coming back from Biloela and straddled a scaly breasted lorikeet in the truck, he looked back in the mirror and stopped  as soon as he could (doing 100kms/hr) and ran back (before another car or truck came closer).

Fortunately, the bird was ok, but Bob could see it could hardly fly and had hurt its leg, either by falling from nest (wild winds that day) or trying to grip bitumen as Bob drove over the top of it...anyway, he picked it up, put it in a box with tissues and brought it home (early birthday pressie for me....). 

 So I went to her house, there was Mumma magpie (and Papa whom we've never met until now or hadn't realised he was feeding with Mumma) close by in the trees. The baby ended up leaving my neighbours and crossing the road, with us watching out for cars of course....went to the house across the street and perched itself under a tree for a couple of hours, again with mum and dad close by...about mid morning it was out on the road again, so I stayed behind it helping it cross safely and guiding it into our yard....Mumma and Papa feeding her and she's taken some from me too (all very exciting). Anyway come 5.30pm or so no sign of Mumma or Papa, we didn't know what to do....we kept going out every half hour or so and checking it....we didn't know whether to intervene or leave it, but we didn't want the stray cats around to get it through the night.....so we placed a crate over her to keep her safe outside. I set my alarm for 5am and removed it just as Mumma was coming to check on her baby, which we have named Tootsie.     Mumma and Papa still seem to be taking food away with them, so we're wondering if there is still another in the nest, as Tootsie looks too young to be out....she has no tail, can flutter her wings as she walks, but not really fly.