Fanshawe Lake Trail

 

So the one day I don't go OUT into nature...nature comes to me! In the form of a fledgling
bluejay. I noticed Lilypad throwing herself against the screen patio door and went over to have
a look and there was a beautiful little bluejay. As sweet as Lilypad is she desperately wanted
to have a go at the fledgling. So I closed the glass door to the patio as well as I really thought
she was going to break the screen. It's ok Lilypad, I know you're just acting on instinct.

The fledgling seems to be in good shape and looks healthy.  It just can't flutter very far, basically hopping around on the patio furniture. I looked up on the local London Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre, called Salthaven, and this is what they had to say:

Fledglings - have proper feathers, can perch and may even be able to flutter short distances. These youngsters often leave the nest and sit on branches nearby, waiting for their parents to return with food. Unless they are in immediate danger, they should be left and observed from a distance. The parents usually come back within a short time. Keep cats away from the fledglings. 

That means YOU Lilypad! While I watched an adult bluejay landed beside the fledgling and popped something in its mouth. So it wasn't going hungry. As I watch its flying skills seem to be improving and it is hopping and flying slightly higher distances. I wonder if it's better off inside my enclosed patio, where it is now, or whether I should place it outside the patio where it would be more vulnerable but possibly closer to its nest. I think it's best to continue to keep an eye on things - it's safe, it's being fed and it's growing stronger. If anything changes I'll call Salthaven and see what they recommend.

NATURE is so fascinating!!