By Judi Curry
I think I began watching Jackie and Shadow’s eagle nest and their offspring about 5 years ago. They are fascinating to watch and the learning styles are so similar for each set of baby birds. It is so uplifting – or has been until Jackie became so ill. One has to give so much credit to the group working to save her.
But I am not here to write about Jackie and Shadow. No…I am here to introduce “Mutt and Jeff” to Pt. Loma. Well….sort of because many of you know them already. I am not sure what their “given” names are, but over here – my house – we named them Mutt and Jeff. Let me tell you about them.
One week ago today we didn’t know they existed. Sure, we hear them, particularly at 2-3:00 am every morning. They have a nest in a tree nearby, and almost without exception you can see the adults sitting on the electric pole in the alley to the south of my house. And if you can’t see them you sure as hell can hear them!
Last week I heard a person living here YELLING at my German Shephard – Charlie – in such a loud voice I was sure that Charlie must have done something terrible wrong. I went outside to see what the ruckus was as fast as this old lady can move and found that roommate Amber was yelling at Charlie because she had her paw on this large bird and was not letting the bird get up. (We think that maybe Charlie was getting ready to have a large snack but fortunately Amber was there at the right time and managed to get Charlie away from the large black and while bird with the most beautiful wings that looked like they had been drawn by an artist!
Amber and I watched the bird, and it looked like it might have been injured because it could not fly. We later thought it might have been a fledgling that had fallen out of the next and was just learning to fly.
We locked the three large dogs up so the bird was safe, and thinking that the bird was injured we felt we would be given some advice as to what to do. So we proceeded to contact Project Wildlife – where my husband was a volunteer for years before he passed away; called the Humane Society, and even called Sea World. (The internet said to trap the bird and put it in a box and cover with a blanket rover the top to keep it safe. I did not have a box big enough for this bird even if I could have captured it!)
It is interesting to note that I did not get a call back from either Project Wildlife or Sea World. I did talk to someone at the Humane Society and they said because the bird appeared injured they would send someone out. The man I spoke to told me he was a surfer; frequently surfed just a block from where I live and noticed this specie of bird for the first time about 2 wees ago!)
No one showed up that day but the following day – Monday a very nice female officer did show up and … we could not find the bird. And not only that – Amber discovered ANOTHER bird in another part of the yard the day before! We couldn’t find that bird either! (Amber did open up a gate because she noticed that the parents of the birds were now in the back yard also, and by opening the gate she hoped that all four of the birds could leave, particularly if it was because the were learning to fly and were not injured!
So….even though we were still hearing them all morning long – and throughout the day – and night – we were not seeing them. Until today! But I think they returned yesterday but I didn’t make the connection! All three of the dogs came into the house soaking wet last night. Yes, I have a pool but they have NEVER gone into it. I just thought it must have been so hot they were cooling off.
Today I looked outside and found a bird swimming in the pool. At 8:00am.. The gardener was working around the pool area and the bird didn’t fly away. I had the dogs outside already and they were going nuts! They were trying to get the bird. And yet, it kept swimming around. Sometimes it would get out of the pool and “tease” the dogs by getting out on the opposite side of the pool they were on. Sometimes it would fly to the opposite side. And then Brenda, the dog walker came and she helped me get the dogs back in the house. Then she went out to see the bird, who DID NOT fly away. It kept 3-4 feet in front of her. I had some carrots that I gave Brenda to see if the bird would eat them. The bird ALMOST went directly to her, and then changed it’s mind and backed away.
So…Brenda took the dogs for a walk and the bird is still here. As I write this, the dogs are now in the house, begging to be let out, because the bird it still having a “vacation” in the pool. It shows no sign of leaving anytime soon. I guess I don’t have to go to Big Bear to watch the birds!
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So many unanswered questions: what kind of birds are they? What did the Humane Society say?