This was when we still lived in Canada,we had a holiday home over the border in the US and I had decided to spend the summer there.Some boys were shrieking outside,when I went out they had a baby,I told them to show me where it had come from so I could put it back,they very sheepishly told they had wrecked the nest earlier in the day.
The other babies had fallen out and somehow landed in the shade,they were too little to move, just pink skin things, I didn't even know what they were There were 2 more.
I took them and phoned the wildlife sanctuary which was down the road a few miles, after some chat about nest location they told me they were barn swallows. I said I would drop them off,they said I could not as they couldn't take on the job,they had a lady who had done it in the past but they said she was not doing it that year so there was nobody. I said I would have a go if there was no-one else.They gave me her number and offered to advise me .
I phoned this lady who was pregnant with twins, she gave me all the info,feeding every 15 minute etc, a place to have mealworms flown in and a contact for some other babyfood stuff, she said she would support me via the phone.
Back to the sanctuary, they said they could give me mealworms and baby formula till I cold get some more,they also made me a spontaneous carer under the umbrella of them,so I didn't break the law (illegal to own or have in ones possession any migratory bird) They told me to weigh them daily with a fine gram scale which I could get...( wait for it) ..... from the police. I phoned the cop shop , told them who I was, my contact at the sanctuary and they said Ok they would get back to me,they did and they had one, I offered to pay and they said no need they are confiscated from drug dealers.They even delivered it, it was a very expensive scale.
So I got all my stuff and started.
A couple of days later there was knock at the door,it was the site manager from our holiday place, he had three more pink skin things!!
I took them everywhere in a tiny carrying case,feeding them with tweezers in the Safeway even.
They quickly started to grow and feather up, but I had been told it was crucial to have them flying for 15 minutes and catch food on the wing. It wasn't ebough to just rear them . They were now eating mealworms from a dish.We converted a bedroom, had to cover the windows so they didn't fly into the glass. I would go in and call out " where are my babies" and they would all land on me. I would chuck meal worms in the air and they would catch them. We found them for ages after in the room.
Parting was coming up and it was very hard, we had searched the neighbourhood for a quiet place where it was evident there were lots of swallows and we found an abandoned farm.
The following day we went, it was ages before I could open the box, tears streamed down my face and my husband was trying hard not to cry too.
I was in a real state.
"
When I finally plucked up the courage, I opened the box and whispered, Ok kids, time to go," they hesitated, then one by one they flew high into the air. The really wonderful bit was that seconds later, a great many barn swallows came from nowhere to join them as if to say welcome.
I went back every day for a week, often calling " where are my babies" but they didn't come down to me.
We did go back several years to the same spot every year when the swallows returned, but no one ever landed on me.
It was something I will never forget,I have hand reared possums and raccons (that is anther story) but the swallows were very special, every time I see one now, even though I am in a different country I expect it to swoop down and land on me.
Thank you for being interested.
XX Jeannine
