I took on too much.
I foster baby wild birds and release them back into the wild each spring. This is the fourth year. The first year, I had 6 starlings, and raised them with my 3 dogs in my tiny-house/shed. It was noisy, and in 99 square feet, virtually impossible to keep them from developing a comfort level with the dogs, or imprint on me. But, we did it, and somehow 5 survived and managed to fly off as self-feeding maniacs into the forest.
The process has been rewarding, heartbreaking, disruptive, and meaningful. I wish it could be just like those paintings of St. Francis with larks flying acrobatically through his halo singing beautiful songs in praise of wild beauty. It’s more like living with a herd of very needy dinosaurs all with wide-ranging states of ability and requirements. Every year, I say, not again. Then, I say, I need to set a limit. Then, some tearful woman calls and cries about the babies that rained from her neighbor’s gutter and how they will soon perish, and I end up with 5 more birds to deal with.
Then I have the sparrow that takes its time to wild off, lights on nearby branches and flutters its wings, adorably hoping that I’ll cough up some mash for him. It warms me to the chaos and I do an extra good job cleaning the indoor aviary singing sea shanties and folk tunes to Sarek and Dirac, the resident non-releasable starlings.
This spring, while forging the garden out of the clearcut, the baby birds (about 30) started coming in. I had a half built aviary outside for wilding them off and had to hustle it out. It needed the 3/4″ mesh stitched on it and a door put up. I made it happen. The mesh took much longer than I anticipated (A full week instead of a day) with the interruptions every 30 minutes to feed the birds. Anyhow it was finished in time for the first round of birds to flight train.
The starlings love it, and I am starting to release the first cohort. They have graduated to the trees, but are still hanging around.
The garden is mostly planted. I have one area that I am still clearing of saplings that will be for the grapes and berries. I’m having issues with wildlife getting in there, so I am setting up a game camera to see exactly what critters I am dealing with.
I haven’t had much time to write with all the projects. Or eat. I have been trying to sleep deliberately 8 hours. I usually get 6 hours in at least, and some relaxing with the dogs and nursing of black fly bites.
I think the last of the starlings will be released mid June. I can start paddling the boat I built last year, and harvesting some goods from the garden by then!
Peace.