Life goes on

I had a surprise waiting for me at The Haven this morning.  There were two baby White Doves in a brooder!  Their mother abandoned them last night, she was a single parent and birds struggle to cope going solo as parents and often desert the nest under those circumstances.  They are two dear little (with think) girls, just getting their lovely white feathers.  The shafts are showing and there are tiny tufts of feather coming through.  Probably by next week they will be well on their way to being totally feathered.  I was able to have a cuddle with them and was asked if I would like to take them home maybe next week!  Would I?  OH YES PLEASE!  I have named them Daisy and May which might be spelt Mae but I haven't decided yet.  It was such a lovely surprise to see them especially after losing Perky on Monday.  Life stops for no one.

There were also a couple of other new babies in the hospital.  A baby squirrel for one.  He was gorgeous, a proper squirrel but in a mini version.  Full of fun and mischief.  I was able to have a cuddle and a play with him, he ran right up my arm and down my back like I was a tree!  I know I have done a lot of cursing about Butterfly the Squirrel but this little fella really was cute.  He drinks milk from a tiny doll sized bottle and holds it in his little hands.  Totally adorable.  The Haven do not usually take any thing other than birds but there was no where else for this little lad to go so one of the other volunteers is going to take him home and rear him.  She has done it before apparently.

The other new baby was the tiniest pink thing I have seen.  Not even as big as my thumb and with his eyes still closed.  Not a feather in sight and so young we can't even tell what species he will be yet.  We are thinking maybe a Robin from the size of him or certainly something Robin sized.  He takes his food in drops from the end of a cocktail stick because he is too tiny for a syringe.  Apparently a cat got at the nest and killed all his brothers and sisters.  This little lad only survived because he fell and landed accross a branch so the cat didn't find him.  It's a horrible vision to think of a cat with the other babies because they are totally helpless, it makes me shudder.

An old friend came to visit me late this afternoon.  Marilyn the white duck flew in with her latest beau.  It was great to see her in the garden again.  I often see her down at The Broad but she hasn't visited since this time last year when she was quite regular for a while.  I wonder if Esmeralda will appear again, she was my favourite and used to come to the back door and quack for food!  I have the feeling the ducks only come into the garden at around breeding time, heaven knows why but it seems to be the pattern.