Journey to Natural: Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

4/4/2012
I was examining the specimens I gathered this afternoon out on the porch when a noise got my attention. It was a small baby Carolina Chickadee on the ground calling for it's mother. I did not know what to do, so I looked it up. I put gloves on, even though apparently the whole human scent thing is an old wives tale, and put it back in it's nest, like advised. I then watched it closely. Next thing I know he's on the ground again. I figured the mom was trying to throw him out for some unknown reason so I took a shoebox out there and picked him up. I brought him inside the porch area, sat him down, and started looking up what to feed him. Throughout my research he was calling and crying. Suddenly momma carolina chickadee began hopping around the bushes right outside the screened in area and calling loudly. I immediately ran out there and put him back on the ground where I had found him. The mom would fly off and then come back and feed him, then go to the nest to feed the babies there. I was utterly confused by this behavior. Then I saw the mother do something very strange. She went into the nest, pulled something out, and then flew over to a tree and dropped it. I hurried out there to see if it was another baby and it was, in fact a baby. However this baby was and seemed to have been dead for a bit. I observed the behavior of the mother and baby for a little while and tried to put him back again. This time, he did not leave, either by his own means or his mothers. I hope I helped save his precious little life but you can never really know without disturbing them.