It's 5:30am, Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

  Our fireplace birds have been extra energetic lately.  We keep meaning to cap it during the winter when they have moved out, but we keep forgetting.  A series of events lead me to find a young bird in my basement.

  Around 5:30am Tank really wanted to play.  I tried to get him to just settle down, but he wasn't having it.  I played with him with his ribbon for a bit and made a mental note to bring one of his dead laser toys with us to see if the batteries from the broken one at the cabin will fit.

  He then meowed sadly from the kitchen and I went down to see if he needed a Potty Buddy.  Since I was down there, I figured I could pop into the basement and get the toys before I forgot.  When I got to the bottom of the stairs I saw a weird dark shape, I didn't have my glasses on.  I looked closer and saw it was a bird.  I was hoping it was alive because it wasn't on its back or side, but it did have its head tilted back and wings out some whole being pressed into the wall.

  I ran back upstairs to get my glasses and other things I would need.  I found my collapsible pet carrier on the other side of the garage where it was difficult to get to.  I was able to get it and also grabbed a towel.  When I finished assembling the carrier I heard some fluttering sounds from the basement stairs.  I didn't want it to get into the main part of the house, so I carefully opened the door.  I didn't see it at first, but as I was going down I saw it on the stairs with its head looking upwards and it's wings spread a little, like it has been on the floor.

  I put the carrier on the floor and slowly went back up with the towel.  I placed the towel over it and was able to scoop it up with one hand.  I placed it in the carrier and offered it some water and peanut butter puffs.  It started trying to fly around when I put down the puffs, so I quickly closed the door again.

  I left it with the door open on the front porch.  I don't know how good it is at flying, but the only way to get it back into the nest is through our chimney.  We are going to have to check our basement for any little friends more often.  I did an image search and it's apparently called a Chimney Swift.

  This is also not what I meant to happen when I said the blog might not be "interesting enough" by any means.

  When I checked on the carrier again after I woke up again I saw it was empty and the other Chimney Swifts had calmed down again.  I hope that means that everyone was reunited.