While we FULLY appreciate there are sometimes truly genuine reasons why a finder cannot transport a bird anywhere, much of the time it is down to pure laziness and an unwillingness to help as it is easier to pass the “problem” onto someone else. This creates so much undue stress for us and further suffering to the bird that we kindly ask that you try to do your part in helping to save a life.
Please don’t be abusive or difficult when asking for help. We will do all we can and offer the best advice for each situation. The more information you provide the more we can help, and provide advice faster.
Thank you.

Enjoy our “Excuse Diary”. Hopefully one of them won’t be yours 😀
These are a just a small handful of actual messages we have received.

Rehabber’s Nightmares….. (unfinished and ongoing …)

1) Hi, I know its 11pm but Ive had a bird for 3 days and don’t know what to do as its wing is dragging on the floor and its leg is facing the wrong way. We didn’t want to take it to the vet as they would just put it down.

2) Hi I rescued a baby bird the other day and been feeding milk and bread and it isn’t very lively anymore

3) Oh its just a little cat scratch there’s nothing wrong with it (bones hanging out, legs/wings hanging off)

4) I know you said don’t let the bird go free after my cat had it in its mouth as it needs antibiotics as will die of infection but it was fine an hour later and flying about so I decided to let it go! I am so proud I saved it and watched it fly away.

5) I rescued a baby bird this morning but there’s nothing wrong with it, it just cant fly yet, can you come and get it now because its parents are going mental.

6) My kids want to raise this baby bird we found a couple of days ago so we just want some advice please as not sure what it is and cant get it to eat anything

7) No we cant bring it to you as I have 7 children under 5, my husband stubbed his big toe, my granny has covid, my son is flying to the moon in a minute, and we only have 3 cars on the driveway, all out of petrol. But we are so glad we rescued it so when are you coming

8) But why cant we come in and look around inside. My kids want to see the birds and take photos with them holding them for social media so they will get lots of likes! Plus I’m a teacher!

9) We raised this baby jackdaw but now its grown up we don’t know what to do with it. It wont leave or fly away and its coming in the house. Its ruining our stuff and is becoming aggressive. We can’t even open a window and have to run to the car with an umbrella over us as it keeps dive bombing us. It was so cute as a baby.

10) I know we said we would be with you 3 hours earlier but we decided to go for lunch first and then shopping. The bird wasn’t doing great in the hot car so we syringed water into its beak but it acted all weird like, danced about and died. You didn’t tell me it could drown, you just said don’t put anything in its beak. My bad.

11) Hi its 2am and just wondered how my bird is that I dropped into you earlier is doing?

12) I know you say you are busy but I have messaged you on instagram, facebook, text message, WhatApp, email and messenger and even left 3 voicemails… its been almost 10 minutes now and you haven’t even bothered to reply or seen any of my messages, don’t you care?

13) No I don’t drive, I don’t know anyone who does, and nobody speaks English…

14) There’s a baby bird in my garden but its upsetting my cat and I cant keep my cat in because he likes to hunt so can you come and collect it now

15) I want daily updates please and want my bird back when you have finished with it.

16) My bird DIED? It was fine when we dropped it off and was eating all the live grubs we collected, and giving lots of live mealworms. . I’m devastated you said the grubs can eat through the crop if they’re not deheaded or drowned. I’m going to tell everyone about you implying that we killed it, wasn’t our fault though we didn’t know. Rude.

17) I dropped off a bird to you but nobody answered the door so I guess you are out. I left a baby bird outside your door in front of the catflap about 5 hours ago. I didn’t have a lid so put some paper on top of it.

18) Can I come round and give healing to your birds. My ego told me to contact you in the middle of the night to ask this. No? Seriously? …And what do you mean it is a little late to contact you! You are going to suffer great losses and you obviously need some therapy for your mental health issues, you also need healing, how rude. You run a rescue you should be awake all the time!

19) This particular vet wont hold onto the bird for someone to collect and I cant bring it a further 2 miles up the road to you so I have taken it back home as its leg is hanging off. I cant allow anything to be put down! What a waste of time you caused me. Call yourself a rescue!

20) What do you mean the egg I brought you didn’t hatch. What did you do it!!!!! My child is devastated now.

21) Can you come and catch all the white pigeons or doves off the roof tops please as they are too noisy.

22) Thank you for agreeing to answer all of my questions for an article I’m writing about your rescue. I’m sorry I didn’t turn up when I said I would, but playing with my sisters new kittens was so much more important. Seeing as my dove died i brought to you the year before and how devastated I was I’m going to write and publish it and send it to everyone letting them know that you mainly take in birds with bird flu and build your aviaries out of old chicken wire and bits of wood you find.

23) Hi, I know its 1am but I have a bird in my garden that can’t fly properly and has been like it since yesterday

24) I asked for an update on my bird so why are you sending me a photo of 10 in a cage.. surely you know which one is mine, it came in two weeks ago. How unprofessional!

25) I know you said to put the baby back exactly where I found it but because I have a cat I put it a few roads away so the other birds can look after it.

26) I don’t know what to do, baby blue tits keep falling out of my nest box so I have plugged the hole as I’m sick and tired of keep putting them back in. The parents are going mad but I don’t want them to get hurt as they are way too small to be out of the nest.

27) I did some gardening and hedge trimming and found a few nests. We have collected them all in a bucket. Can I have your address please so I can bring them round as we don’t want them in our garden.

28) I found a baby bird what do I do? Yes its bald and shivering. Oh Ive left it at home as I had to go shopping so cant bring it over until later. It should be fine as I left it on the window sill.

29) We have had this baby crow for a month now and his white baby feathers arn’t going away and he still cant fly. Can you tell me how long before he gets his adult feathers as these baby white feathers keep breaking off and he no longer has a tail.

30) Ive had a pigeon for 6 weeks but he keeps falling over and cant stand up. What do you mean he’s emaciated. I have fed him twice a day on 10mls of proper human baby food from Tescos.

31) If you don’t come out at 11pm and drive an hour to get this pigeon out of my garden I’m going to send you the video from our wildlife camera of a fox killing and eating it

32) Oopps here’s a photo of my dog with the baby bird in its mouth its now dead. I guess I should have picked it up instead of letting my dog ravish it, my bad.

33) Here’s a photo of a baby pigeon I just took by the road, wet and cold, I think its wing is broken. I can’t take it anywhere, not even to the vets 10 mins away, as I have no transport and I’m too busy.

34) I know I work across the road to a vet but there’s nobody available to take this bird over there, with its wings hanging off.

35) Finder: Come and get this bird that’s been attacked by a cat outside my gate.
Me: ok I can try, where are you?
Finder: in my lounge
Me: ok where is the bird?
Finder: I just told you outside my gate!!
Me: ok, where abouts do you live?
Finder: near the Royal pub just off the roundabout
Me: I’m sorry I have no idea where you are
Finder: I just told you dumbass, are you going to come and get this bird or what!!!!!!!
Me: Take it to your nearest vet. Thank you for caring.

36) But I gave you a donation so that should allow me and family inside to see all the wild sick and poorly birds you have in.