I was hired by a local governemtn to clean the underside of three over passes of mud bird nests. I am thinking that it is mid-June, well past Spring, for this neck of the woods, and multiple days over 105 with a few 115's thrown in to make sure no one gets cold.
I start on said project, and notice that there are still a lot of adult birds flying around. I guess that was not too unusual, since it was a bit cooler under the bridge. So I start on the first pile of mud and knock it down with a shovel. NO problem, totally uninhabited, adn did not even have a bird fly out of it. This is a good thing.
I start the next nest, bad news, two baby birds in them. One was naked, waiting for a shower I suppose (he got it) and the other was fully feathered, but not quite flight certified. This is a bad thing. Especially since this bridge was over a dry water way that is used as a combination walkway/bicycle path. Fortuantely, not many people are out. At this point I call teh local heartless bureaucrat, and ask him if he wanted me to continue. I certainly did not want Buffy and Edgar discussing the plight of these birds lack of flight with me.
Said heartless Bureacrat told me to continue with the project, because the Head heartless bureaucrat/city worker wanted it done now. I am thinking to myself, "great, I am going to get confronted by 500 bleeding hearts about these two little birds."
I start on the next nest. There were about 35 holes in the nest, which means a potential of 35 baby birds. I start on the first nest, a bird falls from the sky, the next nest, another one falls. All told, I figure that there were about 20 baby birds on the ground by the time I get done, and I am developing an audience, with people picking up the birds to nurse them, nd get them independent. This is getting really bad.
I call the Head Heartless Bureaucrat/ city worker, and explain the situation to him. ( for what it is worth, that is what I called him on the phone. I have known him for a while, and have a really good relationship with him) He about soiled himself. Telling me to get out of there as fast as I can , and leave any mess tehre was. He also apologized up one side and down the other because, he too, thought the babies were gone.
I have yet to hear of any fallout from the loyal local citizens, but I think that there is bound to be something.
But now, my beloved children now address me as the baby killer. (except my 8 year old who will barely talk to me.)
Dateline: June 12, 2006 Somewhere in Arizona.
I was hired by a local governemtn to clean the underside of three over passes of mud bird nests. I am thinking that it is mid-June, well past Spring, for this neck of the woods, and multiple days over 105 with a few 115's thrown in to make sure no one gets cold.
I start on said project, and notice that there are still a lot of adult birds flying around. I guess that was not too unusual, since it was a bit cooler under the bridge. So I start on the first pile of mud and knock it down with a shovel. NO problem, totally uninhabited, adn did not even have a bird fly out of it. This is a good thing.
I start the next nest, bad news, two baby birds in them. One was naked, waiting for a shower I suppose (he got it) and the other was fully feathered, but not quite flight certified. This is a bad thing. Especially since this bridge was over a dry water way that is used as a combination walkway/bicycle path. Fortuantely, not many people are out. At this point I call teh local heartless bureaucrat, and ask him if he wanted me to continue. I certainly did not want Buffy and Edgar discussing the plight of these birds lack of flight with me.
Said heartless Bureacrat told me to continue with the project, because the Head heartless bureaucrat/city worker wanted it done now. I am thinking to myself, "great, I am going to get confronted by 500 bleeding hearts about these two little birds."
I start on the next nest. There were about 35 holes in the nest, which means a potential of 35 baby birds. I start on the first nest, a bird falls from the sky, the next nest, another one falls. All told, I figure that there were about 20 baby birds on the ground by the time I get done, and I am developing an audience, with people picking up the birds to nurse them, nd get them independent. This is getting really bad.
I call the Head Heartless Bureaucrat/ city worker, and explain the situation to him. ( for what it is worth, that is what I called him on the phone. I have known him for a while, and have a really good relationship with him) He about soiled himself. Telling me to get out of there as fast as I can , and leave any mess tehre was. He also apologized up one side and down the other because, he too, thought the babies were gone.
I have yet to hear of any fallout from the loyal local citizens, but I think that there is bound to be something.
But now, my beloved children now address me as the baby killer. (except my 8 year old who will barely talk to me.)
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