Talk About A Teeny Baby!

Maggie Jones, executive director, played surrogate mom recently to a baby hummingbird that had been brought to the nature center.

A woman found the baby hummingbird on the ground while she was hanging out her laundry and rescued her before she was gobbled by cats, Jones said. Jones tried unsuccessfully to locate the nest, so brought the bird home for a few days.

“She is now with a rehabilitator friend in Southington who will give her lots of TLC and get her ready for release back into the wild. She's doing great!” Jones said.

Birds do not have much of a sense of smell, so it is OK to pick up a baby bird and move it to safety, Jones said.

“There are lots of songbirds fledging the nest this time of year. Many of them spend from 24-72 hours on the ground hopping around before they can actually fly. It is the most dangerous time in their lives, as many of them get caught by predators - especially house cats,” she said.

Most baby animals should be left alone, as mom is probably not far away, but of course there are always exceptions, Jones said.