390 Hamish Nicol —“ Little Joan,” a Baby Sparrow


“LITTLE JOAN,” A BABY SPARROW


By Hamish Nicol


We found her in the garden one Sunday afternoon. She could not

fly, and was trying desperately to hide among the ferns. Since she

would certainly have fallen victim to a cat or my Crow, we caught her.

She was very quick, and dodged very cleverly.


She was terrified. We took her into the house and forcibly fed

her. We fed her several times during the evening, and put her to bed

in a little travelling cage I keep for emergencies such as these.


At 5.30 the following morning I got up and fed her from my feeding

tube. She was very hungry, and opened her beak to be fed. She was

much less frightened.


When I went out I took her with me in her little box and fed her,

off and on, at frequent intervals all day. I had to take her out to feed,

but she did not mind, and by the end of the day she would perch on

my hand when I put it into the box and allow me to take her out.

She would sit there while I fed her.


I now allowed her some freedom, and she would make small flights

but always landed on a lower level than from where she started. She

was unable to rise. In the railway carriage she would flutter up the

cushions of the seat, using her legs and wings.


I took her with me each day, and fed her continuously at short

intervals on “ Egbisco ”. I made it very moist, so that she got plenty

of fluid. She would not drink at this time.


She became tamer every day, and was very confiding. She now

would come out of her box of her own free will to be fed, and would

sit on my hand and preen herself. Her tail and flight feathers were

dirty and stuck together, so I washed them, which she greatly

appreciated.


I made a tray for her to play on. I covered it with sand, and she

would have sand baths at frequent intervals. At odd times sho would

go into her box and have a little nap. On waking up she would come

to me to be fed.


She never looked really well, though she was quite lively. Her

feathers were somewhat ruffled and she carried her little wings



