Four tiny birds, including one with a bird-sized cast, are recovering after being rescued from a fallen nest in East Vancouver.
The two-week-old bushtits were found in their sock-shaped nest, which was lying in the middle of a driveway.
Though the birds' parents had abandoned the nest, they'd left a message from a fortune cookie woven in with the twigs and grass.
Inside the nest there were six babies, but two had been dead for some time.
The tiny future flyers were brought in to the Wildlife Rescue Association BC, a Burnaby-based charity that rehabilitates wildlife affected by human activity.
The birds were mostly healthy, but one of the babies had a broken leg, so Wildlife Rescue fitted it with a tiny cast.
Since they are so young, the bushtits are living in the baby bird unit, Wildlife Rescue communications manager Yolanda Brooks said.
"Staff will feed them every 15 minutes from dawn until dusk with an insect slurry and specialized baby bird feeding formula," she told CTV News.
As they grow, their feedings will become less frequent and they will gradually be encouraged to feed themselves.
"We expect them to be here for up to four weeks before release," Brooks said.
And the baby bushtits will have lots of avian company during their stay. The rescue group is in the middle of baby bird season, and has taken in 1,295 "patients" since May 1.
Among its patients are a fledgling black-headed grosbeak recovering from a cat attack, and a tiny hummingbird with a fractured sternum.
The Wildlife Rescue is also caring for a squirrel injured in a rat trap, a turtle that swallowed fishing hooks, and a baby raccoon separated from its mother, among other critters.
About 80 per cent of the charity's funds come from donations from the public.
