The Magpie.

I was at work, when Meghan told me, “I heard a bird crying outside, I looked out and saw clarence near it on the back step.”

We have near our home, a man who keeps pigeons, with our six cats, at least one is found dead on our back step each month.

Meghan rushed outside, to help the bird, she then shooed Clarence away. The bird, was still. She could see he was still alive. She came back inside and put some gloves on, she picked up the bird in her hands, it was shivering.

Meghan then, went into the garden, and dug up a worm and took it to the bird, he wouldn’t eat it, he was just shaking. Next, she gave him a bit of cat food. He didn’t eat that either.

She then knew then what she must do, she went upstairs and woke her dad, as he would know what to do next.

Paul got up, and check the bird over, there was no signs of blood, he left him in the box, in the house, so he would dry off.

The three of them then went into the garden. He gently put the bird on the ground, he tried to fly, his legs were dragging on the floor, behind him. Paul tried a few times, as Meghan filmed them, but he was unable to fly off.

Meghan then rang our local vets; they are near our home. She had kept me fully informed, with videos and information. She put on our group chat, “Online it says some vets won’t accept wild birds because of bird flu, but thankfully they said, ‘yes’ as they have a wildlife area.” She added, “The vets said, “We will check if we have space as we have a lot of pigeons at the moment.” They had space, so Meghan and Paul walked to our vets, because I was at work with my car.

At the vets, the receptionist picked up the bird and wrapped him up in a towel and said to Meghan and Paul, “We will give him some rest and fatten him up with some food and will ring you in three days to let you know how he is getting on.”

Yesterday was the third day, the vets had not let us know. So, I rang them last night, and I said, “My husband and daughter brought in a Magpie three days ago, you said you would let them know how it was.” She said, “Just one moment I will find you,” She came back in a few seconds and said, “I’m sorry, he had to be euthanized.” I replied, “OK, thank you.” My phone was on loudspeaker, so Meghan and Paul heard the same time I did. It Was sad news, not what we had expected. We then talked about the little bird, that had come into our lives. Meghan and Paul had given him lots of love and kindness, but to be in a cat’s mouth, and a big cat like Clarence, Paul had said, “There are lots of germs in a cats mouth, that would not have helped.”

It wasn’t the outcome, that we had expected, Meghan asked after the phone call, “Do you think it would have hurt, when they put him to sleep?” Paul replied, “No he would not have felt anything.”

Teen, Magpie. RIP x