Wood Pigeon Squab (Columba palumbus)

Kat and Greig left for the long drive home at lunchtime.  Clickychick and I were out in the garden when we heard a thump, clearly a fairly large bird had flown into the window.  There fluttering on the windowsill was this Wood Pigeon squab.

Clearly just out of the nest and unable to fly much.  As I approached it slipped from the windowsill, only to flutter back up to the sill.  Eventually I managed to get my hands on it and prevent the wings flapping.  There is a risk to a bird with wildly flapping wings, the bones are hollow for lightness and break easily.  A broken bone is an almost certain death sentence as shock pneumonia sets in easily.

Knowing the pigeons nest in the Lawson's Cyprus (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana "Lanei aurea")at the bottom of the garden I took it down there and opened my hands.  It managed, just, to fly the couple of metres and land in the lower branches.