I'm beginning to hate...

my neighbor's kids!!! Not only are they to blame for me getting the three kittens in April, but they've made it so I have enemies!

There's these crazy black birds that have started to reside in my neighborhood. You talk about aggressive and loud? For the past couple of weeks, these birds have been dive-bombing my neighbor's kids when they're in the yard. I actually felt sorry for them. Then yesterday, the kids had over some friends. The oldest kid must have been around 10 years old. They had water guns outside and were firing at the birds as the birds dived at them. Never thought anything because it's a daily thing and the kids have a right to defend themselves.

That is until I noticed all the kids gathered in a circle staring at the ground. Then they began firing their water guns at whatever they were gathered around. As if that wasn't suspesious, they began to kick at it. I sent Mark over to the fence line and sure enough, it was a baby black bird. I was pissed, I sent my brother into the yard to retrieve the poor little thing. Ok, I realize that once a baby falls from the tree, survival is rare, but I was not going to let them torture it to death. Then, as my brother was walking over to get it, we noticed the kids had found another one and were poking it with the water gun. So now we had two babies, and two furious parent birds. I had no idea what to do, so I grabbed an old easter bucket and put them in it. I have tried for many years to raise baby birds, and they ALL die! I knew that they'd have to be put up in "our" tree for even a chance of surviving. I put the bucket up, like it's a nest and before I know it, I see the kids taking a big stick over to where the second baby was found. They start poking something and then hand the stick to the 2 year old, who follows their lead. My brother went right back over and got that one too. Their father was standing out there watching the whole thing, and my brother asked him if there were any other birds. He doesn't speak very good english, but he was able to say there were 3 or 4 total.

We only found three. The parents are stuck to our tree now, but I had yet to see them go into the bucket I had out there. So first thing this morning, expecting to find the babies dead, I went and peaked in. All three were still alive, but acted cold. I decided that they needed to be moved to a less deep "nest" and I put them in an easter basket. One refuses to stay in it. He keeps plopping himself out and I've had to put him back in 3 different times. The other two aren't as active. I figure that this basket is more nest like, so hopefully the parents will accept it easier. But they hate me for messing with the babies, and now they threaten me everytime they see me. I HATE BIRDS!!! But I don't wish death on any of them.

My mom saw the kids next door messing with a tree, a couple of days ago. She already knew the birds hated them, so she asked if they were messing with a nest. They told her no, that they had a ball stuck. Not likely! Then magically the nest fell yesterday? I think not! I have a feeling the little jerks (or their friends) knocked it down. Which pisses me off because what parent doesn't teach their child to leave things alone? And on top of it...what kind of parent (or person) stands by and watches as their kids terrorize helpless baby animals??? If my kid ever even thought about doing something like that, they would pray that they never saw another bird again, by the time I got done with them. People in general suck! I don't expect the babies to survive, but at least they were given a second chance. :(