Birdie on my doorstep

Earlier on this week I came home for lunch.  I pulled into my carport and alighted from the car, saw something on the ground in front of my front door.  It looked like a little black rock with a  few leaves and a dirty doormat.  As I moved closer I could see that it was a little chick.  There had been a spotted turtle dove nesting on top of my water heater.  I'm guessing that this little one had come from there.  I tried to get a bit closer to see if I could put him back however the nest was gone.  These birds don't really build nests, they are not really more than just a jumble of sticks.  However there was only one or two sticks up there.  I'd also seen a cat up there so I wasn't thinking that it would be a safe spot.  I therefore took him in.

Now I'm at a bit of a loss of what to do with him.  He's quite small, fitting in the palm of my hand.  At the moment he's just getting his adult feathers and from what I have read he needs feeding about four times a day.  So at the moment that's what I'm doing.  I've bought some hand-rearing food for seed eaters and am plodding away.  First thing in the morning, lunch time, when I get home and then before I go to bed.  Soon I will just make it three times a day if he keeps improving.  He seems a lot more lively since I started feeding him and has started to try and gape at the syringe now.  That might just be him not wanting me to stick it down his throat.  I'm not sure on that.

Hopefully I can get him a bit bigger and then maybe release him with the ones that visit my house each day to come for the free seed.