It's the season when wild birds are nesting and raising their young. But what do you do if you find a baby bird on the ground? Bob and Linda describe the steps you need to take to keep the bird alive until you can get it to a licensed rehabber. Included are valuable tips on syringe-feeding a special formula to baby birds every two hours consisting of 1.5 cups of kitten chow, 1 jar of chicken baby food, three drops of liquid vitamins, and enough water to turn this into the consistency of yogurt in your blender.

More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -If You Find a Baby Bird, with Bob Tarte

If you quail at the thought of keeping large poultry as pets, you won't quibble about the virtues of the Button Quail, also known as the Chinese Painted Quail. Ethan Teerling of Ada, Michigan shows Bob his impressive indoor coop for these mild-mannered but constantly active birds that are about the size of a chicken egg. (Their chicks resemble brown and yellow bumblebees.) He explains the quails' housing, feed, and well-being requirements -- and warns about their tendency to fly straight up in the air and bump their heads when startled.

More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -No Quibbles Over Button Quails, with Bob Tarte

Bob and Linda respond to an email from a listener who wants to know if she should get a new companion for a duck whose mate died. When should you have at least two members of the same bird species, and when is getting a second one a bad idea? They also discuss the pros and cons of having more than one pet rabbit, and ask listeners to tell them about their favorite books about pets for an upcoming show. Your favorite can be a how-to book, an author’s account of living with animals, or even a piece of fiction. Email Bob and Linda and suggest a book.

More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -Are Two Pets Better Than One?, with Bob Tarte

As birds go, hens are fairly trouble-free as pets, as long you keep them outdoors, of course. They're more tidy than ducks and don't require a pool. And some municipalities that won't allow other 'livestock' give the okay to a backyard chicken or two. Bob and Linda discuss the winning if occasionally perplexing personalities of these personable birds, and they explain how Lucky earned her name and where the heck bantam hen Dottie was hiding when she went lost for a full day.

More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -Make Friends With A Hen, with Bob Tarte

Bob and Linda struggle through the worst Michigan February on record. And so do their animals, when an icefall from the barn roof demolishes their two outdoor pens. Fortunately, the critters were safe indoors. Prospering in the miserable weather is a Yellow-rumped Warbler which Bob considered to be unusual for the time of year, but not extraordinarily so. However, a sharp-eyed birder saw Bob's warbler photo online and tentatively identified it as the western 'Audubon' variety of the bird, which has only been recorded twice previously in Michigan. Hear the tale of an expert birder scouring the woods for 'Bob's warbler.' Can he somehow find the tiny bird that Bob hadn't seen in days? Meanwhile, Linda talks about sighting another seldom-seen bird, a Long-eared Owl, in an episode of What Were You Thinking? that's strictly for the passerines.

More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -The Rarest Bird in Michigan?, with Bob Tarte

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