An unbelievable story that needs to be told...

[KC and the boys]

Some of you may have read the thread about Errol’s penchant for sheep. Suffice to say we’re still working on that. Now here’s what happened a week ago. My OH and I were out in the garden after work. This we do quite regularly: we’ll take a deserved ‘Feierabend’drink up to the top terrace, check up on the latest buds ‘n blossoms, make ANO plans which rarely come to fruition and have a general chinwag about work/family/friends/etc. That evening we spotted the first slowworm of the year soaking up the sun and Errol had fun with the “indestructible kipper” (see discussion on tough toys on this site). Anyways, it didn’t take Errol long to find the baby pigeon hiding in the ivy hedge but OH was quick to respond and the dog was safely removed before any damage was done.

 

A quick phone call to the RSPCA revealed we should put baby in an old shoebox and place it up high enough for the cats and foxes not to get to it and where bird parents could spot their offspring and hopefully return to feed. This we did posthaste and built a make-do nest from an old flowerpot, garden wire and woolly hanging basket lining, plonked little bird in it and hung the contraption into the plum tree.

 

Mightily pleased with ourselves we let Errol back up into the main garden. The boy seemed a bit surprised that birdie had made a disappearing act, continued to work the ground with even more vigour…. and promptly found another creature hiding amongst the shrubbery on the other side of the lawn! Now unfortunately OH wasn’t quick enough this time because whatever it was that was rustling in the undergrowth had made a dashing attempt to escape and had tumbled into a tight spot between a wall and the fence which only the dog managed to get to.

 

When Errol resurfaced he held something grey in his snout (a mouse? a rat even?) and with a devious look on his face he gave us a mighty crocodile SNAP. However, in my panic I screeched ‘Errol, DROP!’ and to our wonder and amazement - just like a mechanical toy - he opened his mouth and spat out another bedraggled pigeon chick. We couldn’t believe our eyes. OH grabbed Errol and with much praise shoved a handful of treats into his mouth (luckily I had my pouch still on me from an earlier walk). The dog was then removed once again and we now have two collared dove-lings being reared in our make-shift nest by their parents. What a fabulous experience!

 

We’re under no illusion that Errol wouldn't have killed the chicks if he’d been given half a chance – just what astounded us so much was that he did drop the bird on command. Maybe all the training does pay off after all….

 

Has anyone got any similar "unbelievable" stories to tell?

[David McIlveen Wright]

I was jogging on the beach one day with our setter, Tartuffe. We were passing some rocks, when he froze in the set position. I looked over, and thought I saw a penguin! This is Northern Ireland! It was in fact a young guillemot, who had been probably separated from his parents in a storm. Tartuffe stayed watching the bird, while I went back to the car to get a cardboard box, and was still there on guard when I returned. We took the bird to the local RSPCA where they were able to feed it up and release it the next week.

[Finding_Beau]

Your photos and story about Joy and the little mouse, Cornelia are beautiful.

My English Setter, Hobson is a truly gentle soul.Since he was 8 weeks old Hobson has lived on our acreage which has an abundance of birds and all sorts of wildlife. One day Hobson alerted me that something was wrong. A baby bird had fallen out of the nest. The parents were flying about anxiously. Hobson was trying to help this little bird. Another time it was a baby rabbit. Hobson will always tell me if an animal is in distress. Our resident wild heron bird walks amongst my English Setters, Hobson, Rose and Hammer. It is lovely seeing different species look out for each other and become friends. It is a shame human beings could not be nicer to each other.

[Carmel Stringfellow]

Lovely Hobson!

Your last sentence is just right!!

Cheers,

Carmel

[KC and the boys]

Fabulous stories! Great photo reportage, too, Cornelia! Do keep them coming.

[Margaret Sierakowski]

I was walking up the field one day with one of our springers walking beside me, when I noticed there was something grey and thread like hanging out of the side of his mouth. So I stopped and got him to open his mouth.
Inside was a completely intact live mouse, with its tail hanging out between his teeth, which he was carrying carefully