Saving Merlin

On the 4th of July we were enjoying our morning cup of coffee and looking off of the screened in deck at our cabin.  I saw something fuzzy and white moving about.  It did not have the sort of motion that would fit with a bunny rabbit.  In fact it was this guy:

He did not look happy.  This is a baby Merlin, a small sort of hawk.  We knew a couple of them had a nest somewhere in the trees above.  Noisy little buggers they are.  So anyway this little chick was sitting unhappily on the ground.  Not a viable long term strategy, the parents would not dare come down to feed it and it would in turn be a meal for the next fox that wandered past.  

We called the local nature center and spoke with their bird person.  They were not in a position to offer to collect and care for it. After some discussion it was suggested that we might as well put it back up in the tree.  After all down there on the ground he had zero chance.

Gloves to avoid imparting any human scent.  And to avoid being "beaked".

Up into a crook in the tree with a box full of leaves and grass.  It's a beer box so he'll be happy in it.

Long term, who knows?  But later that day he was sitting up there imperiously calling out to his nearby parents.