Rescued Jackdaw thinks Kevin is his mum (From Northwich Guardian)

Rescued Jackdaw thinks Kevin is his mum

12:40pm Friday 10th July 2009

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THE working week is nothing to get into a flap about at a Northwich business where the latest recruit is flying high.

Ever since Kelvin and Lindsey Newman, from Cheshire Sheds, rescued a dying jackdaw chick from a savaged nest, he has become a vital part of their family and the workforce.

Blacky Flappy Newman, as the couple’s six-year-old daughter Sophie named him, has proved a hit at the Denton Drive business and with neighbours at the Newman family home in Winsford.

Kelvin said: “He sits on my shoulder and pecks the back of the phone, or sits on the computer monitor and then jumps on to the keyboard when I’m trying to type – he just generally gets into trouble.”

Staff have built him a perch at Cheshire Sheds so that he can watch the comings and goings from a safe vantage point.

The feathered youngster even has a special butty box brought in every day.

Kelvin, who also has two sons, nine-year-old Sam and eight-year-old Ben, with wife Lindsey, said: “He likes cereal and Sugar Puffs are his favourite.

“He has his own butty box that we bring to work for him.”

He added: “In the mornings, the kids have started to eat on the stairs because he steals their breakfast.”

The Newman family rescued the chick from a Winsford building site about three weeks ago.

“One chick was dead on the floor and the nest was hanging out,” said Kelvin.

“He was squawking away in the nest and there was no sign of the parents – he wasn’t going to survive.

“He was in a bad state and wouldn’t feed so we had to force-feed him and he started to come round.

“But because he was so young, I’m now mum.”

He added: “Customers coming in, can’t believe it.

“We live near a roundabout and he goes out with the kids playing football, though he won’t go out too far, and the neighbours can’t believe it either.”

Lindsey said: “He’s so clever, I can’t believe his intelligence.

“We’ve got lots of pets – a lizard, tortoise, hamster and two dogs and he’s cleverer than all of them.”

The couple are not sure what the future has in store for Blacky Flappy but hope that eventually he will find a mate and return to the wild – though with regular return visits.

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