Sunday, June 23, 2013

Baby bird drama

Well, I thought I killed a baby bird this weekend.  I drove the riding mower for the first time ever, and noticed a little bird flying up every time I passed, and flying back to the same place in the lawn every time I drove away.  And then.  On one pass I saw what looked like a dead baby bird, except it had a heartbeat.  But only a heartbeat.  No color, no feathers, just skin and heartbeat.  I would have SWORN I killed a baby bird, which was very upsetting.  Nevermind that if it was dead, it wouldn't have a heartbeat.  And why I thought it should have feathers when they're not always born with feathers.  And did I think I knocked it out of a tree 20 feet away, and then it's shell broke and disintegrated.  So, I quit mowing right there, but I did finish mowing (because you're not much of a farmer if every dead bird makes you quit mowing), and then I told my mom I thought I'd killed a baby bird.  So we went out to investigate, and I didn't kill it!  It was alive, and that kind of bird nests on the ground which explains why it was there, and I had just cut down all the grass it was hiding in which was pretty upsetting for the momma.  And she's a very good momma, because she kept going back to the baby everytime she escaped the mower blade of death.  And she let us bring her food, water and some grass to put back around her so she wouldn't feel so exposed.  The baby bird had a sibling which was lifeless, but we left it there, and today when we checked the sibling was gone.  Because sometimes even stories with a happy ending are sad as well.

This baby bird is all eyeballs and fuzz.  His skin is so transparent, you can see his heartbeat.



The Dark-Eyed Junco is a ground nester.

Cherries!  I always miss them, because as soon as they're ripe, the birds eat them!

Sunshine!

My momma's rose.

The momma woodpecker.



And the baby woodpecker!  He sounds like a squeaky toy when he's annoyed!







No comments:

Post a Comment