Another Day, Another Bird

 

It happened again, I thought I'd passed the test the first time, but it appears that was just a warm up.  Remember a few months ago the episode with the dead pigeon, well yesterday it was a beautiful Western Rosella.

I called in to check on my friend on the way home from work. As I entered his house I asked him how he was. His reply was "I'm both happy and sad" and with that he walked me to the kitchen and drew my attention to the very deceased Rosella resting in an empty plastic food tray on the sink. We talked about how pretty it was and he mentioned that he thought that a hawk may have knocked it out of the sky. 

So I suggested that we bury it to which he responded that he'd like to get it stuffed. "It's a good specimen and you don't see many of these anymore" I said I'd take it to someone and that we should put it in a paper bag and I'd find someone who could stuff it and drop it off to them. So the bird along with the tray it was resting in was carefully lowered into a paper bag and placed in the boot of my car. 

He thanked me for being so gracious and helpful! I suggested that we go to his favourite cafe for a coffee. By the time I took him home the memory of the bird was gone. 

Given the state of the bird and the lack of taxidermists nearby on the way back to my house I detoured past a bin at a local dog park, which I knew would be emptied first thing in the morning. As I walked towards the bin, I thanked the bird for its beauty and apologised for it's method of disposal. 

I wonder how many more deceased birds he'll find. But as long as he still sees the beauty in them and has the capacity to care enough to take them home, I'll keep dealing with them.

Lib xxx

Photo Credit:  https://rewildperth.com.au/resource/western-rosella/

Birds and Things

Most afternoons we sit on his back porch watching the birds in the trees along his fence. It's summer here and as the day cools the little birds flock to his trees to catch some bugs and play for a while. It's the same time everyday, generally between 6 and 6.30pm, that they begin to appear. Blue Wrens, Yellow Wing Honey Eaters, Green Honey Eaters, Silver Eyes, Swallows and Willy Wag Tails, all congregate like kids in a multicultural school yard. Occasionally the big kids, the Green Parrots or  Pink and Grey Galahs join them. They sit and joyfully chirp in a leafless Buddlea tree that is slowly coming back to life. We watch them dart around and catch bugs on the wing. Bird hour is an event and he's always lined up waiting for it

The conversation with my friend is always similar, always on repeat over the course of the 45 mins that we spectate the wonders of nature

" wow there are so many birds"

" did you see that one" 

" I think that was a Hawk"

" I'm glad we kept that tree. We can't ever cut it down" 

I wonder what he thinks about on the evenings I'm unable to join him.

Recently there's a new comment.... A week ago I hung 2 bird feeders from the tree, one for water the other for seed. The birds are slowly becoming accustomed to them. But my friend has forgotten who hung them other than it was a young lady who did it. I tell him it was me but his brain is no longer connecting the images. 

I've started taking photos to capture the moments for later when it will be something to talk about, a story to tell him even if he doesn't remember. 

I'm learning to slow down and stop and share the moments with him. They will be gone all too soon.