"Just a Drink"
by Marci B

Thanks so much for the e-mails regarding "Quiet Kill - A Brief Interlude." The more I observe birds, the more I learn and realize that life is indeed intertwined. Birds and other animals are so much like us...or are we like them?

Our hustle and bustle in the supermarket is akin to the birds foraging at feeders and on the ground. They, too, feed their young and their mates. Our feathered friends often fall to predators, and so do we. However, in the world of wildlife, most often the predator/prey relationship is for survival and not sport, or madness.

The more I observe our feathered friends, the more I sit back and marvel at their "fortitude." Here's a little tidbit...a little sad, but a touch of life and hope. Thanks to Rosemarie, I am sharing this big event about a tiny bird.

"Just a Drink"

I had observed the birds all day, and as usual it was delightful. And...of course, I was looking out for Mrs. Cooper's Hawk to shoo her away...if possible. Each bird that landed on a limb, feeder, or the ground was easily identifiable.

Suddenly, at the back of the yard on the hill in the shade, a bird flew "crazily" around the small bucket of water. I thought...what in the world is with that bird? Is it injured...What?

Finally, the bird landed on the rim of the bucket and drank several sips. It then flew to the ground and had its dinner of seeds.

I sort of put that scene out of my mind as I watched a bright, red cardinal feed its mate. How amazing, I thought.

The little bird I had forgotten about flew to a bare branch a few feet from the edge of the sloping hill and behind a feeder. I decided to take a peek at this little fella through my binoculars.

When I focused on the bird, I could not believe my eyes. I have been a citizen scientist for the Cornell Ornithology study on avian conjunctivitis since January, and here was a tiny bird with the horrible symptom - the first one I had ever seen.

Its right eye was swollen and totally shut. No wonder it had fluttered "crazily" around the water bucket. The bird had only one eye, and could not focus easily to steady itself on the bucket. The beautiful reddish/pink colors of its head, throat and chest and back stood out against this horrible blemish.

As I focused my binoculars, the juvenile, male finch turned its head and the clear, dark pupil of the good eye was a grand sight for me.

Usually the house finches visit the feeders in groups. There are at least four or five birds. But, this tiny fella was all alone. Had he been deserted, or just couldn't keep up with its family? I pondered many thoughts as this bird sat motionless on the leafless branch for at least 25 minutes...unheard of in my backyard.

The beautifully feathered bird sat and rested, all in a tiny, fluffy ball...turning its head every now and then. Most of the adult male finches are slender, but this tiny fella was plump and small--a juvenile.

I took at least four or five flash pictures of this house finch, and it never flinched. Any of my other birds would have flown away in a flash. Blindness in one eye, but still amazing.

When my daughter arrived I sadly told her about this tiny bird. "But, mama, did it get some water, and did it feed?" "Yes, it did." Her point was well taken.

If the bird survives the illness or predators, I may see it again. Perhaps, before summer ends, the eye will heal and open...perhaps. I can hope.

Plant a tree,
Marci

Writings by Marci: