cardinal

This afternoon while I was playing with Audrey and Julian in our living room, I saw a blur come toward the window and thunk into the glass, then crookedly fly off a few yards away. I was hoping the little bird was okay when I saw my cat, Stevie Wonder, haul ass in the direction of the fallen bird and come back a few seconds later with his prize catch in his mouth.

I ran outside to see if the bird was still alive, and if it was, how badly it had been hurt by the fall and probably now by my cat trying to murder it. So I yelled, "DROP IT!!" And I swear to you, that cat gave me a look of pure hatred, but he dropped it. Then he backed up a few feet and glared at me while I gently picked up the little bird to examine it.


A young cardinal! And when I inspected him (her?) more closely, I saw that he didn't appear to have any major injuries. Just some ruffled feathers and a little blood on his face from where he bumped into the glass. I brought him through the house to the back yard away from the cat and set him down on the deck. He was breathing hard and his little mouth was wide open, so I got him a small cup of water. I don't know....to drink. Or bathe in. Just wanted to be hospitable to my little patio guest.



For size reference, here he is by my hand. (Eeew. Why does my hand look like it's 100 year old?) Also, he must have been so scared because he dropped the grossest adolescent bird deuce on my hand right before I set him down. Hands were immediately washed, and then I grabbed the camera.

I also glanced over and saw a dead cicada nearby on the deck, so I scooted it over to the water bowl area with a leaf. My hospitality knows no bounds, people. Come to my house and I will give you food and drink.






Then I went inside and Audrey and I watched from the kitchen back door. She really wanted to go out and touch the bird, and even brought her little shoes to me, shrieking and pointing outside. The lady really connects with animals.



Julian, on the other hand, told me it was "totally gross" to bring a bird into the house and wanted nothing to do with it, and went right back to watching television because today was the last day of his summer vacation and he was determined to get the absolute most out of television before it vanishes from his life during the school year.

Audrey and I stayed and watched our cardinal for a while, and then went back to playing. When I checked about 10 minutes later, he had gone. I hope he was able to catch his breath for a bit and then take off back to his family. I wonder what kind of story he's telling them tonight...