Part of my deck is screened in.

I have 2 bird feeders on the deck and there are times when a little bird gets confused and flies into the screened-in section. A little chicka-dee found herself in such a predicament 2 days ago- flying into an area of 3 walls of no escape, and one section open to the world.

She had a one in 4 chance of easily making it out.


I stood at the kitchen window and watched her for a moment. My first impulse was to dash outside and help, but I waited. I watched her fly towards the screen and perch on it, then she looked towards the left, then the right, and then seemed to ponder. She next flew to a chair a few feet away, and again she looked left, then right, and paused for a moment.

For a tiny bird brain she seemed to be doing a lot of thinking.

Again she flew to the closest way out, but a screen kept her in. She flew back to the chair and re-grouped. In my heart I was shouting, "Little one, the way out is so close! What you want is right before you!"

Again she flew towards the screen and found herself trapped.

I felt my pulse rise slightly. Knowing I could set her right was foremost in my thoughts. I stepped away from the kitchen window and walked towards the living room to the deck door- but I was always looking through the windows and keeping an eye on her.

Before I reached the door she landed back on the chair- looked straight ahead, found her way out, and flew towards freedom without my help.

For a second I was that tiny bird.

looking, wondering...

♥