The birds in the ‘hood were going crazy yesterday. I heard birds I’ve never heard before. I saw the nesting pair of red shoulder hawks that live in the woods nearby. I captured a photo this week of a yellow-bellied sapsucker. Sometimes when I capture a bird’s call on the Merlin app on my phone, it says it’s very rare in our area. In that case, I try to catch the call again and get a visual sighting.
I’m really not all that knowledgeable about birds. I just have a passing knowledge and I know where to look them up. This app really helps. This weekend the the Annual Audubon Bird Count. Maybe one of these days, I’ll take the time to be a part of that. In the meantime, I love our little feathered friends.
I was sitting in the recliner knitting yesterday morning when Mr. FixIt caught my attention. He was standing outside the storm door waving at me and motioning me to come outside. When I opened the door, he pointed down and there was a male downy woodpecker sitting on the sidewalk…stunned. He had flown into the storm door. I need to put decals on that door to keep them from hitting it.
I gently scooped up the little critter and went over to sit on the steps leading up to the deck. His head was precariously tipped to one side, his eyes were moving with nystagmus which indicates dizziness, his beak was slightly open. He printed rapidly and one eye wasn’t as open as the other. I held him gently and let him rest. I whispered to him. I asked God to heal this little creature.
At one point, his eyes closed and he went limp. His little head lolled over against my thumb and I held my breath as I watching his. I started talking to him and told him what a big, brave little bird he was and that I really wanted him to fly again. He suddenly took two big breaths, shuddered and….opened his eyes! I cheered him on and he picked up his head. I stroked his head and said I’d take my cue from him.
About two minutes later, he moved his feet under him and pushed up against my fingers. I opened my hand and off he went…first to the porch railing, then to brush behind the building, and finally up into his favorite maple tree! Hooray! I was so happy to see him fly away. Mr. FixIt and I both went in to wash our hands. We moved the feeders around a little because one of the hooks wasn’t strong enough to hold two feeders when they were full.
My sweetheart went to town in the afternoon and I worked on the shawl I’m knitting with the new yarn I bought Tuesday. It is a much more complex pattern for a lacy, airy wrap that I’ll take with me to Colorado in May. I had to tune out any extraneous noises by listening to the recording of a fireplace that I love writing to.
The moon is bright and the skies have been clear the last couple of nights. I played with the camera on my new iPhone. It takes night photos which is SO awesome!
It was 65° yesterday so I went “camping” out in the Big Birdhouse last night. We bought new camp chairs a couple of weeks ago. I moved the table top and set up the chair in it’s place in the camper so I could sit and knit. Well, after about 20 minutes, one of the hinges on the new chair broke. I looked carefully and it was made out of plastic! How frustrating to spend $50 for a camp chair and it broke like that. We’ll take both of them back to Sam’s and get a refund!
❤️
“Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.”
Psalm 104:12 ESV