Our Interaction With Birds

Generally, we don't have that much interaction with birds that live around us. I am referring in particular, to birds that aren't pets. What has been interesting to observe in life, is that while that is true, the minute we encounter any kind of "bird situation", whatever that may be, we tend to get a little bit more involved and concerned. This may not be true across the board, but its my experience, and what I have observed in others.

Take for instance this memory. I was very young, and a fellow classmate came into school one day crying. The teacher tried to calm her, and we all finally found out that she was so concerned about a flying bird that her mother had hit with their car somehow. It was rather distressing. The mother had reassured her, that she would try to go and find the bird later and see if he was OK. I feel that way when I hit a butterfly sometimes, so I can't imagine a larger flying animal!

Our Baby Robin Experience

One day in Texas, I found this little baby bird outside my house. He was hiding among the plants and bushes, likely trying to learn to fly. I couldn't find his mother or nest or anything else, but I knew he was probably trying to learn to fly.

I recall feeling sorry for him, and knew that even if I could find his nest, it wouldn't be good to touch him as the mother wouldn't like to have the scent of a human on him/her. I wanted to get a picture though, to remember him by.

I am amazed at how sad he looks in this picture! He looks so serious and I guess life is pretty serious right about then for him. He needs to learn quickly, for there are cats about that would like to make him their lunch. The look on his face seems to almost say, "Man, life is tough outside the nest!" Granted, he wasn't thinking that, but we can imagine how quickly life does change to being rather easy, to very hard and dangerous for a baby bird!

Our Cardinal Story

We had a little shed in the backyard. One day to my boys horror, there was a little dead cardinal inside. It was so distressing, once we realize he had gotten in there somehow, and couldn't get out. Maybe I am just to much of a "feeling" person or something, but it was very sad to think about it! The boys and there neighborhood friend came to get me after a little while. They had made a little gravestone out of a large rock, found some red paint, and painted on these words, "RIP Cardinal." They then had a little "service" for this bird, and buried him properly with stone at the head of his little backyard grave. It actually was very sweet to treat him with a little proper burial somehow.

Another Cardinal Story

Sorry if this one is a bit sadder to read about. This is a testament to how some birds mate for life. Once, after a bad storm in Texas, we woke up one day to find a dead cardinal in the driveway. It was a female. That happens, and life goes on, but what I saw after was what got to me. The male cardinal, which likely was her mate, didn't want to leave her. He kept hopping around her, and flying up to the fences surrounding the driveway. It was as if he couldn't take the truth of what he was seeing. This will get to you if you ever see it! Oh my heart was saddened by what these beautiful birds were going through.

I know I can "over personalize" some of these things, and I know animals don't feel so much, but clearly it almost seems they do feel something. Surely you aren't that different from me, and have your own bird stories to tell or animal stories that vary a bit from my own that tugged at your heart strings.

One thing to take from it all, is that life is precious and we can try to enjoy the beauty around us as much as we can. It makes me smile to see people caring for birds with bird feeders and watering dishes and the like. I plant some flowers every year that the birds love to come and get the seeds from. They like the zinnias and the sunflowers a lot. Feeling thankful for the birds today that live around me.

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