May 23, 2010

Early morning encounter with nature

This morning I woke up to a baby robin trying to fly into my room.  It hooked its feet onto my screen and was flapping around.  After it gave up it fell into the bush below the window.  I took my screen out in an attempt to reach it and pick it up but it was a foot too far away.  So then I went down onto my deck and climbed onto the railing and the baby bird was close enough to reach.  I didn't want to grab it to take it down from the tree; It needed to learn how to do that by itself. But I reached up and it wasn't at all afraid of me.  I usually avoid eye contact with wild animals (you've seen the movies...eye contact scares them) but this bird wasn't scared when I made eye contact so I put my hand right in front of its stomach and it didn't flinch.  So then I stroked its wings really lightly and it seemed to like me. I stood there stoking its back for a few minutes and then took the risk and pet its stomach.  Just petting its wings is a risk because it makes them feel like they can't fly away but petting their stomach means you're closer to their more vulnerable areas. I named the bird Lucinda : ) After a while I think it was ready to fly again.  It took off and flew to a tree across the yard.  I just hope that if it comes back it will remember me.