Walking home from the bus, I was nearly accosted by a dive-bombing blue jay. I hadn't registered its erradic--seemingly drunken--flight until it was almost too close for me to jump out of the way.
When it landed in a nearby bush, it began making this horrible squawking noise. Now, I've grown up around lots of birds, and I know what sounds blue jay's make...this was different. It was desperate and lonely. The bird was flapping and bobbling in the bush, and curiosity compelled me to take a closer look.
At two feet from the bird, I saw it's downy feathers, it's suprisingly small stature for a blue jay, and realized it was a baby, probably taking its first flight.
I gasped upon this realization, and in response, the frightened bird turned its head around, now staring me in the eyes, and continued its pained screeching. I said a couple of words to it, and (I'm not making this up) it would be quiet until I finished, and then answer me, all the while begging me for help with its eyes.
Had I not been taught as a child that a mother bird can smell human on her baby, if you touch it, and may, therefore, reject that baby; had I not learned that early on in my life, I would have comforted this little bird.
Instead, I wished it well and moved on, hearing his cries all the way to my front door. And no mother to be found anywhere! I had half expected her to dive-bomb my head while I was standing so close to the baby in the bush.
I do love wildlife and think that I will miss the birds, deer, foxes, groundhogs, and rabbits that are everywhere when I move to Arizona.
4 comments:
That's quite a story, Lana! I can just see you talking to the baby bird.
Good news, though, in case you ever find another baby bird in trouble. Check out Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/babybird.asp
Who knew?
Thanks for the link. My only problem with it was this phrase:
"nor will they refuse to set on eggs "
to set on, I could be wrong, but would it not be to sit on. Maybe I don't know the language as well as I thought.
In an apartment I lived in several years ago, a bird built a nest in the crook between my bathroom screen and crank-outward window. Watching these little ones hatch and become whole was one of the neatest experiences of my life! :)
How heartbreaking for that baby bluejay to be left all alone and defenseless against the world. I can only guess where his mother was: enjoying the calm, peace and black oil sunflower seeds that exists only in Steve Gottschalk's bird sanctuary.
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