More bird stories

Yesterday, after the Cooper's Hawk caught breakfast, probably in my backyard, I continued to watch the birds at the feeders. They slowly returned and before long the feeders were filled with birds. They'd fly in to the feeders and then out and off. All of a sudden one small yellow finch flew into our sliding glass door. It lay on the ground, stunned. My cat was sooo excited and wanted out. My dog was glued to the screen. I moved the cat and dog and went out to check on the bird. It was lifeless. I felt so sad. Again, trying to feed birds had cost one it's life. So I used a small shovel and scooped it up and laid it under a tree behind my fence. When I went back to look a few minutes later the bird was gone. Gone. I have no idea where or how or why. Maybe I just couldn't find it under the tree. Maybe something took it. Maybe it flew off. Who knows.

Later I saw my cat and dog looking out the other screen door, the front door. This screen door is heavy duty, a security door. I wondered what the cat and dog were looking at. So I wandered over. Yes, you guessed it, a bird. I have no idea how this house wren ended up in the corner between our house and the screen door. But it didn't look good. I pulled the dog and cat inside the wood door hoping that the wren would fly away. Later, when we went out to walk the dogs we saw the wren, clearly dead, a few feet away from where I last saw it.

So peculiar, a day of life and death, of feeding and being fed, of saving life and giving up life, of hope and sadness. I am crafting my own response to the changes here. I am working with the staff to help them understand and be prepared for the questions and concerns they will get. Because the staff are all members of the parish, they will hear things. The staff is all on board and good to go. Then, when the vestry meets we will continue to craft a response, written if necessary.

No death today, just life....and hope.