This morning I opened the ranch sliders and as I stepped outside I looked down on the deck at a Silvereye or Waxeye and had one of those strange moments when one is transfixed. The bird didn't fly away but was plainly aware of my presence. I suddenly realised that it must have flown into the glass of the ranch sliders and was at least concussed. I closed the doors and left it to it on the grounds that any attempt to help it would almost certainly lead to heart failure through fear. After quite a while it was looking even more distressed and I assumed that it was dying. I have to say that I was quite upset at the suffering but there was nothing I could really do. And then it suddenly came to life and hopped off the deck and perched in the cover of the lavender bushes below the deck. An hour later it was gone.
It gave me to think on the fragility of life - a subject touched on in quite a few blogs recently.
And also on the illogicality of the human. In this particular case, me. One minute I had been, grieving over a suffering bird. Then, quite without provocation but because they are an invasive immigrant species which I dislike, I killed two Paper Wasps.
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I know what you mean, I'd have reacted the same. Last spring I spoon-fed a dying butterfly on my balcony, while I have no hesitation to kill a wasp...
ReplyDeleteYes, we are a contradictory species, aren't we!
ReplyDeleteI am truly glad the bird recovered.
Poor bird. And even 'poorer' paper wasps!!
ReplyDeleteWho are we to try to figure all that out? We're flawed, on so many levels. I would have reacted the same exact way!
ReplyDeleteSickly birda will always get me. I have picked them up from the middle of the road to try to help them recover. Some do, some don't.
Here in Texas, I am thoroughly enjoying the Cardinals, a little red bird with an incredible vocabulary!
Cute little waxeye - glad he recovered. You know me, I don't give a second thought to such human contradictions - I just accept the limits to my compassion - and it never extends to wasps and spiders.
ReplyDeleteIt is usually best to leave animals to try and recover, although it can be hard to do it, as one can feel guilty if they die, then. I'm glad it worked out in this case.
ReplyDeleteThanks all. I agree Jenny and usually leave them to nature. I have moved things off roads though and I even steeled myself to kill an animal which had been run over but was still alive and writhing. That was one of the most horrible things I've had to do to be kind.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot!!! Certainly is a LOOOOONG shadow!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty little bird, with that white eye ring. I get the dichotomy here, GB. I too am a lover of all creatures, but had no compunction about flushing a large, biting spider that popped out of my laundry basket recently.
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