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TO  SAVE  A  MOCKINGBIRD

1/27/2017

8 Comments

 
Picture
A small bird emerged from the far side of the meadow, swept across the clearing, and landed on my shoulder just as a stranger appeared. 

His eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair. “How did you do that?”
I struggled not to laugh. “Easy. I just called Birrr-Deee.” Then I walked back into the woods.

The mockingbird on my shoulder pecked at my earlobe and I gave him a snack from my pocket. I had found him as a tiny pink hatchling with no feathers, merely tiny sheaths like plastic straws. I searched for a nest, but found only the remnants left after the storm. I hid and watched, but no mother bird appeared. 

Picture
​The baby bird looked fearlessly into my eyes and I knew I couldn’t just leave him there. So I fixed up a box with straw and a heating lamp. I called him “Birdy”, unwilling to give a better name since I doubted he would live. I fed him constantly, whenever I wasn’t working as a swimming instructor or lifeguard at the community pool. And he grew feathers.

He hopped and flapped his wings but tried little else. So I helped him learn to fly. One day he flew away, as I had hoped. He was free. 
​
I knew he might still need supplements as he tried new foods in the forest, so I carried snacks with me and called to him in the nearby meadow, using the 
same two “bir-dy” call notes. He often came to my call, and it felt magical.  

8 Comments
Chris Jones
1/27/2017 06:14:48 pm

Wow, that would be magical. Love this story, thank you for sharing with us 😊

Reply
J.S. Burke
1/27/2017 08:12:57 pm

Thank you for reading it! :)

Reply
Valerie Hemlin
1/28/2017 04:35:10 pm

I LOVE that story! I wish i could have seen his face!

Reply
J.S. Burke
1/28/2017 04:40:42 pm

Thank you! He had a wonderful facial expression. :)

Reply
JanaCoyote
1/30/2017 04:52:41 am

I like it - but there's room for more here.

Reply
J.S. Burke
1/30/2017 04:05:05 pm

Thank you! What would your like me to add?

Reply
Crispian Thurlborn link
5/14/2017 09:06:01 pm

I've had this shelved for a number of months now and finally got round to reading it today. Great. Lovely description. Very visual.

Reply
J. S. Burke
5/16/2017 08:05:25 pm

Thank you! I enjoyed this experience.

Reply



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