Sunday, June 15, 2014

Dark week

   As if it weren't bad enough that Aki dispatched of a mouse earlier this week (and pointed out another in a trap), we had another situation this morning. The thunderstorms had moved through the area, and the dogs were enjoying the cool weather hanging out on the deck.
   I was in the living room doing some work, when I noticed the sound of birds in distress. I went out into the yard, followed closely by Aki, to investigate. There were two brown birds chirping wildly, and getting surprisingly close to me. They were jumping between low branches of trees and the top of the fence, talking to each other.
   In the blink of an eye, Aki jumped behind the woodpile and snapped. I knew instinctively that it was all over: she had already caught and killed something. Turns out it was a fledgling bird, who must've fallen from the nest in the Mulberry tree this morning.
   It was the same bird species that dad and I noticed just outside my family room window, earlier this week. He thinks it's a type of thrush. I'm online looking at all the potential candidates, and it looks much like a type of thrush, though not exactly like any of the photos. It might be a Wood Thrush, or a Veery? The differences are that my birds' tails are longer, and the birds are more slender than fat-bodied. They are a beautiful, rich cinnamon color, with spots on their chest.
   Whatever they are, they're beautiful, and it hurts my heart that there is one less in the world now, thanks to my killer dog.

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