A Bird in Hand...

In the past couple of years, I've begun to do some bird watching. I never realized how many absolutely beautiful birds there are in upstate New York. Looking at them through binoculars allows one to see the wonderful colors and fantastic detail the Lord created in them.

Some of them, like Mourning Doves, are easy to observe as they like to sit still for long periods of time on telephone wires. Others, like Cardinals, tend to hang out in bushes and thick tree tops. They are skittish and flit about frequently. For me, that means the second I locate him with my binoculars is the second he flies!

This morning, I went out on my back porch to find a sweet little Chickadee trying desperately to get back outside. I thought if I opened the window he had landed near, perhaps he would fly out of it. Well, wouldn't it be my luck, there was a wasp sitting on the window latch. Yes, he got me right in the finger!

When I jumped, so did the bird. He ended up stuck between the window and the screen... poor little thing. I reached down and was actually able to pick him up! Well, I was afraid to hold him too tightly and he got away from me, but still couldn't find his way out of the porch. He landed elsewhere, but what were the odds I could pick him up again? I was shocked when he actually let me! To me, it was amazing to hold a wild bird in my hand... to see the detail of his markings without the binoculars! I brought him to the open window and opened my hand. Happily, he flew out, across the yard and landed high up in a leafy tree.

So, IS a bird in hand worth two in the bush? Most definitely!