I love how comfortable the wild birds here are with me. Whatever I am doing they just go about their way so I can walk right among them, which is wonderful. While getting pretty close is easy, still, sometimes a little moment stands out. Like today, walking to the mail box, when a Carolina Wren stayed on her branch as I walked up, and just watched me as I came within a couple feet, and there we stood. Then after a bit, she turned, and hopped away to another perch. Simply very still.
Moments that stand out aren't all like that. I came upon a Junco in the driveway that seemed ill- acting like a fledgling that couldn't quite fly. Slowly he did take off, and in a very low arc flew around me and straight into the basement window- not at a great speed, but Rionach was sitting on the sill right beneath and so grabbed him when he fell. I have never seen her, even with much watching, hunt birds- she much prefers rabbits, which given her small size I find amazing- but this one fell into her lap, so I can't blame her. I did try to get him back in case he was still alive- often they are- but I think this one died hitting the window or pavement, his neck was already broken. To see one so close, holding the cat as she choked him down... was striking. And oddly peaceful.
Also- it perhaps is standard feline diet to eat with hardly any chewing the whole bird with all those feathers, but it seemed to me like rather a lot of keratin. But then, what do I know?
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