Blue Sky Spring
Learning a little something about being a first responder and reacting to a creature in distress.
One day I kept hearing a strange rattling noise in our house but every time I approached where I thought the noise came from, it became silent. Was something or someone in trouble? I didn’t know. Then I saw an unexpected surprise. A bird, a Northern Flicker, was trapped inside the glass enclosure of our fireplace, fearful for its life. Somehow it had come down the chimney but couldn’t get out. Seeing freedom on the other side of the glass caused it to fly toward daylight, only to encounter the glass and be forced back. Robin my wife came home just then. We surveyed the situation and knew the only way to help the bird was to open the enclosure. Sure enough, when we opened it and retreated a few steps down the hall, the flicker made a beeline for the living room window. Free at last, or so it thought, but it couldn’t fly through that glass either. We took a large towel and gently covered the bird, now frantic to escape from us. We carefully cradled it and took it outside, setting it on the ground, then pulled the towel toward us. Once the towel came away, the flicker quickly disappeared into the park across the street. Success! Bird rescued without injury!
Flickers are very colorful and I just had to paint one because of this unusual experience. It taught me a little something about being a first responder and reacting to a creature in distress.
