Diary 12/12/13

For the last few years, I have been painting the windows so that birds don't see the reflection and run into it. I have some random hangings in front of the windows in the worst spots. I rescued a bird such as this one, maybe a little larger, a female Towhee, the other day after she hit a window. She was on her side with one leg stretched out strangely, but breathing through an open and closing beak. I have developed a program for such birds. Shock can kill them more quickly than anything, so I do as little to disturb them as possible. I set them upright in a protected site, in this case the sun was out, so I found a sunny corner where I set a box with the bird sitting with head leaning on the box edge. I think they are disorientated, and after all they have a concussion. Then I leave it up to nature for the bird to recover, which has been better odds than bringing them inside to weird noises, a sniffing dog, and curious cats. After checking her once after an hour, her leg was back under her and she was looking about bright-eyed. The next time I checked, the sun was gone and I was worried I might have to re situate her, but success and her departure made it unnecessary. I will take my window paint out and draw some snow scenes when it warms up.