Such sadness at the passing of this beautiful female Black-Headed Grosbeak. I hold her now still form with my fingertips still dented from early morning guitar-playing.
After she flew at full speed into our sliding glass door, I initially thought she might have simply stunned herself, but within a minute or two of impact she stopped breathing and was gone.
Honored her with a song and prayer on one of my flutes and a burial in the desert. Back to the dust we all eventually go ...
(photo credit: Paul Barnes)