05-DEC-2007
The eagle has landed...
I was looking for some small flowers to photograph when I heard something flapping over me then plopping into the garden bed
05-DEC-2007
Checking things out
A quick look around to get his bearings
05-DEC-2007
Are you my Mommy?
The shutter is clicking away, and he keeps moving closer and closer, seemingly unafraid of me or the big black thing in front of my face.
05-DEC-2007
The big yellow thing
A fig leaf bigger than him catches his eye. Ooooh, let's go investigate the monster!
05-DEC-2007
Cropped close up
I notice there is something wrong with his beak. He looks like Rocky Balboa! The upper beak is bent and pushed to one side. I don't know how this bird is feeding.
05-DEC-2007
Chubby one
He has followed onto the walkway to the porch. I watched as he madly pecked at what he though (hoped) might be seeds. Tomorrow I'll get him some real seeds to try. He looks chubby and well-fed from this angle. I had gone into the house to change my lens to accommodate his tendency to creep closer than my focal range. I was sure he'd fly away when I came back out, but I really think he is looking for a mommy, and I am it.
05-DEC-2007
Camouflaged
Ollie, ollie, oxen, FREE, FREE, FREE! Don't I look just like a tree up here? Almost time for a memory card change now.. and he is having fun exploring the decorative pomegranate tree by the porch. I am sure he is ready to scoot. The cats have discovered him and chased him up the tree. They are stationed below just watching and waiting, because they have seen a big b-b-b-b-bird! Not that either of them would know what to do with a bird, LOL.
05-DEC-2007
Is this my good side?
A closer look at his crooked beak. Didn't look like a recent injury, so must have happened when he was a chick. A few more shots and I want to bring the cats in to leave him in peace. Mikie the megaton is sitting by the tree trunk looking up... at nothing! Little Crooked Beak has moved closer to open sky.
05-DEC-2007
My last shot
This is the last photo I took of Little Crooked Beak. At this point, I thought he was ready to fly off, so I went into the house. I left my security screen door open because the cats were still out watching him.
In a flurry of noise I turned and saw that Little Crooked Beak had followed me into the house, followed himself by the two cats! Once birds get into an enclosed area, they have a hard time figuring out how to get back out, so it was a bit chaotic for a few minutes. I went outside and got a branch I had cut down and asked the bird to "step up" onto the branch. At this point he was nose to beak with the more agile cat. The cats really don't know what a bird is... maybe just another funny looking cat. He obediently followed my instructions ( now I really know he thinks I'm his mommy) and I was able to take him back outside.
After that he finally flew off into the sunset. I didn't see him again, but hopefully, he will come 'home' and check in with mommy another day.