Animals on Parade - Kingfisher

Big pro on living out in the middle of nowhere: Lots of wildlife

Big con on living out in the middle of nowhere: Lots of wildlife

Okay, this was a big PRO moment. Not an icky "protected" bug or yucky "introduced by Europeans" vermin moment.

Beau came home from work the other day, and Tonks and I went out to greet him as we often do. Through the windshield, he was motioning to me, but the glare made it hard to see. Something was in his hand.....

A birdie!

It was this beautiful little kingfisher. Beau was coming up our driveway, which is impossibly long and improbably steep and had to slam on his breaks and pull the emergency break all the way out to his chin. (It's an old truck, you pull this lever toward your face).

He picked up the birdie, and in some way I still can't quite comprehend, got the truck back up the driveway and up to the house, one hand on the wheel, one hand holding the bird.

We ooh'd and ahh'd it for awhile, but finally decided that it didn't seem to be dying or hurt after all and that maybe we should return it to the bush. So, we walked back down the driveway slowly, looking for an appropriate place of deposit. Problem, our kitty Fern also decided this was a good time to follow us. And since I've already picked up the poor, dead body of a starling she nabbed, I wasn't keen on her getting this one. We shooed her off several times before she finally... shooed.

And just to be cute, as the bird held its mouth open for a bit, Beau stuck his finger gently in the middle and made this face. Just so you don't think we pried its beak open or whatever...
So, the little kingfisher went back into the forest and we went back up the hill. We checked the next day to see if either there was a dead bird or a pile of colorful feathers but it looked like it went on happily with its life.

Our theory is that it must have clonked itself kooky temporarily. The way a kingfisher makes its nest is to fly, full speed, at a log and stab into it with its sharp beak. After doing that a few times, it begins to make a hole to make its nest in. I can't imagine that doesn't occasionally knock the senses right out of a kingfisher or two.

Hopefully, it's out and about and living up to its name.