Day of strange birds
Oct. 7th, 2005 07:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zdashamberAs I was finishing up photographing a gel at work today, I looked out the huge floor-to-ceiling window that fronts the hall and saw a bird lying on the pavement of the deck. I hurried the gel upstairs, grabbed new gloves, and hurried back down. The bird had alas been dead for a few hours.
It was very pretty, a small warbler/sparrow shaped bird with a bright yellow throat and white underparts, and brown and white on the wings, and green-brown on the back. It was in perfect shape. A couple of my friends at work who were in the lunchroom came out to see it, and we determined to lay it to rest in the landscaping, and did so after saying some words over it.
I entered the gel info and drove home. Turning up my street, I hit the brakes. That's a sandpiper, I thought. It was running into the street to avoid some people walking on the sidewalk, and then it ran into my lane to avoid a car coming the other direction. I moved forward slowly, and it ran in front of me. An impatient car appeared behind me. I waved to point to the sandpiper, off to the left now, and she took it as a "go ahead" wave; the sandpiper took flight and avoided her, too, at which point I parked and walked back down the hill.
I saw it in the windway between two buildings, and chased it at slow walking pace to the end of that, away from the street, where there was a small parking lot surrounded by apartments. It seemed to be angling towards the driveway that lead back to the street, so I retreated and then came down that driveway to chase it into the corner of the parking lot farthest from traffic, and closest to Lake Merrit, which is the only place nearby where it might find food. I imagine it came from Lake Merrit originally, though I've seen nothing but Canadian geese, Mallards, and cormorants there... I gather on the other end it becomes tidal marshes, though.
But to get back to there, the sandpiper would have to run across Grand Avenue, a major road. It was lost, well and truly lost. I hope it decided to settle down and wait until rush hour was over. I fear for its chances crossing Grand in the dark, too, though.
What signifies this abundance of neat birds? I thought to myself.
Apparently, it signifies "Your hot water heater has failed again." :)
It was very pretty, a small warbler/sparrow shaped bird with a bright yellow throat and white underparts, and brown and white on the wings, and green-brown on the back. It was in perfect shape. A couple of my friends at work who were in the lunchroom came out to see it, and we determined to lay it to rest in the landscaping, and did so after saying some words over it.
I entered the gel info and drove home. Turning up my street, I hit the brakes. That's a sandpiper, I thought. It was running into the street to avoid some people walking on the sidewalk, and then it ran into my lane to avoid a car coming the other direction. I moved forward slowly, and it ran in front of me. An impatient car appeared behind me. I waved to point to the sandpiper, off to the left now, and she took it as a "go ahead" wave; the sandpiper took flight and avoided her, too, at which point I parked and walked back down the hill.
I saw it in the windway between two buildings, and chased it at slow walking pace to the end of that, away from the street, where there was a small parking lot surrounded by apartments. It seemed to be angling towards the driveway that lead back to the street, so I retreated and then came down that driveway to chase it into the corner of the parking lot farthest from traffic, and closest to Lake Merrit, which is the only place nearby where it might find food. I imagine it came from Lake Merrit originally, though I've seen nothing but Canadian geese, Mallards, and cormorants there... I gather on the other end it becomes tidal marshes, though.
But to get back to there, the sandpiper would have to run across Grand Avenue, a major road. It was lost, well and truly lost. I hope it decided to settle down and wait until rush hour was over. I fear for its chances crossing Grand in the dark, too, though.
What signifies this abundance of neat birds? I thought to myself.
Apparently, it signifies "Your hot water heater has failed again." :)