Last
week an indigo bunting crashed into a north window of our house and quickly
died. It was heartbreaking to see that tiny bundle of blue feathers lying
lifeless in the hosta bed. That was not the first time a bird had died from
mistaking a window for a clear flight path. In fact it can be a daily
occurrence in the spring and summer. We have come to dread the telltale thud
when a bird makes that miscalculation. When we hear it we rush to the window to
see whether the victim has survived the crash. Occasionally the bird has been temporarily stunned and can fly away after a few moments recovery, but
usually we find a corpse.
This
time we had to do something to
prevent another avian tragedy. I remembered making two photocopies of crow silhouettes.
I had meant to cut them out of black vinyl, which would cling to the window,
but I never bought the vinyl. In desperation we taped the photocopies onto the
two large front windows.
The
result is comic but effective. We haven't heard a thud since the indigo
bunting died.
Copyright 2015 by Shirley Domer
