A few weeks ago, after saying goodbye to my little Chihuahua, Allie, I was sitting quietly at home when an unexpected visitor stopped by my window.
Now, before I tell you about the visitor, I should probably explain something.
Birds and I are already on fairly familiar terms.
A pair of House Sparrows built a nest this spring in a ventilation outlet just outside my apartment on the third floor. For weeks, they came and went carrying bits of grass, feathers, and whatever else sparrows use when decorating a nursery. Not long ago, the young ones finally fledged. For several days afterward, the babies could often be seen perched nearby and on my windowsill itself, fluttering their wings and loudly demanding food as though they had never been fed a meal in their lives.
As a result, birds visit my windowsill rather regularly.
Sparrows stop by.
Finches stop by.
Occasionally a woodpecker appears, drilling in the bricks and mortar for insects, spiders, and insect pupae hiding in the crevices. they inspect it all with great seriousness.
Birds come and go so often that seeing one outside my window or on my window ledge is hardly unusual.
The Front Porch by James Milson 