Klunk

Klunk. I cringed when I heard the sound. I pushed myself away from my computer and walked outside to check. Sure enough, a bird had hit my office window. This time the victim was a male hummingbird. I frowned, walked closer. His tail feathers quivered slightly.

Maybe there's a chance, I thought, remembering that my usual rescue attempt hadn't worked for a pileated woodpecker two months ago. I fetched a basket from the screen porch, took it outside and covered the hummer. I left the basket there for an hour, then lifted it.

I heard the whir of hummer's wings in the basket, and a moment later he flew out and straight up to a tree branch. I smiled, watched hummer fly to the feeder, then I came inside the house.

A female hummer at my bird feeder last month.

I don't know why putting a basket or cardboard box over downed birds usually works, but it does. Wish it had worked for the pileated woodpecker. I looked up pileated woodpeckers in one of my bird books and learned that they usually mate for life. That makes his death even sadder. I hope his wife found another mate.