A Crazy Rescue!

So what happened to the bird stuck in our stovepipe? 

After waiting all afternoon for him to drop into the fire box, we finally figured out he was trapped behind the flue. 

So there was nothing to do but hold the flue halfway open, reach up, and try to force him to make a move. 

Not an easy thing to do if you aren’t a contortionist.  So I asked my little guy to hold the flashlight for me.

Abandoning the camera, the two of us squeezed together into the small opening of the stove to see what we could do.

What followed would surely have won us a prize on AFV.   

I saw a little black head with two beady eyes, and then whoosh!  

Out came the (decidedly uncooperative) bird in a scurry just missing my head.  Definitely a starling.

Unfortunately, my little guy was busy with the flashlight…instead of holding the front door open.

So we had a casualty. This mosquito got plastered on the glass as the starling literally bounced off the front door in a puff of soot.  Neither the bird, nor the bug knew what hit them.  Lol! 

Like I said, it wasn’t pretty. 

The bird continued his frantic flight around the living room, trailing dust like a wounded bomber.

After a second smack into the (still not open) front door, he dropped to the floor like a rock. 

I thought he might have broken his neck because he didn’t move again.  And I felt bad for him.  But I was also a little annoyed.  Why did he have to pick my stove pipe, when we have perfectly good trees ALL OVER THE YARD?  Silly thing!

I carried the dazed (yet nicely compliant) bird outside. 

Then we watched to see if he would recover, keeping a sharp look-out for the cats. 

The bird lay perfectly still for several minutes and naturally, my little guy took advantage of the its stupor to feel its silky feathers. 

I went for my camera, and took this picture a split second before the crazy starling woke up, and flew directly at my head.  For the second time. 

Crazy bird!

So, he lives to fly another day, apparently none the worse for his ordeal.

We appreciated him killing that mosquito for us.  :)

But I sure hope he finds a tree to build his nest in!