Funeral in the Wood’s backyard.

Today is probably the warmest day so far this year. Sun is bright, air is still. The grass cracks under my shoes thirsting for an inch of rain. The birds are chirping squawking on my fence, and for good reason.

When I come home from work, the first thing I do is let our Springer outside to relieve herself. Normally things go off without a hitch and she comes back in to fill her stomach with cold, filtered water from our refrigerator (yes, we know she’s spoiled). Well bird dogs enjoy chasing down birds– it’s true. Today was no different for her. As soon as her feet hit the back deck, I hear birds crying out in terror that this black and white beast was coming straight for them. Typically they take off vertically so as to avoid her clamping jaws. Lucy rounded the corner of our house out of my sight and birds are going nuts… absolutely crazy. And I noticed she was a bit more intense on her charge at them. Turns out a young bird was still on the ground and Lucy went straight for it because it couldn’t take off fast enough. Bingo. Yahtzee. Poor bird had a short young life and I was unfortunate enough to watch it take its last breaths as I tore after Lucy, grabbed her by the collar and made her drop it. The only damage to the bird that I saw was a small puncture around the neck (no blood), so she must have broken its neck. Mom and Dad bird were not happy, and neither was I. And she could tell… She released the bird in a broken spirit and I guided her back inside by the collar so she wouldn’t be tempted to go for it again. (Oh, and so you know… the bird wasn’t too young, just didn’t look fully mature.)

I must say that I’ve enjoyed watching her chase the birds out of our backyard over the last few years, but things will not be the same. She has tarnished the fun. I will now do my best to warn the birds first, especially if any look young. I hate seeing an animal get hurt or die unnecessarily.

Now it’s time for the Target bag burial.

~ by Clay on May 23, 2008.