I Love Birds and So Does She

When I was little I had a fascination and love for birds. I still do as an adult. I asked my parents for a bird over and over and over and over and over (get the picture?) and over again. I think I could safely say that I didn't have a pet owning family so getting a bird might not happen. So I took things into my own hands. I was probably around 7 years old when I decided and told my parents I was going to catch a bird on my own. I remember asking them, "If I catch a bird, can I keep it?" They might not say that they said I could keep it if I caught one, but I KNOW they did.

My mission began to catch my own bird. Thank goodness for the hours I spent watching The Tom and Jerry cartoon which provided me with the ideas needed to catch a bird. Tom was always trying to catch Jerry and Tweety. It was a Sunday in the dead of winter in Utah so it was cold outside. My dad had built a very cool and large bird feeder in our back yard that always had birds feeding. So I gathered a box with a lid, a string tied to a stick, seed, large sledding tube and a blanket. I took the box with the lid and put it upside down. I lifted the box up just enough to balance the stick that was tied with a string to prop the box open. I then put seed under the box for bait. Guided the string to the corner of the house about 15 feet away and plopped myself down on the sledding tube wrapped in the blanket waiting for the birds to come.  For MY BIRD to come.

I remember how excited my tummy got when the first bird jumped under the box and started eating the seed. It was going to work! I pulled the string, but the box didn't fall quick enough to catch the bird. After several attempts (with 10 minutes between each time for the birds to come back) I realized that the box lid was not heavy enough so I put a rock on top of the box thinking the extra weight would make the box close quicker.  I used playdough to hold the rock in place on top of the box. The weight of the rock seemed to help, but those little birds would get out of the way pretty quick. I even moved the string up and down the stick to see if it would help the speed. I remember feeling pretty discouraged after sitting out there for 3-4 hours and it becoming dusk. It was sooo cold! Once the sun starts to leave the birds fly away. I had to wait until the next day.

I had school that Monday and remember wanting to come home asap to work on catching my bird again. I think my parents were pretty surprised how diligent I was about getting myself a bird and working this hard as a 7 year old. I had dance that day and had to get my dance clothes on before I could start working on my capture. I remember thinking that it might help if the string was shorter, the box might close faster. The only problem with this is that the birds would see me anywhere else in the yard and never come. I decided to bring the string through the slider door to the house and lower the blinds so the birds couldn't see me.

I laid low on the floor with butterflies in my tummy waiting for those birds to come back. Here they come. One hops over to the box. He is feeding on the seed around the stick. Not quite in the box yet. Oh, he is going in the box. (My tummy is tickling thinking about it now!) He is in there! I pull the string as hard as I can and the box falls. All the other birds fly away and I squeal to my mom, "I think I caught a bird. MOM, I think I caught a bird!" I went outside and guess what? I caught myself a bird! I was so excited and happy that I did it. I know my mom was SHOCKED! If I could translate what she was thinking in my words, she would be saying in her own mind, "Oh crap! She caught a bird! Now what!!" I wanted to take the bird inside, but she wouldn't let me. We needed to leave for dance so I put the box containing the bird in the garage and off I went. Dance class took forever! I wanted to get home to my bird. When I got home, my mom told me the bird still needed to wait outside until my dad got home. I remember watching through the front windows waiting for his car to drive up so I could show him my bird. Once he was home, I ran outside to show him that I caught a bird. You could hear the bird fluttering around in the box. I'm pretty sure he was thinking the same thing my mom was thinking to herself and also SHOCKED I caught a bird.

He told me that outside birds have disease and that I wouldn't be able to bring the bird into the house. It sounds awful, but I don't remember being overly disappointed, sad, not angry or the "I will need therapy later mad." My dad walked me to the back yard and I let the bird go. He flew away...he was gone.

Well, it was November when this all happened and Christmas was right around the corner. I woke up Christmas morning to the prettiest turquoise hand fed parakeet from Santa Claus. I couldn't have been more pleased or excited! The best present I ever got! I named him Bud. How did Santa know I wanted a bird so badly when I never thought to ask him for one. Thanks Santa!

Ok...this long story about my childhood does apply to these pictures. Well, my sweet Sydney has the same fascination with birds as I did and still do. I don't know where it comes from other than her BLOOD. She always wants to hold the birds at the pet stores. Always pointing them out in the sky. She saved her good behavior play money at school for the Friday Store and bought herself this bird feeder. She keeps pestering her dad that she needs to build a bird house over and over and over and over and over again.  I can't believe how excited she is about birds. I find notes around the house that read "I Love Birds!" Pretty cool my little Sydney loves something I loved so much at that age with no promptings from me. She might look like Anson, but she has my long feet and love for birds.

These two little birds come every day. A mommy and a daddy bird. They are our only little visitors and eat about one feeder full every 5 days.