dead wren

After hearing mysterious chirps coming from the basement this morning, we rooted around until we found this tiny injured baby wren just inside the door. I refuse to kick the wrens out when they nest above the dryer-- they are one of the few examples of wildlife I can witness up close in the city. I reacted as I was taught by my father as a young girl...put on some gloves, put the bird in a shoebox, and see if it recovers. Unfortunately, this one had a heart attack when I scooped it into the box, and died suddenly. It was quite tragic for me, since last year's brood of house wren hatchlings were snatched by a red-tailed hawk right outside my window on the day they fledged. I had hoped for a better fate for this year's babies. We buried it at the feet of St. Francis in the backyard and sowed wildflower seeds on its grave.