Biological Tuesday
November 05, 2002
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* Wounded Sparrow *

Wow, what a bizarre thing to happen to me.
I was sitting in a Kinko's in Memphis, late at night, updating my web site and sending out email messages. I had parked my bike just outside the window, directly in front of me, so I could keep an eye on it. I was working away at the computer when I began to doze off to sleep. For a brief moment I fell asleep but was suddenly and abruptly awoken by a loud thump on the window directly in front of me. It startled me and I rose to my feet to see what was out there. I was afraid that somebody might have been tampering with my bike or that somebody was just trying to get my attention.
I looked outside and saw nothing. I was a little perplexed having thought surely that I had heard something and not dreamed it. But there was still nothing there. After several moments I started to sit back down when this little sparrow rose from just below the window and flew over to the center of the parking lot where it remained almost motionless. I quickly grabbed my camera and went outside to see if I could get a good picture of the bird. I reached my arm out to try to touch the small bird. The bird didn't appear to be totally alert or even fully conscious. It did seem to notice my hand reaching out for it and, much to my surprise, actually wobbled over and got on my hand all on its own. I held and pet it and took a few pictures of it for a while and eventually set it up on top of the back of the bike, where it stayed, while I went back into Kinko's. I kept a close eye on the poor little bird and watched it as it nestled down further into a wedge, on the top of my gear bag.

I watched from the window and could tell when it started feeling a little better and actually managed to walk, and then fly, on his own.

The little bird finally flew away never to be seen again. But it did leave me with a very warm and special feeling.