Today, a Bee found its way into our screened-in back porch, probably during one of the thousands of times throughout the day we opened the screen door for the dogs to go out and back in. Rather than kill it, we caught it under a glass and released it back into the outside. We were really proud of ourselves.
Later this afternoon, I let the dogs out, and within a few minutes, I heard a cacophony of screeching birds. When I ran out to see what was going on, I spotted Rita across the yard with a dead bird in her mouth. It broke my heart. I still can’t get the image out of my head, and I feel so guilty. Our yard is full of birds. We have 4 different occupied bird nests, and I worry the bird Rita killed may have been the parent of one of the nests-full of hatchlings.
I guess it’s the balance of things – one life saved, for one life lost.
Nature can be a real bitch some times.
Idle Eyes and a Dormy 
Ahem from my mispent youth. Two kids and a slingshot can decimate a bird population. So too a rat population — we got really good at killing vermin.
LikeLike
I did not know dogs could catch a bird!
LikeLike
Me neither. Seeing this would devastate me too.
LikeLike
that is sad news. and an eye-opener. I know if my cats were outside, the damage they could do, but sweet rita mae! it’s bad enough we have a red-tailed hawk that catches birdies.
LikeLike
I never thought a dog would snatch a bird. I would expect that from someone like my little kitty Torrie, but not a dog.
LikeLike
only some times?
LikeLike
Sorry this is OT to your post, but I just saw this article on CNET.com and thought of you:
How to Create a Comic Book Database
LikeLike
Thanks. I actually use one of the apps mentioned in the article. 🙂
LikeLike
If it was a just fledged baby then maybe she got it. If it was an adult I would bet it was a dead bird she found in the yard. Hard to think she caught a healthy adult.
Cheers
LikeLike
It was an adult…I was hoping it was already dead when she found it. Just hard to believe a bird couldn’t fly away in time.
LikeLike