Yesterday I found this little fella with wings outstretched, face down on the ground in front of my studio. He had obviously flown into the window and knocked himself out. I was relieved to see him breathing. Rather than move him I sat next to him drinking my coffee and occasionally smoothed his head and body. I kept willing him to revive and fly away but he didn’t. He did however, start to move his head a little and tried to move a bit so I picked him up in my hands thinking he might need some warmth. I wanted him to open his eyes but he was so drowsy and I was afraid he would die. After a couple of hours I called the vet who gave me a number of a rescue centre and then they gave me another number of a place closer to where I live. I had a really helpful conversation with a woman who is clearly passionate about nature and saving as many sick and injured animals as she can. She told me this little woodpecker was a juvenile and would need to be kept in a dark, warm, quiet place for a couple of hours at least, to sleep off the concussion. He didn’t appear hurt anywhere else so I did as she advised and checked on him every hour or so. By this time it was mid afternoon and my whole day had been taken up with the care of this beautiful little creature.
The woman at the rescue centre had told me to bring him in if I was worried for any reason - I was. Every time I tried to encourage him to fly out of the box he just kept falling over. I had to go and teach a small class of children from 4 - 6pm so didn’t have time to take him there beforehand, so I made a quick decision to put him in my car as safely as possible, in his box, in a crate with towels around to stop it moving about. One of the people I work with is also passionate about saving birds and had various crates and equipment in her car! We transferred him to a larger box and put a small shallow saucer of water in with him and left my car in a shady spot with all the windows open! I led the children’s session and then, feeling somewhat anxious, drove to a place I didn’t know well at all, couldn’t find the address, eventually did, no reply, eventually a reply and eventually a real person! I felt so relieved to see him in her capable hands. She was clearly an expert and he appeared to be bright and alert and much more relaxed. She let me know she would look after him, give him some anti inflammatories and then let him get used to flying again in their special aviary for recovering birds. When he was strong and flying again she said she would set him free but it could take a couple of weeks for him to recover fully. I felt so happy to have found someone who could give him the care he needed and drove home relieved and a bit tearful.
This beautiful little bird had taken up my whole day, totally unexpectedly.
Birds are elusive creatures and although we might hear them and see them briefly, it is rare to get an opportunity to hold and stroke them. I am sad that the only times I’ve stroked a bird have been because it is hurt or dead, but each time it has happened I feel an enormous sense of connection and privilege.
Why did I allow this bird to take up my whole day? I could have left him to a natural ending, why did it matter so much that his life could be saved? He would most certainly have died if I hadn’t taken some action. I know I am not the only person aware of the preciousness of every single living creature but this feeling of preciousness is coming from a place of knowledge and anxiety about the decline of so much of our wildlife.
As I write this I am looking at a little dead bumble bee I found on the floor earlier and my heart sighed.
I had a brief conversation with Shilpa Agashe on instagram about the importance of these actions we take to care for and save all aspects of the natural world. She said, “This is important work, what you are doing. It’s a form of resistance against relentless conflict” She went on to share a discussion she had had with people in one of her workshops, concluding that showing care and attention is a form of resistance and that if enough of us do it, a change can happen….
It is easy to feel swamped by the issues we face globally regarding conflict, climate change, poverty and so on. I often feel overwhelmed and I have a mixed feeling even when I am out in the beauty of nature. As well as the awe, I simultaneously feel a pulling heaviness of loss. I know I am not alone in this either.
My response to this, and I can only manage this knowing that there are many others feeling and doing the same, is to sink deeper into the love and care for all the natural world and the creatures who inhabit it, including humans. To love generously and care deeply, to take action when I can and to support those who do when I can’t. I really don’t think I do very much to make an effect on my own but I am becoming more aware of my connections with others and I think that is our strength. When we encourage one another and work together, however small our individual actions of resistance are, does not matter because when put together with others’ actions, they are greater than the sum of their parts. That is what will eventually turn this huge ship around and begin the process of revival and renewal for our planet and all who sail in her!
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