Ramblings and Ruminations

Prompt: Hare

This morning my wife and I took our coffee to a nearby park. We decided it would just be the grownups today. Taking our five-year-old rescue pup with us would add a whole 'nuther energy level to the occasion.

We picked a spot at the edge of the woods, some distance away from the ball diamonds and the pickle ball courts, opened our store-bought croissants, and just sat and appreciated the morning.

It wasn't long before we were visited by a pair of bluebirds. "They have a nest nearby," my wife observed.

Sure enough, after watching us for a while, and deciding we were no threat, the female disappeared into a gap under the eaves of a nearby pavilion while the male began a back-and-forth shuttle of food.

"Can you hear any peepers?" I asked. My hearing capability drops off considerably at the frequencies of baby birds.

"No, they probably haven't hatched yet," Barbara said. "It's just the beginning of March."

We watched Mr. Blue for a few more minutes then went back to whatever it was we were discussing, unaware of the life-and-death struggle that was just about to take place.

We are still not sure of what type of bird the intruder was. I thought it might be a blackbird but my wife said it wasn't that big; it was probably a starling.

Birds were flying past all the time. There was no reason to take notice of this particular bird.

Until Mr. Blue came back.

He noticed in a big way. Flying directly at the bigger bird, he routed it. After some aerial acrobatics between the two, the intruder flew off.

Our hero perched on the corner of the roof and puffed out his chest. Whatever food he had brought back was forgotten in the fray.

We were just remarking on what we had just witnessed when the starling was back. Enthralled, we watched a prolonged aerial battle.

Our little hero fought valiantly, defending home and family. The starling would not give up. Again and again the invader flew to the eaves. Over and over it was chased away.

I don't know if the bluebird called for help, or if it was just her protective instinct, but momma came out of that gap like a hellfire missile. She flew directly at the intruder and, I am pretty sure, jabbed him in the underbelly.

This was the first actual contact I had seen between the defenders and their attacker, and it signaled the end of the skirmish. The starling whirled and flew off.

Unfortunately, it was a feint. While the bluebirds were drawn away, the starling circled back and flew directly to the gap in the eaves.

"Nooo," my wife moaned.

Both parents sped back to their home, but they were too late. The invader had ducked inside.

Transfixed, we watched to see what would happen next. It didn't take long. A black head appeared in the gap; something round and blue held in its yellow beak. A flick of its head and a small egg dropped ten feet to the concrete below.

"That bastard," my wife said.

What has this got to do with the prompt? Beats me. I'll let you decide. Obviously it affected me to the point where any thoughts I may have had of a different story are long gone.