Today was a day of firsts. We sighted the first hummingbird of the season, the first indigo bunting, ... and the first bird catch by our kitten, Chiripa. Whoops! We knew that our little kitten's hunting skills were improving but not this much!
Frances saw the cat leap up to catch a bird as it flew away from a log resting on the ground. She immediately raced for the cat and bird yelling "No!" She grabbed Chiripa by the back of the neck, released the bird from Chiripa's teeth, and then we both spent time sending healing energy to the bird (she looked like a female goldfinch or purple finch).
Eventually Frances placed the bird on a low branch in a nearby tree and, after some recoup time, the shocked little feathered one flew away. Meanwhile, the cat, realizing her skills were honed, positioned herself beneath the bird feeder. She started her sentry duties with a wild leap into the air to see whether her curvaceous claws could catch any stray feet or feathers from the birds currently feeding there.
Yes, this is what cats do: catch mice, birds, chipmunks, bunnies, and squirrels. But Frances is adverse to the reality of cat predatory behavior so I imagine we will have some human-feline battles to contend with in future days and weeks. Still, we will try our best to protect the songbirds from our wily kitten.
It was a warm, windless day (80 degrees) which inspired us to work in our gardens planting, composting, and watering. This evening's TCC practice on the deck was different from previous evenings. It was more buggy in general and mosquitoes buzzed around my ears and took occasional nips at me. Our view of Lake Superior is gradually disappearing behind leaf-laden trees. And the green of the forest keeps growing in width and length, depth and volume.
A few leaves fluttered and stirred as if tickled by an unseen hand. And I relished the quiet and calm that surrounded me, outside and in.
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