Bonding

This morning I got up to a very vocal and welcoming Pierre outside the kitchen window. He was sitting on the picnic table looking up to the house. The shot below is another morning with him and his new lady friend he's been courting much of the summer... but the same spot, just him today, looking and waiting.

At first sight of me, he will fly up to the house, either right outside the window on a branch or at the clothes line pole outside the back door. Today it was the pole.

I open the door to greet him and he was incredibly vocal with me. I usually don't get much vocalization from him until we've not crossed paths for many days which does happen on occasion. I figure it's a mix of giving me heck for not being around to feed him and some rejoicing to our reunion. But whatever it is, when he starts up, he really goes on for a bit, throat all puffed out, and even does some head bobbing as well.

I've seen him every day this week so what the heck did he have to tell me today?

I told him stuff today too, like I do many days. The usual "how are you buddy?" or "who's my good boy?" which is something I can't say in the house since I am surrounded by females of all sorts of species.

I always ask him to be careful out back, watch out for the Hawks and a couple free roaming cats. Who knows what else I ramble on about. Does anyone chatting to an animal really remember all the mumbo jumbo they spew out?

But today was different from any other day we've had with our encounters in the past two plus years. Pierre fed from my hand and sat with me for a good twenty minutes or more, nothing new. Lately I've been testing our boundaries here and there. He's quite comfortable with me as everyone knows. Today though, there was a new connection, not just his feet on my hand or the odd belly rub I've given him. Today he rubbed his head on my nose, or it was me rubbing my nose on his head. Probably the latter but whatever, it happened, just gentle light rubs. If that isn't a sign of complete trust between man and wild bird, you tell me what is. I don't believe in patting birds as it's not good for their feathers. It's not something I will make a habit of by any means, but for this moment, it was pretty awesome.

Some argue he is not a wild bird and that is nonsense. He may be used to me and whoever else he visits through his day, I'm sure there is someone else out there... but he still remains a wild bird. He comes and goes as he pleases. He lives somewhere down the road with his flock. I know without any doubt he would never be a happy bird if I brought him inside and kept him locked up. As much as I want to protect him and wouldn't object to him living here, out back that is, it is not the way things are meant to be. If something were to ever happen to him, like an injury, and I could help him, I most certainly would. But he would never be my pet. He is my friend, as odd as that may sound to some people, but probably not any of my readers to this blog who share a love for our animal friends. Pierre is one of the few friends I never have a problem with coming to the house unexpectedly. I think all of them have fur or feathers. Surprised?

Sorry, rambling on here. I just wanted to share this moment we had today with you courtesy of my Blackberry.

I tried this with Mickey just now. She wanted no part of us being that close.

Mickey did make an appearance in my ice bucket challenge video which you can see here on my YouTube channel.