Horror

I didn't finish cleaning my terrace after having our food outside, and we had sherbet that had melted. I didn't realize that it had leaked out of the container. When I came inside this afternoon from getting my son off the bus, I was horrified to see a little bird struggling in a pool of syrup...it was completely stuck to the floor, it couldn't move, and in its desperation, its movement was pulling out its feathers. I didn't know if it had broken its wings, and I really didn't think it was going to live.

My mind went immediately to a commercial on television for Dawn dish detergent where they were washing a duck that had gotten stuck in an oil slick. So I got a little cup of warm water and put a little Dawn in it, and poured a little bit over the poor bird. This loosened his feathers, and he was able to move. I then poured some plain warm water over him to try to dissolve the rest of the syrup in the feathers.

The poor thing hid in a corner, and I thought for sure that it was hiding so that it could die.

I went into the apartment to get a bucket of warm soapy water and a brush to clean the terrace so that I wouldn't torture another poor birdie, and the bird disappeared.

I finally found him in the fallen tree outside. This was a good thing...it meant it could fly. As the bird preened and preened, I could see that it was a tufted titmouse. He's been back to the feeder, and I think as long as he can fly and eat, he should be okay. I put a shallow bowl of water outside in case he should like to take a bath, but he hasn't used it. I really hope he's okay. I love birdies, and the last think I would ever want to do is hurt a birdie. I feel so guilty that it was because of my own negligence that the birdie was hurt, but I am happy that I think I managed to save the poor thing.