FREE PRESS • March 31, 2020
Watching bird activity outside my big front window, I witnessed instances of nature’s amazing resiliency that might help us to weather our present difficulties. I noticed one chickadee with slightly slower and more cumbersome movements. His body also indicated a minimal forward lean. The crux of the situation soon came to light: the chickadee’s entire left leg was missing. The otherwise healthy-looking bird grabbed seeds, carrying them aloft for cracking. Normally, chickadees hold seed casings between their toes to open them. Somehow this creative bird pinned the seeds against a side branch to successfully feed himself. ~ Don Reimer