some thumbnails of my illustrations

some thumbnails of my illustrations
Please click on the links below to view my portfolio ........ Images copyright of Carrie Osborne

Thursday 28 February 2013

Another Small Stone - A Hedgerow Heart...

(You may need to click on this to read it larger!)
 
Here's the Small Stone that fluttered its way into my notebook this week - though it is maybe a little long for a small stone and a bit ragged around the edges. 
Earlier this week one frosty cold morning, I rescued a tiny wren from the paws of my Mum & Dad's cat. She seemed unharmed and I could hardly feel her at all as she sat calmly and patiently in my hand.



I was enthralled by the brightness of her black glitter eyes, there seemed so much spirit contained within that fragile form, light as breath. Her beak was like a single curved blackthorn, a tiny embodiment of Hedgerow and breezes and wild greeness. She didn't cower or tremble in my hand, just waited, full of awareness, sparkling with it.

A bit blurry - sorry!
 We took her across the field and I opened my hand where she coiled poised for a heartbeat on my palm before fluttering into the hedgerow. She could fly and perch on the fence wire, so I hope she was strong enough after her tangle with the cat to get away safe and rest.
I was intrigued by the spirit of her, the bright spark of her enfolded in feathers.
I'm sure she has more songs to sing.

5 comments:

  1. Oh how many times I have held a wee bird as she recovers from some kind of trauma. Truly, they always amaze me. So light, so full of song and spirit, but how do they survive the winters, such small things? The wren is especially important to me these days as it was my mother's favorite bird.
    Lovely post, Carrie, and so glad you were there to rescue the little wren!

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  2. What a darling little bird! I've had to rescue a few birds from my cat, but more often I'm too late. Wrens are such funny little birds. One time we had one make a nest in our grill. Not terribly bright... :D

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  3. You have captured the spirit of this little bird so well in your painting and prose.

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  4. Thank you for saving this beautiful creature... indeed she now has a chance to sing more songs.

    Unfortunately for many birds, a cat's mouth contains multiple horrid bacteria, so if a bird has an open wound from the encounter, there is a high chance of deadly contamination from the cat's saliva... and sadly this leads to infection and likely - a slow death. So if you save a bird that has a wound from a cat, it will need the wound cleaning and antibiotics before it can be considered for release :o)

    Hopefully this little one will be fine.

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  5. Oh, what a lovely story! These little ones squeeze my heart so, I treasure them. Thank you for doing this kindness, and I know you were repaid by the honor of getting to hold this tiny life in your hands for a moment and see her fly off into the hedges.

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