If I Could

As I finished tidying up around the front door and carport yesterday, Sunday, I noticed the rear passenger side window on Lib's car was down a couple of inches. I thought I'd better close it, more than once we've had a huntsman spider in Lib's car and they can be hard to catch. One fell from the sun visor once onto Lib's lap nearly causing an accident.

I forgot to do it. Lib rang me today from work soon after she got there, saying she had some bad news. when she got to work she found our blue wren dead on the floor of the car. I can't tell adequately the emotional distress I felt at that instant, and repeatedly numerous time during the day, including now.

A couple of weeks ago a pair of blue fairy wrens turned up in our garden. I was overjoyed at this as blue wrens had not been seen in our garden for many years possibly two decades. We were invaded by bell birds and all the small birds were hunted out by the aggressive and territorial bellbirds. The bellbirds left in the searing heat of the summer of 2009 and the wrens, fantails and thornbills have come back much to our delight. I'd see blue wrens elsewhere around Gembrook but until two weeks ago they had not reappeared at our place.

I was thrilled by their comeback, the male with his brilliant blue colouring is something to behold and this pair were about every day excitedly chirruping their scritchy call. He spent a lot of time tapping on the lounge room window trying to chase of his rival self reflection, and also on the car mirrors and windows.

He must have flown into through Lib's slightly open window in his exertions and not been able to find his way out again. I'd say he flew about in the car hitting the windows trying to get out and died of exhaustion and lack of food and water in the car. His efforts would have taxed him, and flight for a small bird uses a lot of energy.

The female was about today, calling and looking for her mate. How terrible I felt. As if it isn't hard enough for little birds to survive predation by cats, currawongs, minahs, kookaburras without having the hazard of being trapped in a car and dying of exhaustion.

If I could only turn back the clock, I'd make sure there were no car widows slightly open.