Speaking of Finding your Inner Zen..

Saturday night Husband and I heard a loud shuddering thud. We ran to the front door to find a small bird lying motionless on its side, our outdoor cat sauntering in it's direction, licking his lips. I started yelling, cool as a cucumber I am, as Husband ran for a shovel and scooped the poor thing up. We both peered at it's lifeless body, until it started kicking up its legs, it's little black eyes darting back and forth.

Not knowing what else to do at this late hour, we put the bird on the back screened porch, out of reach of the cat. I said optimistically, "Maybe it's stunned and it will start flying around the patio." Husband, the realist, "I don't know, it's wing looks broken."

Deflated, I grumbled, "I wish I was a vet;" then I wished Husband was a vet. I Googled "What to do when a bird slams into your window and is not dead." We followed the instructions. "Put injured bird in a box, making sure there are holes in the top. Put it in a quiet place and after an hour or two take the lid off and it will take flight." Nope. No flying here. Our little bird just kept flipping over.

I brought it a shallow saucer of water. I hovered over it late into the night. The next morning he was a bit more peppy, but still not able to fly. I Googled again, and thankfully came upon a bird sanctuary north of us. 

We hopped into the car, anxious our little bird, which Husband has now named Sanders, after the Colonel, (Husband does have a twisted sense of humor sometimes), would not make it. I could barely contain myself as I willed traffic to get out of our way.

We arrived at the sanctuary with Sanders blinking at me from his box. A young woman drove up in a golf cart and calmly looked him over.
"Woodpecker" she said. "A young one."
My hands were shaking. "Will he be OK?"
She nodded, "We'll give him an anti inflammatory, it should help."

She took Sanders in his box and placed him on the seat next to her. As I got back into the car, somewhat relieved, the young lady started off, jerked over some rocks, the box opened and Sanders fell out and under the cart. I screamed, "The bird fell out of the box!" Husband laughed,"It's not Sanders. He's in the box. She dropped some blue rectangle thing." I swear I saw Sanders rolling out. I watched horrified as she jumped out and reached under the cart. I held my breath as she casually pulled out...a blue thing. "Oh. OK. Well it looked like Sanders." Calm under pressure I am not.