The other day a Starling flew or fell down the chimney and was trapped in the unlit fireplace behind glass doors. It was tricky but I managed to capture it, wearing thick leather gardening gloves and draping a kitchen towel over it to help it calm down. Once outside I laid it down to free it, and immediately it took to the skies screeching obscenities. A couple hours later another Starling was heard flapping around in the fireplace and I was able to set it free in the same way. This is one of the sure signs of spring, when birds are nesting. We’ll have to secure the chimney entrance. Again.
This little abstract painting is a tribute to the birds that found themselves in the fireplace.
detail:
Starlings
© deb davies thorkelson
Acrylic on paper 7.5″ x 11″
pretty…
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Thank you… I appreciate it.
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I love this. And the story about rescuing the birds, too. You are intrepid.
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Yup – know the drill. Used to have birds coming down the chimney to the wood stove or sometimes the wood furnace. If you were lucky you could retrieve them with a towel, and gently take them outside to release them. It was a lot more challenging to capture them when they eluded the towel – sometimes I couldn’t control my startle response and they would get by me!! Then it was trickier…. and a lot messier, with soot from their feathers scattered around. You really captured the flutter and distress that those birds must have been feeling.
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Thank you for your compliment and for your story. Yes, I left out the part about the sooty mess, times two. I’ve not always been so lucky at capturing birds from the fireplace. Had a couple get loose and fly around the house pooping on things. LoL…
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