It Shouldn't Happen to a Willow Warbler

Better Late Than Never...

Today I awoke to grey skies and a world wet from last night's rain. At least the weather matches the changing colours of the falling leaves; I was getting a little worried by that Indian Summer we had! Not that I didn't enjoy it, of course; it was delightful to have, at last, the summer weather that had been so notably absent from July and August. What with those big blue skies without a trace of cloud, and heat that became almost unbearable if you sat out in it too long, I was actually able to wear my summer dresses - I have never in my life had a birthday like it!
It reminds me of my favourite Psalm:
"[The sun's] rising is from the end of the heavens,
  and its circuit to the end of them,
  and nothing is hidden from its heat." 19 v 6

One day during that spell of heavenly weather I was sitting in our little outside study with the door open, when to my surprise a robin flew in, perched briefly on the edge of the desk, and flew out again. Well, that was a little exciting to be sure, but it didn't last long, and I returned to my work.
The next thing I knew, another bird had flown in and landed on the window sill. It tried to fly out through the glass, and on finding it couldn't, it panicked, and flew further into the room, coming to rest on a row of books in front of a window which doesn't open. There it sat for some time, panting for breath.
As soon I saw it, I recognised it for the Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler which I had first seen in the garden a week earlier. At the time I had been unable to identify it exactly, as I couldn't see whether its legs were black (Chiffchaff) or flesh-coloured (Willow Warbler). Now, here was my opportunity, handed to me on a plate!

Misadventures of a Willow Warbler

Rather annoyingly the bird had flown behind me, but by twisting round in my chair I managed to get into a position where I could see it. As it sat there, panting quietly, I could see its flesh coloured legs clearly, and so knew it was a Willow Warbler. We sat there quite still for about ten minutes, and then I thought I had better start helping it to get outside again; the study was hot, and I didn't want the the Willow Warbler to get over heated. I got up and moved towards it slowly, hoping to 'shepherd' it in the right direction; and, after a few mishaps (such as falling down behind the row of books several times), it got itself to the door, and flew out into the sunshine. I thought I had seen the last of it...

That afternoon, my mother heard a thump on her window: a bird had flown straight into the glass. Out we went to investigate, hoping against hope that it hadn't broken its neck. There, sitting on the gravel beneath the window, and gently panting away, was my friend the Willow Warbler.