The Birds

Ever since watching Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds in May of 1963 I have been terrified of birds. Some of the images from the movie are seared in my brain forever, like the one of the person ( I think a lady, but not sure)that is slumped down on the ground, leaning against a tree and the birds are pecking out the eyes. I was not quite six years old and that movie really scared me. To make matters worse here in Amarillo we have a huge population of grackles and starlings. Yeah, that 's right, millions of black birds always swarming around. Every time I go to the grocery store and come out with groceries there are black birds sitting on the car. Same for at the mall or hospital. At my friend Cheryl's house you can't even carry on a conversation on the porch because of the noise of these critters. Needless to say they are not popular with me. So the other day when I was out in the front yard taking some photos I was completely freaked out when one of those crazy birds attacked me. That's right. He or she, I'm not sure how to tell them apart and don't really care, came swooping down out of no where and attacked the back of my head and neck. The weird part is I heard him coming and even felt the draft from his flapping wings a split second before he got me. I was kneeling down on the ground taking a picture of this.

I remember as I was kneeling down I was thinking "How sad.  A little robin's egg." We had had a wind storm the night before so I guess it got blown out of the nest. The gooey part was dripping out the other side, but thankfully you can't see that from the picture. So there I was just minding my own business in my own little world when the heckles on my neck gave me a split second warning that something was about to happen. Then I felt the bird in my hair. I started flailing around and screaming and trying to get up and run away. When I saw him flying off I thought, "That's not a robin. What's his problem?" 

After I got away, I watched him and saw him land up in one of the trees in our yard and disappear into a hole. I came in the house and got Kevin. We went back out and I showed him where it all took place, but the grackle never came down again, just stayed up in the trees cawing and cawing.  Did I already say, "I hate birds!"