Bird Love
Posted on 05. Dec, 2008 by Laura-Jane - Whimfield in Inspirations, Outdoors
Bird love makes me cry.
From our recent walk, a placard in the woods at the Harvey Moore Migratory Bird Sanctuary:
The Broken-Winged Goose:
“In 1955, Harvey Moore aided a young Canada Goose which was brought to his sanctuary wounded by gunshot. With his care, the shattered wing healed slightly, but the goose was permanently grounded and became known as the ‘Broken-Winged Goose.’ Four years later, a young gander glided into the pond and took her for his mate. In autumn, the gander and young geese rose from the sanctuary to head south. Although she tried, broken wing was unable to fly.
Every spring, for fourteen years a rejoicing clamor broke the quiet of the sanctuary as the gander and Broken-Wing were re-united. Eventually, in the winter of 1973, it was discovered that broken wing was missing at feeding time. The gander returned to the sanctuary, but there was no more joyful welcome. He stayed until Autumn but has never returned to the Harvey Moore Bird Sanctuary.”
Phil
Dec 5th, 2008
“Canada Goose Susie, Gander Sam, do the jitterbug out in Canada Goose land, and they shimmy…”
Sorry, couldn’t resist. A beautiful, poignant tale of migratory fowl love, indeed. Thanks for sharing.
kerry
Dec 5th, 2008
that made me teary-eyed.
tipper
Dec 5th, 2008
Bittersweet!
Marjorie
Dec 5th, 2008
I love birds, as you well know, and swoon to your story. But, may I tell you that this “Bird Love” story brings to mind the time you and I were driving to Victoria BC when you were about 10 or so years old. We stopped at Whippletree Junction, and you fell in love with a brand-new doll that was for sale at full price – even though it was missing one leg (nowhere to be found). You desperately wanted that one-legged doll, but I asked the store-keeper to search in the back of the store for a box with a “two-legged doll”. The storekeeper found one, and I admonished you to buy it. Sorry, Laura-Jane, because even as I was encouraging you to buy the two-legged doll, I also was empathizing with the broken doll (and you). I suppose I feared you would later regret your decision. But, I realized ever-after that the one you really gave your heart to was the broken doll.
PS This dolly is still at my house, sitting in the cute little wooden high-chair that your great-grandfather Walter Linnitt gave me when I was little.
Oh, woe, now I have a new thought!…Sometimes ‘normalcy’ means neglect!
Any comments?
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Dec 5th, 2008
Aw, thanks mom! Yes, Jennifer the doll. Don’t worry, I loved her, too. :)
Luclaire
Dec 5th, 2008
That is so sweet, those poor birds!
LJ
Dec 7th, 2008
The broken wing story makes me sad. But its a very sweet story.