Another House Finch Encounter

This morning while I was meditating, I heard a thunk outside. I was afraid a bird might have crashed into the glass wall outside our deck and could be lying stunned on the ground below. When I went out to investigate, I was surprised to see a little female house finch on the floor of the deck, right next to me. She started flying around down there, crashing into the glass walls, trying to escape.

I started speaking to her softly and knelt down beside her. She calmed down and stood still, and then she let me stroke her back a few times. I told her I was going to help her, but I'd have to lift her up to the railing so she could be free. I put my hand around to lift her and she stepped onto my finger! Wow, I felt just like Snow White!

I placed her gently on the railing and fully expected her to take off. But she must have been a little stunned from all that crashing around because she stayed put, still gripping my finger with one of her claws. I stroked her back a few more times and told her to take her time and regain her composure.

By then, my husband saw what was going on and came out to take a quick shot with his camera-phone. She still didn't startle or fly away. Just cocked her head, looked at us, and blinked a few times. We stayed like that for a long time. While we were hanging out, I wondered if she was the mother of the house finch babies in the nest out on our porch. She was so light and delicate, and not quivering like other birds I've handled in the past.

Our new bird feeder was down below, surrounded by curious birds who had been eyeing this entire scene. Finally I told my little finch that she should probably go join her feathered friends and have some thistle seed for breakfast. I gently pried her claw off my finger and set it on the railing. She looked up at me, took a few hops across the railing, then flew down to a bush. She looked back once, then disappeared into another shrub and I went back inside. What a way to start the day!