Circle of Life

     I knew Grizzly "had" something in the yard when I tried to call him in.  All I could see of him was his tail, wagging tentatively and very slowly.  I noticed a small fuzzy thing in his mouth when he eventually sauntered, proudly, towards the house.  He dropped whatever it was as soon as I started screaming at him to do so.  (not cool on my part- I am sure the neighbors wonder)

I watched in sadness as the baby bird struggled to right itself and then eventually ceased to move. Before I could get outside to move it to a spot under a large and sheltering rose bush to either recover or quietly die, a blue jay swooped down onto the patio, picked it up in his powerful beak and flew with it into the Sequoia tree.

     I haven't gone out to the yard yet, but a cursory glance revealed a few feathers scattered about on the ground under the tree.  That brings the dead baby bird count up to six this spring.   My little back yard eco system has all the drama of the bigger one we live in!