The more I observe the daily animal activity in my backyard, the more I feel connected to the natural world 🌍around me. I’ve lived here for two years now, so I can only imagine how things will be years down the road. My favorite time of the year is during the migration seasons 🍃🍂 because I get to see visitors as they pass by. So I was pleasantly surprised to see two new warblers I’ve never seen before.
As they were hopping along the limbs and branches, I realized one was approaching a spider’s web. 🕷️Warblers are excellent insect hunters and will pick a tree clean of all the little crawling things that try to hide in the bark and leaves. However, to my surprise, the warbler seemed to get tangled in a tiniest spider’s web 🕸️🫤. I only say this because she began pleading for help. There was no way a tiny spider was going to eat a bird, so I moved in to save the day. I assumed it was exhausted from its travels. But before I got close, I heard its tiny voice say, “Don’t try to save me.”
I have to admit, I took offense to her declining my help, and I was ready and let nature run its course. I moved back to my camera but inquisitively asked, “Are you sure?” The warbler only nodded and began calling for help again. This continued for a moment or two before I had to say something again. While pretending to look at my camera 📸 I said, “Is there a reason you don’t want my help?”. The warbler paused to look around the leaves before whispering, “I honestly don’t need any help. My wings don’t flap like they used to, and on top of that, I’m already over this migration.”
This still did not explain why the little bird was calling for help so I said empathetically, “Migrating a couple thousand miles is a very impressive task but if you really don’t want help, why would you ask for it?” The warbler proudly explained, “ Where I come from we have giant spiders like the Goliath Birdeater that would jump at the opportunity to help a bird like me I’m pretending to be stuck, hoping to entice my lunch to come to me.”
Knowing we don’t have any spiders here close to that size, I didn’t think this strategy would work here in Virginia, but her mind was made up, and I wanted some pictures of this beautiful Bay-breasted Warbler. I’m actually happy she left that night. Imagine trying to convince the cops to ignore the person yelling for help in your backyard. 🫣👮🚔
-The End
Written by Donte Hunter
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