I hate the sound of frenzied squawking, it means a bird is in deep trouble.
I rushed towards the outside door intent on rescue.   I was too late, Bonnie
bounded through the cat door with a bird spread across her face - I think
the idea was to bring it inside where it couldn't escape, and and play with
it.

I grabbed Bonnie who dropped the bird - out the door she went and I slammed
it behind her.   Then the fun began.   Where was the bird?   Was it badly
damaged?   Ted (painter and paperhanger) helped me look.    Had it gone off
and died somewhere?    A small bird with a whole house to hide in is a
difficult thing to find.

We looked in all the obvious places, under the settee, around the windows -
I asked Ted to shift the filing cabinet and look behind it.

I then had the bright idea of bringing in the cats with the intent of them
sniffing out the bird.    I would rely on speed to nab the victim when it
was found.   Didn't work.   All the cats yawned - their sniffers were
non-operational.

I let three hours pass and then had another think - if the bird was still
alive that night the cats were bound to catch it if it emerged when they
were inside for the night.   I went back to the filing cabinet - logic told
me it should be in the dining room near the door and the bird could be
behind the cabinet.   But Ted had looked.   I peered behind the cabinit -
there was a small plastic bag on the floor.   There was just room to push my
hand behind the cabinet.    EEEEEk, something fluttered.   I grabbed - it
was a terrified sparrow but it was whole, not a mark on it.

I showed the sparrow to Ted and told him what I thought of his searching
abilities.   I took the bird down to the fence and watched it fly away.

Good old Bonnie - I am so glad she thinks undamaged birds are more fun to
play with!!!!  I thought it was  a good Xmas present.

Bev