How To Catch A Bird

The Rileyman has been up to his outdoor trickery again. He has googled and youtubed for days and days how to make a bird trap. So here's how the Rileyman has been catching birds: 

First you need to prop up a laundry basket with a stick and attach a loooooooong string.

Put a dish of bird seed underneath. Any ol' birdseed will do.

Little birds like thistle seed snacks.

Say that three times fast.

He set up two traps for good measure, a big one and a small one. Then he brought the other ends of the strings inside and he (and Lola Roo)waited.

And waited.

And waited.

This takes LOTS of patience.

And finally a bird went under the trap and he pulled the string and caught a beautiful Mourning Dove!

He was so excited and shocked that it worked! He was all shaky and out of breath and I was sure his little eyeballs were going to pop out!

He gently held the little dove with such care and he was just in awe.  

He had trouble saying goodbye but he counted 1,2,3 and let the little dove fly away back to nature where it belongs.

The next day he caught a little Tuffted Titmouse.

This little bird squeaked and squawked and sqealed and fluttered. Complete opposite of the calm little dove he caught the day before.

So Riley released the little bird without handling it so as not to cause it any further stress.... and do you know that little tufted titmouse flew right to our back yard and proceeded to tell all the other birds as loudly as he could what had just happened?!

This went on for near 15 minutes as he warned all potential birds to be lured in by delicious seed!!

Riley and I just looked at each other wide eyed and I said "Oh he is SO ratting you out!"

So Riley decided it might be a good idea to up the ante on his outdoor trickery and make a few signs.

I KNOW you just smiled.

~Amber D. McNabb

(and the Rileyman)