Today was just go, go, go. I got back in from Connecticut late Monday night and had to be at the KARE 11 Studios this morning for my segment on Showcase Minnesota. When I signed in I saw that Jill Spiegel the Flirtologist had signed in before me. It's a party in the green room whenever she is there.
When I finished my segment, Veronica who runs the front desk ran in saying that a cardinal had just flown into the front windows, could I help. I dashed out and sure enough there was a stunned male cardinal in front of the door. I scooped him up, listened to his heart (sounded okay), felt for broken bones (couldn't find any), and checked for blood around his nares (nostrils) and inside his bill (no blood). I had Veronica get me a small box and decided to wait out the rest of the show with the cardinal in the box. If he was just stunned, he would start thrashing within a half hour and I could release him. If he didn't perk up within a half an hour I knew I would have to take him to the Wildlife Rehab Center.
I sat in the green room and watched the rest of the show and sure enough by the last segment he perked right up and started to thrash about in the box. Jill was the last segment and had mentioned when I brought in the cardinal how symbolic cardinals were to her. They are a symbol of good things in her career. I asked if she wanted to do the honors of letting the cardinal go.
Since cardinals are big biters with those big sharp bills, we thought it best that she just open the box instead of holding the bird to release it. We took it out the backyard area of the studio to set it free. I wasn't sure if the photo would turn out:
But look at that. It almost looks like a photoshopped in the cardinal, but that is all from the high speed ability of the Fuji FinePix 900. The cardinal flew back towards the studio instead of the bushes but this time managed to avoid the windows. It landed on the wall and fluttered to the ground. I walked towards it and then it was off like a shot to the bushes--a good fast flight.
Timing is everything, I was glad I was there to help out. And I was glad Jill got a chance to release a favorite bird. Not that she really needs it, but I hope this a fantastic sign for where her life is headed.