The sparrow in its fall...

Well, ours was the Lessor Goldfinch, but nonetheless...

On Saturday, we were in the back yard in the evening. I. looked up and saw something falling. A bird had fallen straight down onto the grass. It was beautiful. The markings were perfect, more beautiful than this picture. When T. picked up the bird with a scoop to put in the trash to wait for the vector control (West Nile Virus tests), the head delicately hung off the edge of the scoop. Until then, it just looked like it could be asleep, or waiting for the surrounding crowd to dissipate, but when T. gently scooped up its body, there hung the head and it was evident that it was dead. We told H. I. and A. that its spirit was with Heavenly Father and that body wasn't alive anymore.

Sunday, in church this was one of the verses sung from Hymn 75 In Hymns of Praise:

3. The little flow’r that lasts an hour,
The sparrow in its fall,
They, too, shall share his tender care;
He made and loves them all.

[Chorus]
Exalt his name in loud acclaim;
His mighty pow’r adore!
And humbly bow before him now,
Our King forevermore.


Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ tenderly love all. It was interesting that I never would've thought about the meaning of that hymn had not that bird died in front of us the evening before.




Monday came along, today, and I called vector control, who gave me a number to call, which gave me a website to enter my info regarding the body of the bird. So, after all of that waiting, we could've reported it on Saturday and had the poor bird's body tested for West Nile Virus.

SO, if you have the same experience, do not wait to call. Call right then so that bird's death can actually help the studies going on for a cure and a tracking of the West Nile Virus. Here is the CA Gov't website: http://westnile.ca.gov/report_wnv.php