Footprints of a Bird

Today I awoke to find a light dusting of snow outside--light enough to be easily swept away with a broom, and deep enough to reveal the footprints of early morning visitors. The familiar outline of shoes belonging to the paperboy made their way up, then back down, the driveway. Everything else was pristine.

I worked my way down the driveway, up the sidewalk, and around the corner with my broom. At the corner of my house stands a crab apple tree. Its a beautiful tree in the spring with it's white blossoms and over-abundance of red berries. It provides shade in the summer against the intense heat of the sun. It keeps me busy in autumn as the leaves turn bright colors and eventually fall to the ground to be raked. But in winter, the leftover berries provide food for the birds.

This morning I discovered the delicate footprints of a bird in the snow beneath the crab apple tree. Tiny little foot steps with even tinier toes. Four toes to be exact...the first pointing backwards, the second, third and fourth pointing ahead. In front of the bird tracks were two bright red crab apple berries, slightly embedded in the snow. Between the berries was a round, berry-shaped indentation--evidence of a missing berry!

Birds have a difficult time finding food in the winter. I'm happy that my crab apple tree provided breakfast for one little creature. Now the bird is resting comfortably with its feathers fluffed up to trap the warmth of it's body...the same way that I sleep beneath my down comforter at night.