Well, Hello, Golden-Crowned Kinglet. Glad To Be Introduced to You in Stratford

After working with 8th graders, I came home to prepare for trick or treaters, but knew I wanted to take Glamis on a long hike. It was unseasonably warm and the air was wonderful: crisp, fresh, and rejuvenating. Glamis and I got about a mile out when I thought a pinecone fell on my shoulder, but it was actually a bird with a yellow crown - a tiny little guy that I could curl into my palm if I wanted to - who bounced off of me and onto the dog.

If it wasn't a pinecone, I thought it was a bouncing ball. Nope, it was a bird.

The fellow then bobbled to the ground and begin scrounging for food. Glamis, curious as I was, stuck her nose down to sniff the feathered wonder and that lil' booger turned its head and sniffed Glamis's snout. Glamis licked it and then the bird when back to looking for insects. I thought, "it must be hurt, or maybe it has something mentally wrong with it."

Nope. He seemed content.

I came home to look into my Bird books (miss my Louisville Nature Center days) and identified the yellow capped nugget as a Golden-Crowned Kinglet. It's the first I've ever seen, and although their mating season is in Canada, they settle all over the northern United States during the winter. I guess he found his way to Stratford.

What cracked me up as I tried to be sure I had the right bird were the number of photos from others who captured the same. The bird landed on glasses of wine when sitting out back, they landed on hands and seemed to like to be stroked and cuddled, they even cuddled with other dogs. I'm guessing the friendliness is part of its species - if only more humans could learn from such jolly amiability.

It made my day, and was a great way to get over the hump.

And look at that! It's November.