Sadness and Laughter that only Zoo folks would understand

Abi and I were waiting outside my friend’s apartment complex before we drove her to the airport today.  We were sitting on the curb (abi was going to have a bit of time in the car, so I needed to take advantage of the time to stretch her legs!) and looking at all of the flowers – when I saw what appeared to be a very large bloom of a plant at the front end of our car.  We went to investigate.  BOOO, it was a beautiful little bird.  Abi and I talked about how sad that such a beautiful little bird would be found at the end of our car.  It was really bizarre because it just looked like the bird was tired and decided that the end had come.  It was a perfect little specimen.  But, I couldn’t identify the bird – so we just waited for Jenna.  Jenna and I used to work at the Zoo together until she got recruited by the Audubon- now she’s a bird expert!  So, Jenna ID’d the bird as a Cedar Waxwing.  Then Jenna said that this was such a perfect specimen that it would be silly to waste it – she really should collect it and save it for work.  This, of course, got me laughing.  And of course, Abi was laughing while trying to reach for it – my gross, little animal lover.  In the end, Jenna actually got the managers to hold the bird in a basket until her boyfriend Michael could come by and pick it up for her – all while potential leasers were watching.  I can only imagine what they were thinking.

But, a little biofact for you:  The cedar waxwing is vulnerable to alcohol intoxication and death after eating fermented fruit.