The other morning, right after the kids left for school, I heard an odd, unexpected thud against the front door.   I went to investigate, thinking one of the kids had heaved the newspaper up on the porch and hit the door by accident. But, much to my surprise laying on the front step was the most beautiful ovenbird.

What was so confusing at first when I saw him, is that we don’t get ovenbirds around here in the neighborhood, let alone have one fly into the house.  A house finch, house sparrow or even a cardinal maybe, but not an ovenbird.   He must have hit terribly hard since he was already dead by the time I opened the door.    I asked my mom what she thought, and she suggested maybe it was migrating since all her birds have been leaving northern MI the last week or so in preparation for winter.  I don’t know for sure what brought him here or confused him so much, but that was a very sad way to start the day.  We decided a little burial was appropriate, so he now resides in my garden.