There is a pissed-off blackbird living next door to me.
She lives in a birch tree, along Broad Street, and in front of the Episcopal Church next door. If you leave my apartment by the side door, walk to the front of the building and down the three concrete steps to the sidewalk that runs parallel to the street, you may see her. Turn left and walk down the sidewalk, toward Warren Street, and you may meet her outside the church. She’ll swoop down and grace the tip of your right ear. She’ll scare the living crap out of you and make you run like hell, so the people in the cars along Broad Street will watch, point, and laugh. If that first attack doesn’t scare you away, she’ll do it again. A couple days later, after you’ve forgotten that there’s a pissed off blackbird living in a tree outside the church, she’ll attack again. You’ll be walking to get a cup of coffee before work and she’ll attack. You’ll see her sitting atop a scrub when you turn back after running across the street. She’ll look all smug and content and you’ll think you see her smile.
She’s clearly pissed off and I don’t know why. Do blackbird get PMS?
4 comments
Comments feed for this article
May 20, 2008 at 6:54 pm
dan
I know this blackbird! It’s swoops in at me whenever I walk down Broad on my way to HyVee, the bank, or the post office. A week ago, the bird attacked me twice in the span of five steps. I don’t think it’s a female, though. Males usually nest and watch over the eggs, and I bet he’s sitting on a few. Last summer, the northern suburbs of Chicago dealt with a similar situation.
May 20, 2008 at 10:42 pm
travelinglemur
Ah, so he’s tried to kill you too!
Good point about the male/female thing. I just figured that she was an overprotective mother or something.
I was walking home today and ahead of me was this other guy, headed right for where we’re talking about, so I waited and watched but the bird never attacked.
At least, someone knows what I’m talking about.
May 21, 2008 at 12:53 am
Diana
I am scared of birds, even since I got pecked on the mouth by a goose when I was a small child.
May 22, 2008 at 1:50 am
Amanda
Maybe she has been watching you in your apartment, and she noticed all your packing, and she’s really pissed you’re leaving her. I thought about pecking you this week, too. : )