Narcissus

We named him Narcissus. Him, meaning the Junco who had been spending almost an hour constantly pecking at his own image, reflected on a shiny aluminum planter.

Believing that the little bird he was facing was an intruding rival threatening his territory, the tenacious Narcissus did nothing but try to scare him away, uselessly.

We surrounded the planter with other pots, just so that Narcissus did not fit in front of the so-called mirror. Our intention was to distract him, or clearing up his confusion so that he could spend his time and energy looking for food, weaving nests, or doing something that would be more constructive than attacking the image of his own fierce face.

Still, Narcissus persisted, perching on the other planters, apparently thinking that his rival was hiding.

Thus, eventually we ended up moving the planter indoors.

As Narcissus could no longer see the ‘other’ bird, perhaps feeling victorious, he raised his head and his voice to the sky.

And he concentrated again on pecking the ground for seeds.