Terror in the Bower!

Now there is a word that you do not hear often these days.."bower".  I am supposing that it is just one of those words that has fallen from popularity and into obscurity. Today, however, the word popped into my head as I sat and watched a mother Thrasher teach her baby to hunt for food.  They were in the False Indigo bush and the mother would flit around between the Turk's Caps to hunt for any bug that might be flushed from its hiding place.  She would then proceed to make a series of clicking chirps trying to entice the little one to scratch in the mulch with her.  The way the leaves of the False Indigo and the Turk's Cap intertwined reminded me of a hidden bower..maybe a meeting place of gnomes, faeries and elves.  Ok..so maybe the imagination is still stuck in a childhood or perhaps I should just start writing children's books!  Still, the area did spark the imagination and the better part of an hour was spent just watching the two birds.

After a bit, the mother flew off to parts unknown and the baby bird hunkered down to hide among the underlayer of leaves.  There it sat, chirping a lone, plaintive call now and again, hoping that its mother would soon return.  This call soon brought more trouble that the little bird could ever have anticipated.  The False Indigo bush is planted right near the fireplace against the north side of the house.  Our house sits up on pillars and at this very point is nearly a foot off the ground.  As I sat listening and watching the little bird, I suddenly saw a movement under the house right near the little bird.  I squinted to see in the darkness under the house..what was creeping up on Baby Bird???   It was then that I realized that a second little bird was under the edge of the house!  But that little bird was not what I had seen move..something much larger was there as well.  Mama Bird was back in the bush and raising such a racket that I suspected Ms. Put was on the prowl!  I know that I should not interfere with the natural course of things but I leapt to my feet and rushed to aid Mama Bird in the defense of her babe.  Ms. Put would not eat this baby bird!  As I neared the bower, I  saw a quick flash of golden fur..that is not Ms. Put!!!  Mama Bird was going ballistic but over her wild screeches, I heard the sickening sounds of a small life being snuffed.  I had not been quick enough!  A large yellow cat came racing out from under the house and through the potato garden..in its mouth..the little Thrasher.  I felt sick..my heart hurt for Mama Bird.  She was frantically trying to find her babes!  The one little bird that was under the Turk's Cap was frozen with fear.  No sounds came to tell Mama that it was fine and had not been attacked by the yellow monster.  After searching the area, Mama Thrasher finally found her one remaining baby and began clucking around near it.

 The frantic shrieks from before had brought in a hoard of birds.  Wrens, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Titmice were all in a great uproar over the loss of the little one.  An evil force had laid siege to the quiet little bower.  It was no longer the peaceful place for a mother and her children.  An unwelcome intruder to the Bayou took a life and disturbed the serenity.  If this cat hangs around here long, I am quite sure that I will hear the squalling of a cat fight.  Ms. Put catches her share of the critters around here but she does not take kindly to other cats intruding in her territory.  As small as she is, she usually manages to banish any unwanted visitors.  Peace will again envelop the gardens and Ms. Put will again reign as Queen.   Mama Thrasher and Baby will then just have to keep an eye on the black cat sleeping under the blackberry vines.