Birds bearing gifts

Please imagine this bird …..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

……  sitting up here on the roof of the restaurant overlooking the patio and staring down at me.

It had caught my attention by dropping something just to the front of my table.  At  first I thought it was a stick but when the crow that had been strutting around, on the ground, back and forth beside and under my table went over and ate whatever the crow on the roof had dropped, I knew it was not a stick.  It was a gift.  Maybe not something this human could have or would have eaten, but it was offered as such.

Over the years this has happened many times, birds,  squirrels,  raccoons,  chipmunks bringing nuts or seeds or unknown (to me) morsels and waiting until I have noticed and accepted them.

This gladdens me and I feel honoured.

Mostly it is not merely a 'give to get' endeavour.  No.  My experience with squirrels is that they will come for the food I have put out for them but if they are bringing a gift, they will not take what I am giving until I have taken what they have brought.

I do not have to actually eat the offering;  gratitude seems enough.