This morning I notice a small bird trapped in my screen porch. My Birds of

North America identifies it as a female Berwick’s Wren “ distinguished from

other wrens by its eye stripe, white under parts and unstreaked brown

back.”  A jewel in dawn’s early light!

She flies back and forth, back and forth, like a prisoner pacing a cell,

looking for an escape route and becomes frantic as I approach. Before I can

open the outer door for her to escape I notice that her mate, outside the

screen porch is flying back and forth in an identical pattern. For a few

minutes I watch the aerial ballet a deux to make certain that the stunning

display of compassion I am witnessing is intentional. Sure enough, the pair

continues to fly with a degree of co-ordination that would put the Blue

Angels to shame.

When I open the door she flies out and is joined by her mate and their

dance erupts into a series wild gyrations,

ascending to an apex and swooping low to the ground. Only the most

doctrinaire cynic could possibly refuse to be amazed and graced by the

appearance of such angels of joy.  In just such minor epiphanies we are

surprised  to find  evidence of benevolence at the heart of the

commonwealth of sentient beings apart from humankind.