Coming out of the grocery store and setting down my bags to unlock my truck door, I spied a grackle on the ground. It was all puffed up with its feathers out and its mouth was open, as if to make a noise. No noise was coming from the bird. It looked really weird. I stepped towards it and it didn’t move. Grackles tend to be rather fearless. At this point I saw it was breathing funny and then it dawned on me: the bird was panting.
“Why don’t you get out of the parking lot and into some shade?” I said to it.
He cocked his head and looked at me with his little yellow I’d-like-to-peck-your-eyes-out if-I-had-the-chance eyes and slowly waddled (still panting) underneath my truck.
It’s hot out.