It takes a village to bring a bird back

Mr. Bird hopped up to his usual river-front perch right on time at dusk last night, spent the night in the usual spot and awoke us with his usual morning screams.

After he was safely atop his perch, Mr. Bird's fans began calling.

First, Ann, who played host to Mr. Bird for the day he was on the lam, called from the wedding she was attending. "I just couldn't wait any longer to find out what happened," she said.

I reported he was back where he belonged and all was well.

Then, Laurie called. Laurie is a long-time neighbor who works for a vet and is a true animal lover. In our house, she will always be known as "the lady who used to own the goat." Now she owns multiple dogs and I see her husband "running" them in the morning -- him on the bike, each dog in turn running on a leash alongside, little legs churning to keep up.

Laurie reported that she and her husband cornered Mr. Bird in Ann's yard. With no great fuss, she was able to grab him and hold his wings down. He did not peck at her or struggle, she said.

Holding Mr. Bird, she hopped in the back of her Jeep while her husband drove the four blocks back to Sophia's yard, where the peacock was released.

Laurie was happy to learn that Mr. Bird was on his usual perch.

"Let me know if I can ever help bring him back again," she said.

Please! Let's hope he's forgotten about his feathered friends and settles back into a comfortable routine on our safe little block, where he is so cherished.