by Marianna Lamare

Created on: December 16, 2008

Sparrow Noche has taken wing, and with the winter winds he has flown away. I see him with the eyes of my heart, wings flapping in the breeze like the colorful little flags strung around the deck in our backyard. Although I still occasionally look for him, I do not believe he will return. The little bird's presence was one of those fleeting experiences that seem to always teach me about letting go. But I digress; let me first tell you the story of Sparrow Noche.

Perhaps it was late September, as I don't recall exactly, when we first noticed the little sparrow perched up under the eaves of our back porch. I can tell you it was when the weather began to soften some, with chilly nights and mornings, but lovely afternoons - typical for autumn in the Bay area of California. Dressing for the weather involves layers, as you peel off clothes for the warm afternoons, you also begin to put on layers again towards evening.
Particularly, just as soon as the sun sets, it gets quite cold. So, there, along with the layering of clothes, appeared this little fellow the moment the sun began to set until the first breath of dawn. Every night he would cling to the white-coated wires, up and to the left of the sliding glass door, and sleep, a bird's still sleep.

In fact, his sleeping was quite a marvel. Our golden retriever, Lizzie, needs to be let out to 'do her business' every night around nine o'clock. By that time, Sparrow Noche, as he became known around the house, was totally motionless. The bright light that illuminates the deck is just a couple of feet away from his slumbering post, and so with hesitation I would turn it on so Lizzie could find her way. Without so much a startle or notice, the sparrow would be as still as a board.
It was almost eerie, the way he seemed unaffected by our commotion. His eyes would be dark and staring but obviously unaffected by our presence.
I guess when birds fall asleep, they really konk out!

Night after night I enjoyed looking up at our little guest and smiling and saying hello.
The whole family got into the habit of checking on him regularly. He didn't seem to mind. Sometimes I would catch Sparrow Noche up on his perch quite early, just as the sun was barely touching the horizon, and he would be alert and awake, turning his head curiously towards me when I spoke. Once I came a little too close and he flew away in a jolt, only to return a short while later. I marveled at why there was just one sparrow and where the rest of his flock was.

The aggressive

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