The Bird Explosion

The Bird Explosion

“Did you see that!?”

“No, what?”

“That cat climbed up in that tree, and a hundred birds flew out!”

“Seriously? I didn’t hear anything…”

“They were quiet? I saw the whole thing! There’s the cat!”

A brown and white cat jumped off a lower limb and started walking away.

“It doesn’t seem upset that a hundred birds got away…”

“Fine, don’t believe me. But I saw it! Maybe it wasn’t a hundred, but a whole flock!”

“So, the cat climbed the tree, a flock of birds flew away, quietly… and the cat came back down?”

“Yes! I know it sounds silly, but I really did see it happen. Let’s go see the cat.”

Off they went. They caught up with the cat half way to the next tree, it seemed friendly. It sat down as they came close, and let the boys pat it without blinking an eye.

“He must live here, he’s not afraid of us and he seems to know his way around…”

“Do cats live in the park?”

“I guess. Strays live wherever they can find food and shelter. I bet he was trying to catch a bird for lunch, and that’s why they flew away.”

“But why didn’t they make scared noises? Birds usually do…”

“I don’t know. Nice cat though… Let’s go back to the playground.” Off they went.

The cat watched. As they disappeared, he picked up his left leg and spoke. “I think cats are not the dominant life form here, nor are birds. Call everyone in, we need to do more research.” Suddenly flocks of birds flew out of the trees at once.

Everyone there that morning told the story many times. They call it ‘The Bird Explosion of 2011’. No one has found a reasonable explanation yet, though many keep trying.