Hovering

We have a porch attached to the back door- and it's "L"-shaped, which means that a bird that enters it- as they sometimes do- and then turns left, hoping to exit by the small side window, can find itself trapped. This morning I stepped out the back door and found a swallow there, hovering in the air, wings beating fast, holding position while it figured out its next move. I stepped back, not wanting to frighten it, and gave it time to rescue itself- which it did swiftly and without panic- flying up to the powerline that serves the garage, resting there for thirty seconds to process the experience, then darting off.

You don't often get close to a swallow. It felt like a great privilege. So beautiful...