Rewarding Rescue

This afternoon, Kevin and I heard a very loud bonk against our back window.  We discovered a female cardinal that initially looked badly injured flopped across the patio.  I quickly fetched my warm winter gloves. By the time I'd gotten outside to her, she'd been able to right herself, but she was still extremely dazed. As I've done so many times in the past in cases such as these, I lifted her ever so gently and cupped her in the warmth and safety of my gloved hands.  I could see that her neck wasn't broken, and, despite the severity of the blow she'd taken, she seemed to be okay.  I took her to a shadier spot where we sat together for several moments.  She still clung tightly to my gloved hands, so I just waited.  Soon, I could see signs that she was becoming perkier, so I urged her to fly. Eventually, she took a short flying leap to the tree limb you see her on here.  I waited a while and she simply stayed put.  I got my camera, and taking a few photos of her was all the urging she needed to fly off into the safety of a nearby cedar tree.  It was remarkable not only to see that she seemed to be just fine after her ordeal, but that her bright red mate, whose soft chipping calls continued the whole time I was with her, entered the cedar tree right behind her ~ a rewarding and relieving end to this rescue mission!