Be Vewy Quiet; I'm Hunting Wabbits

There’s a robin I’ve mentioned before on this site. It often sits atop the fountain in my courtyard, letting the small spray cool it off; it just sits there on the hot days. Sometimes it uses the fountain as a birdbath, occasionally it drinks from it.

I’ve decided to catch it; should be fairly easy.

The way to catch a bird, as we all know, is to put salt on its tail. This can be done easily and with objects commonly found at home. You will need a salt shaker, possibly a ladder or step-stool if the bird is too high to reach and, of course, a bird. Also known as a Feathered Biped.

It is important to realize that birds do not look straight ahead as we do; they look off to one side or another. Therefore, if a bird seems to be looking to your left or right, it is actually staring right at you and you can’t get away with anything. It’s best to approach the bird from the back, very quietly. You do not need to grab the bird, but simply get the salt on its tail and it can’t move.

“At the age of five years old, my grandmother told me that if you sprinkle salt on a bird's tail, you could catch the bird. I spent a lot of time on ladders trying to sneak up to a bird nest to try the salt method. After thinking about it for fifty years, I am of the opinion that salt does not have any paralyzing effect on a bird. At least to the best of my abilities, it never seemed to work. No birds were captured.” (Darol Dickinson)

Darol was not successful, but it could still work. Try it for yourself and get back to me.