Story, video and photos by Louis Denson<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last Tuesday in Arles, I was walking back to my host home when I heard a smack and a splat. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a small black sparrow spread-eagle on the ground looking around like it was waiting for me to tell it what just happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After watching the bird make a few failed attempts at flight, I thought to myself, \u201cI\u2019ve never touched a wild bird before.\u201d It seemed its shock at hitting a wall had turned into helplessness as it just lay there with its wings spread wide. Stroking the wings and body with the back of my middle finger, I could see that this bird was in no immediate presence of death. \u201cMaybe a broken foot?\u201d I thought as it gave another effort of flight that jumped me back into the street. Natalia Puglia, a language teacher and interpreter for Arles \u00e0 la carte<\/em>, stopped on her bike and told me that sparrows can\u2019t fly from the ground and need wind or velocity from height to take flight; so this bird was not broken, it was just stuck in a rut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n