The Flipping Bird

Spotted on the way into work this morning, driving by Westchester County Airport.

A small black bird. 

He was perched on a wire, looking down at the Net Jets hangar, where all manner of private corporate "birds" were being pushed into place and prepped with (just guessing) all manner of top shelf liquor, fresh flowers and top notch food. 

I wondered:  What's the little guy thinking?  Is he impressed?  Are birds that live near airports higher in the pecking order than others?  Are they cooler than woods birds or park birds?  Are they the Star-bellied Sneeches of the bird family??  What a great children's story that would be!  The wheels were turning...

Just then, the bird leapt from his perch and started an air acrobatics routine that would make the Blue Angels blush.  Flips, loop-de-loops, barrel rolls, darting left, darting right... all the things that pilots won't be able to do until airplanes grow tails that can ply the wind as instinctively as this bird's.

It occurred to me:  This bird's not impressed.  He's a showoff prick-of-a mocking bird!!  My whole attitude on this guy shifted in an instant.  And thoughts of the children's story of the jaunty little airport bird darkened to a cautionary tale on pride coming before the fall...

at the hands of a fable by Aesop....

or in my mind's eye...

at the fans of a turbine by Pratt & Whitney

"Swine bird!"