During the year the Episcopal Center has many visitors, most of whom are human. Occasionally we have a visitor of the 4-legged variety, usually escorted by their owners. Or we may see a lazy neighborhood cat sleeping on the porch railing in the afternoon sun.

Did you know that the Episcopal Center is also home to wild critters? Due to the beautiful trees surrounding the property the Center tends to attract many species of wild birds including the familiar mockingbirds, jays, robins, and sparrows, as well as playful little mammals such as the squirrels who romp up and down the tree trunks and play chase on the west lawn. We even spied two squirrels playing chase recently as they bounded over sprinkler heads WITH the sprinklers on, like children running through the summer sprinklers. What a sight that was!

Occasionally, however, we have an unusual species visit our Diocesan home. On a cool winter morning in January a little friend greeted our Financial Manager, Anna Mora, as she parked her car. It seemed to be fascinated by the little bird it saw in her passenger side rear view mirror- a reflection of itself. It hopped back and forth repeatedly in an attempt to see where the “other” little bird was going. In researching this tiny member of the avian community we have discovered it is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a species that winters in the southern areas of the United States, but typically lives in the western and northern U.S. and Canada.

Even more interesting is the fact that it returned to Anna's rear view mirror the following day, as if it were waiting for her to arrive, and did the same thing it had done the day before. It flitted  back and forth excitedly, peering into the mirror, then hopping back onto the top rim, as shown in the photo and the video clip below.

This little visitor delighted and amused us on an otherwise bland day. It was a small reminder of the beauty and wonder of God's amazing creation.