Sure enough, I looked down and on the ground is a bird, flapping away... first on his side, then his back, flap, flap, flap. I watched and moaned in horror. "Oh you poor thing." I didn't want to swing open the door and scare it because it already had received a blow far greater. I wondered, what can I do? As it flapped, flapped some more, I grabbed my phone to snag a picture, and by the time I did, it had righted itself and lay in this position.
I quietly opened the door and sang HU. When all else fails and I know not what to do, I sing HU. The bird turned its head and I continued to sing HU.
Then my cat, Smeagol approached the door and off the bird flew lickety-split. It flew to a near by redbud tree where there was another bird of the same species. I had no idea what kind it was.
Later my husband solved the species issue. It's a Belted Kingfisher. Never heard of it. They like water. Since we have a pond out back, I'm sure that little pointy beak on his noise can stab fish just like that. Looks like we may have another kind of critter that eats our fish.