Several days out from the Yucatan Peninsula, this American Redstart landed on the boat.
I've had this happen on previous deliveries. A tired, hungry, thirsty bird, apparently lost at sea, takes refuge on board a passing boat. I try to help them. Offer water in a dish and any kind of food, but it doesn't help. They're exhausted and beyond saving. They never survive the night.
This little fellow gave me reason to think he might survive. He came into the cabin. hopped around in and out of shady hiding places. He allowed us to come close. We offered sugar water and he seemed to take a few drops. After a few hours with us he seemed invigorated. He flew off astern of us chasing some an insect, turned to come back onboard, but as he approached he seemed to lose strength and fell to the surface. I looked back as the boat slipped slowly away - his wings spread open on the water, his little head looking up at us.
I couldn't let this happen. I gave orders to release the main sheet and jib sheet, started the engines and put the transmissions in reverse. I told the crew to get a bucket ready as I maneuvered the boat back to our little hitch hiker. We scooped him up and took him below.
After this we couldn't trust him to stay onboard. He couldn't resist his instinct to go chasing some bug, so we put him in a cabin with a dish of sugar water and kept the door closed. From time to time we'd go in and try to get him to take a few drops. He seemed to be resting, and we hoped, recuperating.
Around midnight I went to check on him and found he had died.
I can't explain why, but I was devastated. In the morning when all the crew was awake and up in the cockpit I brought him out to say goodbye. I wanted to say a few words about our courageous but foolish little friend, but I couldn't speak. I let him fall to the sea, then went below, out of sight of my crew, and cried.
