The parrot who died for love

My granddaughters live on a boat, which is presently in Uruguay, and they are schooled by their mother. She decided recently that they ought to learn to catch a ball, so she sent them out with their father, Hamish to pitch, they to catch. The younger is named Anna. As her mother emailed:

Earlier in the afternoon, a parrot flew into Anna's head and died, possibly of a broken neck, possibly of a heart attack, or even, perhaps of a broken heart.  Hamish and Anna were playing catch with a bright yellow tennis ball (Anna's catch is coming along enormously, as is Helen's.  They can also walk along a 1" wide board fence in crocs, but that's another story). Hamish threw the ball straight up in the air and caught it, and then tossed it to Anna.  The next thing she knew, a parrot came screaming out of the tree and crashed into her nose.  We can only assume that it  was a territorial male and it thought the tennis ball was a handsome rival.  Fortunately, it did not get her in the eye!  It lived briefly after the encounter, but is now interred under a very fine tombstone (with portrait) under a nearby tree.

Or possibly the poor bird thought the ball was a pretty female. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford