My 'in-house model' got injured

I noticed the arrival of this female migrant at Bued River about three weeks ago.

It was a nice, perfectly healthy specimen, albeit initially skittish as it tried to get used to its new locale. I purposely didn't approach it for some time to allow it to familiarize itself to things (including this birdnut) around its new habitat. This species usually stays in one general area throughout its visit to our islands. I reckoned I'd have enough time to photograph it well later, after it has recovered from the long migration flight.

About a week ago, just as it had started to allow me to get a bit closer, I was shocked to discover that its right thigh was seriously injured. Could it be the result of a slingshot damage? Or an injury from escaping a predator such as a cat or dog? Or perhaps a result of a natural accident? I'd never know. 

The right tarsus and claw hung from its thigh at an odd angle as it perched on a bamboo branchlet. Thinking that it might not survive long with its horrific injury, I took a lot of images, if only to record its beauty in pixels before it passes on to the great beyond.

Today, about a week after this image was captured, I was very happy to it see it alive and well, foraging for insects and invertebrates, with its injury appearing to heal nicely. I wish it will recover fully and be able to fly the long migration trip later, and breed more in-house models in the years ahead. 

__________

Blue Rock-Thrush (Monticola solitarius, migrant, female)

Habitat - Rocky exposed slopes, road cuts, and along rocky streams and rivers.

 

Shooting Info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, September 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

 

  High res 1500 x 1000 version