text:  Sounds dumb, I know, but that's what I said. Hi, little bird. And he didn't budge, but I could see he was alive. Jim, I reached down, and I petted the bird. I petted the bird, and he just looked up at me, and I finally carried him over to another area. I thought I'd put him near one of our bushes, and eventually I sat there and watched. There was nothing wrong with this bird. He flew away. But why would a wild bird allow you to come up and pet him?