While I was typing about phone info there was a massive bang next to my ear and I realised it was a bird strike. I rushed straight out in time to shout ‘LEAVE IT’ to Jules who already had a small thrush in his mouth (could have been a lady blackbird). He obeyed and I gently picked it up and, after checking its wings and tail to make sure they were alright held it captive till I was away from Jules.
Usually I put them on the bird bar to recover but not with Jules aware and waiting, so I first went out the front gate but it refused to fly from my hand. Then back into the house to show Fran and to shut all the doors with the dogs inside before taking it up to the trees next to my swimming pond.
All the time my hand was open and it allowed me to gently stroke it before I managed to persuade it to step onto an ivy covered fence post top. I went down to the house to fetch the camera, it was still there, took a long video and a couple of snapshots from it. While I was filming, and to my delight, it flew to the branch of a nearby tree and stayed there for another 10 minutes.
I did not see it go because I was so tempted by the sight of the pond that I stripped off and did half a dozen lengths during which time it decided to depart. 
