•12:34 PM
Every year I wait, hoping it will happen again.
In the Spring of 2005, a family moved in with us ... just for a little while. A family of birds, that is. We watched as a pair of robins built their nest on our front window ledge ... way up high over the front door. Luckily for me - I mean, the kids - the nest was easy to see from inside the house. And so, we watched while they worked.
We watched as they came and went, returning proudly with each new treasure - a clump of grass, a trail of string. They were a skittish pair, fleeing from their nest whenever we happened near the front door. Especially the Daddy - he trusted nobody.
The activity around the nest settled into a quiet hush and one day there were three little blue eggs. I know this because I pulled over the table in our foyer to use as a ladder, so that I could peek inside. I did this so many times, Jonesy started to wonder about me. But, wouldn't you? Look at the eggs, I mean.
The Mama Bird would sit on those eggs ... loyal and with purpose. She was there day and night, rainy or sunshiney. She was there when I went to bed at night and she was the first one to greet me on my way down the stairs in the morning. And, if by chance, I was awakened in the middle of the night, because somebody had a scary dream, there she was, sitting on her eggs ... loyal and with purpose.
As time went on, things changed between the Mama bird and me. I talked to her. I know, it seems a little strange. I didn't tell her my darkest secrets or anything - I'm not crazy. I just greeted her with a "Hello, Mama" and told her what a great mommy she was. And soon, she never flew away when I was around. In fact, she watched me with the same interest I took in her. If Jonesy even looked at the foyer, she would leave her nest, keeping watch from the tree close by. But not me ... it seemed as though we had come to an agreement. Two mommies, looking after their babies. A commom kindred spirit.
So, there she sat for days and days, until one morning I noticed Daddy bringing some worms. A baby had arrived. I was lucky enough to actually watch one of the babies poke through the blue shell, watch as a life began. Soon there were three babies ... but they were not beauties. They were scrawny and pink and there were no feathers to be found. But I still loved them.
As the days went by, instead of being greeted by my Mama bird each morning, I was instead greeted by three little beaks poking over the top of the nest ... never satisfied. Mama and Papa frantically searched to find worms or bugs and whatever else would quiet those little beaks. And those same three little beaks were poking over the top of that nest if I was awakened in the middle of the night by somebody's bad dream. But Mama and Papa arrived routinely ... loyal and with purpose.
Soon there were three little round fluff balls poking over the top of the nest. And it became apparent, that their time to leave was approaching. My heart was heavy because I had come to adore each of them ... our little family of visitors. One morning, there was a great deal of activity on the front porch. Two of the three babies had taken that great leap of faith, while the third watched hesitantly from the nest. He tried to do it ... throw caution to the wind and take that big leap ... but eventually cowered back to the safety of the nest. Some are so hesitant to leave, aren't they? Mama and Papa had the two brave babies on our front lawn, trying to keep them safe until they found their wings. They were hopping and jumping, until finally the third baby joined them.
I watched the babies, flapping in their attempts ... their parents by their side ... loyal and with purpose. Finally, they hopped and jumped around the corner and were out of my sight.
My front porch felt quiet and lonely.
But, it was time to get lunch for my little ones. And so, I walked to the kitchen ... loyal and with purpose.
In the Spring of 2005, a family moved in with us ... just for a little while. A family of birds, that is. We watched as a pair of robins built their nest on our front window ledge ... way up high over the front door. Luckily for me - I mean, the kids - the nest was easy to see from inside the house. And so, we watched while they worked.
We watched as they came and went, returning proudly with each new treasure - a clump of grass, a trail of string. They were a skittish pair, fleeing from their nest whenever we happened near the front door. Especially the Daddy - he trusted nobody.
The Mama Bird would sit on those eggs ... loyal and with purpose. She was there day and night, rainy or sunshiney. She was there when I went to bed at night and she was the first one to greet me on my way down the stairs in the morning. And, if by chance, I was awakened in the middle of the night, because somebody had a scary dream, there she was, sitting on her eggs ... loyal and with purpose.
As time went on, things changed between the Mama bird and me. I talked to her. I know, it seems a little strange. I didn't tell her my darkest secrets or anything - I'm not crazy. I just greeted her with a "Hello, Mama" and told her what a great mommy she was. And soon, she never flew away when I was around. In fact, she watched me with the same interest I took in her. If Jonesy even looked at the foyer, she would leave her nest, keeping watch from the tree close by. But not me ... it seemed as though we had come to an agreement. Two mommies, looking after their babies. A commom kindred spirit.
So, there she sat for days and days, until one morning I noticed Daddy bringing some worms. A baby had arrived. I was lucky enough to actually watch one of the babies poke through the blue shell, watch as a life began. Soon there were three babies ... but they were not beauties. They were scrawny and pink and there were no feathers to be found. But I still loved them.
I watched the babies, flapping in their attempts ... their parents by their side ... loyal and with purpose. Finally, they hopped and jumped around the corner and were out of my sight.
My front porch felt quiet and lonely.
But, it was time to get lunch for my little ones. And so, I walked to the kitchen ... loyal and with purpose.
3 comments:
Wonderful story, Jill. Any feathered family would surely be fortunate to choose your front porch to start their family.
One year robins built a nest on our bedroom window ledge, raised a family and left. The next year one morning I kept hearing tapping and fluttering outside the window. To my surprise a dove pair were 'upgrading' the robins' nest, adding another fluffier storey. Luckily it was when I was babysitting Kaitlyn when Deanna returned to work following her maternity leave (and was already pregnant with Maddie). So she had a really upclose and personal view of the whole thing. The mommy dove usually would fly away if we peeked out from behind the blind but sometimes she would sit there and glare at us suspiciously with that one eye. Before too long eggs hatched into babies and several times a day Kaitlyn would beg me to lift her up to see. Before long the day came when I lifted her up and we both saw the empty nest. I don't know who was more sad. Probably me because I had experienced 'little birds' leaving the nest and knew that the time was coming quickly when the little bird beside me would be leaving my nest once her mommy gave birth to her little sister and didn't need a babysitter any more. That was a very special time for me.
i have a bird story too, but not a warm, fuzzy one. Birds made a nest in our vent one year, right at the edge of it so we could see it if we peeked in. But we rarely peeked because the mom and dad bird would be squawking at us and dive bomb us. Plus I was always afraid that if I lifted the vent flap to peek, the birds would come flying out at me. Marv didn't want to remove the nest until the babies were grown and flew away. I agreed, who could be that cruel? BUT... as the babies got older, they never left and there was bird crap all over our pool deck, every day. One day, I was in the downstairs bathroom and had a friendly visitor in there with me--- the birds had made it all the way to the bathroom. There was twigs and dirt all over the shower stall. So I had to call in the experts to haul them away( Pro Trap, they catch the animals, in this case , birds, and let them go) He had to disinfect the whole vent.I bought a bottle of bleach and cleaned that bathroom like it's never been cleaned before.
Much as I like birds,we have way too many around my house, there's poop on my front window and my car.