Momma Bird

My family recently watched a mother bird build her nest from scratch. We watched her lay her eggs. We watched them hatch and learn to fly. We witnessed the dynamics of what a Mother bird does for her young. She didn’t sit in the nest with them day in and day out caring for their every need. She patiently stood at attention in the middle of our yard guarding and protecting them from prey while still giving them the room they needed to flap their wings, rest and build the strength they needed to eventually fly away. She is a magnificent creature and her strength and devotion is amazing. One day the three little birds leaped, fell, flew in a very messy state out of the nest and onto the pile of dirt and mulch below them. Two of the birds got the hang of it and flew away. One little guy was so flustered and clumsy he just flew a few feet and crashed to a landing and would stay put. She continued to guard him but never help him. One morning I woke and never saw the little bird again. There were a pile of feathers strewn about the yard and we aren’t sure if those were the baby feathers that molted or if another animal “got” him. Either way the mother bird stayed close until finally one day she was gone. I don’t know much about birds in fact I really know nothing other than what I observed over the course of a few weeks. It was very beautiful and I’d like to think she hung around long after the babies flew away just in case they decided to come home. Who knows? But it goes to show the character and strength of a mother. No matter what animal a mother is strong, a mother is devoted, a mother is love.

Tip o’ the Day: Teach children to respect all animals from the start. Practice with stuffed animals until they understand how to approach and behave around them.

Keep up with Kerry at new2two!