A Bird In Hand (Or Nest)

To find the universal elements enough;

to find the air and the water exhilarating;

to be refreshed by a morning walk 

or an evening saunter;

to be thrilled by the stars at night;

to be elated over a bird's nest

or a wildflower in spring ...

these are some of the rewards of the simple life.

                                                             --John Burroughs

I was beginning to think that the old saying, "A watched pot never boils," also applied to watching a bird's nest.

When Randy first discovered the nest in April, there were only two eggs in the nest atop the 4-wheeler ramps.

Then, a few days later, we found four eggs.

Not long afterwards, Randy discovered some delicate blue egg shells at the base of the ramps, and only three eggs were left in the nest. We don't know why one of the eggs toppled to the ground.

We patiently checked the nest every few days, hoping that they would hatch. And they did!

Two of the eggs are now baby birds.

Taken May 8

It's been amazing how quickly they've changed from scrawny, skeletal looking creatures to our feathered friends. We've not sure whether the third egg will hatch, but we doubt it will at this point. (You can see it under the feathers in the photo below.)

Taken May 15 - 1 week later

Initially, we didn't know what bird had laid the eggs. We never saw a mama sitting on the nest.

But now that the babies are hatched, a couple of robins aren't thrilled when I've peered into the nest or moved it to the nearby wheelbarrow for photos. They don't seem to understand that I'm just admiring their handiwork. 

 

Last Friday afternoon, we checked the nest again. As I walked into the shed, one of the babies flew out of the nest!

With its sibling off on an adventure, only one baby still resides in the nest. 

Their parents were none too pleased at the attention we were giving their babies. One led a particularly vocal protest and tried dive-bombing the shed.

Nature is a marvel, isn't it? I took the first nest photos on April 23, just a couple of days after Randy initially discovered the nest. The newly-hatched babies looked like space aliens on May 8. And then, by May 19 - less than a month after we discovered the nest - one robin was already off exploring the world.

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.

Emily Dickinson