Trying to Stay Clear of Mommies with Feathers

Every now and then we see something in nature that tugs at our heart. The other day I spotted a Mother Robin sitting on her nest, which happened to be on top of the light over our back door. The evening was cold, rainy, and windy as I hurried to take out the trash. But as I came back, there sat Mother Robin keeping her babies warm, looking so resolute, strong, and devoted. The sight touched me.

There was one problem.

Over the next week, every time I went out that door, three little chicks started tweeting at the top of their tiny lungs, mouths agape for food, thinking I could assist in some way. “She’s coming soon,” I tried to tell them. “She’s out scavenging for worms.”

But they wouldn’t listen. Instead, they kept up their loud cheeping, insisting that lunch be procured immediately. It got so I avoided the back door, mostly using the front, even to empty our garbage. I didn’t want to get these little birds excited and disturb the natural rhythm of their days. I didn’t want to make it harder for Mommy bird.

The sight got me thinking…it’s tough not to admire mothers throughout the animal kingdom. Unlike human access to stores and Uber Eats, these animals must forage daily. I’m always amazed at the females of any species – birds, lions, whales, all of them. Yes, males chip in too (sometimes just for the fun part), but let’s get real: childbirth and rearing chicks, cubs, and whale calves aren’t for the faint-hearted.

A few weeks later, the nest sat empty. My first instinct was to worry, thinking that some predator got ahold of them. But then I Googled how long it takes baby robins to leave the nest after hatching—about 10-14 days. Phew. The timeline worked.

I would’ve loved to have seen their fledgling flights, their mother watching… maybe with pride? Or is she thinking, phew… I now have an empty nest (literally). I wonder what’s going on in the other side of the woods.

After that, I figured that’s my bird experience for the nesting season. At least I can walk out our backdoor again.

The other day I went out our front door and was starting to put a little vinca vine pot in the upper row of a wrought iron wall planter. Funny, I thought, the leftover Spanish moss from last year looks different, almost in a swirly pattern.

Next thing I know, a sparrow flies out from the planter, another nesting mother. Not wanting to touch anything of hers, I picked the whole planter off the wall and peered inside. At first, I couldn’t see anything. But then deep down, I saw about five little pearl-colored eggs, looking like oval sugar cubes. Another nursery has been set up.

Now I can’t go out the front door. Every time I do, Mother Sparrow flies off from the planter in a panic. Soon I’ll have more hatchlings tweeting loudly that they want food NOW!

Oh well. It doesn’t matter.

I’m loving this brief, beautiful glimpse into new life. I’ll do what I must.

 

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