Bird Brains

I love to watch the birds when I sit in my yard. My husband and I watch all year from Fall as the leaves are falling off the trees and the birds are beginning to scatter and fly south until deep Summer when the trees are rich in foliage and the nests are buries deep in the limbs overhanging the roofs high above the houses and birdhouses are all full with babies and nests are literally in bushes and porches and just about anywhere the birds feel safely tucked away.

It just amazes me to watch them. First, building and gathering all sorts of things to create the nests. I can lose interest and before you know it, days later, there will be a big, fully formed nest cradled above our heads in the gumball tree in the back yard. That has to take a lot of work to pull all those twigs and leaves and bits of grass together to form just the right oval shaped nest. It really is amazing.

Then, it seems like a couple months go by and I don't hear much noise at all and one day, it is like  every bird in the neighborhood comes out to sing their song. Cardinals, Robins, Blues, and Wrens. I am ever blessed with hearing them and watching them as they soar above the house and back and forth from the front tree to the back tree into nest after nest. We also have a wren house and it stays fully occupied year round. momma birds and poppa birds must be getting ready because there is a big stir and lots of air traffic between the front and back and to the nest. 

One morning, just when I step outside with my coffee, I hear a tiny little peep, and then another one, only a little fainter. And, one more. Then, as I sat in my usual spot, I realized they were not used to me being there and it must have frightened them a bit because they tried to become a bit more vocal. Momma or papa made a quick appearance on the backyard fence and realized they were in no real danger and flew off to find more food, I'm sure. But not long after, one of them was back to check on their babies, making their way to the nest and then flying back to the front yard tree.

I had to stop and think for a moment, how conscientious it really was for that momma or papa to come and check on their young chicks and to make sure they were not in danger. Then, I had to smile to myself, humans always joke about "bird brains" and it seems to me that if some humans had the brain of a bird, we'd be in much better shape than we are now!

Blessings!http:2getherwecanheal.com