A New Favorite Past Time

I have really begun to enjoy watching birds--esp. when they are building their nests. I love how the mama and daddy wren will work so hard together to build the nest and protect it.

My new interest started last spring (2009) A mama wren built her nest in the wreath on my front door. I watched her many, many times during the day as she and daddy wren worked so hard on their nest. Then I watched her lay an egg a day for 6 days. One day she laid two eggs so there was a totally of seven eggs. It really amazed me how she was able to fit all those tiny eggs in such a tiny nest.

I had done my research on how long she would sit on the nest before the baby birds were hatched and then how long they would be in the nest. I was amazed at how very short the time was that I would have them to watch.

It thrilled my heart to go and check on her every day. I realized that the door opening and closing was not a good thing for the little mama and her nest so I locked the glass door and kept the front door locked. The kids were told NOT to go out the front door but to use the garage door instead.

Lovey,our cat, had realized that the birds were always on the wreath and she would stay very close to that door. One day Scott saw something happen in the cul-de-sac that needed his quick attention. He hurried out the front door and didn't know to tell me to re-lock it. (I should have told him the whole locked door idea) Lovey, the cat, took that as a prime time to push against the door over and over again letting the wreath hit up against the glass door. This caused the nest to fall on the porch and all the eggs to break. I could hear the sad and panic cry of the birds and ran to the porch to see the mess and Lovey smelling and looking all around to see where her prize was.

I was heart broken. I cried and cried. Someone told me (I think it was my mother but not really sure) the analogy of where we build our house, on the sand or on the rock. It was a great opportunity for me to teach my children about things of this world that might look safe but really if we look closer we will see the danger and pit falls that are there.

SPRING 2010

I have eagerly awaited the arrival of spring and the hopes of another mama and daddy bird building their nest on my porch. My mom gave me this great bird house that suctions to your window where you can watch the birds build a nest from the inside out. What a neat idea. However the birds didn't like that idea this year. (Maybe because I put it on my laundry room window and I am in there ALL the time!!

This year they choose to build a nest up in the corner of the front porch. A much safer place. I have loved going to my front porch or looking out the laundry room window to see the progress of these sweet birds. The one huge disadvantage for me is that it is up too high and I can't see the eggs or new baby birds. I am eagerly awaiting their birth and hoping to be able to see them learn to fly.

Another set of birds built a nest in the shelves in our garage behind a WD 40 can. I kept telling Scott I thought they were building a nest somewhere in the garage and he couldn't see it and didn't think so. I would see the mama or daddy bird fly out of the garage and back in several times during the day. Today when we were doing our yard work outside we could see the mama bird fly in with a worm in her beak and hear the sweet sound of baby birds.

Thank you Lord for Spring and NEW LIFE. Thank you for allowing us to be able to watch the wonder of this happen before our eyes---and ears.