Graduation Day for Bird Babies--By Linda Kozar

Mama or Daddy Bird

We've had lots of commotion around our garage today--and it has nothing to do with cars.

If you read the earlier post, I found a nest in our garage with three little wrens inside. But before we knew they were there, we went out of town for a couple of days. When we came back and heard cheeps, we felt awful. But the mama, and it turns out, the daddy bird as well soon returned to feed and nurture their babies.

Our daily delight, was to watch as the diminutive parents flew in and out of the garage, wiggling insects clamped in their beaks. Yesterday I peeked into the nest and noticed the birds looked more like--well--birds than babies. And this morning, they decided to leave the nest.

Lots of chirping on the fence and in the garage alerted us that something was going on. And it seemed there were a lot more of the little birds around than usual. In addition, I heard chirps, not little cheep cheeps from inside the garage. That's when I noticed this little fellow under my daughter's car. He came out in time for a photo op!

One of the babies

I noticed movement as they hopped underneath the other car too. The parents chirped some sort of danger signal and grew more and more agitated with me around, so I decided to watch from the kitchen window instead.

As I did, I saw something wonderful. The mama or papa bird (can't tell them apart) chirped to one of the babies and then flew on top of the fence. The baby followed and chirped as well. Then the parent chirped again and flew to a small tree nearby and the baby followed, though it flew in a tentative way.

I walked into the garage. The cheeps and chirps were no more, our garage returned to its former state, a small building filled with cars and boxes, smells of motor oil and fertilizer. Tip-toeing to the nest, I tilted it downward to look inside.

Empty.

I smiled. The babies, my babies had surely flown the coop--all three of them. A few flying lessons from their parents, some instruction on catching tasty insects and they'd be on their way.

I sighed. Happy, yes happy that my husband and I can finally close the garage door again...

What A Little Bird Taught Me--By Linda Kozar

Baby Birdies, beaks wide open.

I'm happy, really really happy today. But is it because my oldest daughter just graduated from college with on a B.A. in Psychology on Friday? Sure, I'm elated about that. But that's not why I'm so happy.

My graduate!!!

When we arrived home on Saturday evening (gone Friday and most of Saturday for the graduation ceremony at Baylor), my husband asked me if I heard chirping in the garage. I did indeed! And after a little searching I found a nest on a shelf inside an empty box of Lipton Tea. Three tiny baby birds lifted bright yellow beaks in response to my scrutiny and my heart melted.

Finding the bird babies was wonderful until I realized the garage had been closed for two days. Hopeful the mama would return, we kept the garage door open. The birdies cheeped and cheeped, bulbous eyes, beaks wide open for hours, and I started to worry about them. What if the mama didn't come back?

I prayed for them--asked Jesus to send the mama back. Though it sounds pathetic, I went to bed sad and disheartened about the little birdies who would surely die without nourishment. 

The next day I put off checking on them until after church. I was afraid of what I'd find. That scene from "The English Patient" came to mind--you know, when Count Lazlo went back into the cave knowing his beloved Katherine was long past the help he'd crossed the desert for. I held my breath and tipped the box to the side. No movement...

My heart sank. I told my husband, my mom and mom-in-law the birdie babies were dead...or close to it. I did notice one of them move a little though, but then he sort of wilted backwards into the nest. 

My husband told me he'd bury them later. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

For some reason though, I went back to check on them about a half hour later and voila! They moved and cheeped, beaks wide open. I could have done cartwheels!

Riding the wave of emotion, I decided to dig for worms.

Yes, me--the squeamish one. I troweled my way through the garden and dug up some worms. It's really not that hard. Worms are all over the place. My mom-in-law pitched in and started digging as well. Between the two of us, we found four worms. Then, without hesitation, I cut a couple of them into pieces with a plastic knife and fed them to the birdies with a tweezer!

I put the babies back in their original spot and sat down on the patio with my mom and mom-in-law to prep for the next feeding. About a half hour later, as we sat there--wonder of wonders, we heard a series of chirps from inside the garage! Then we noticed a tiny bird hop from shelf to shelf and fly to the nest! 

The mama bird returned to feed her little ones! Hurray! We cheered! We praised the Lord! And we watched the mama return again and again to feed her babies. ((sigh))

So now you know why I'm happy, really happy about three little baby birdies. Why do I care so much? Because our Father in heaven does. His heart is so tender towards us and everything He created.

But now that I'm past worrying about bird babies, and digging up worms in the garden, I'm back to walking on clouds about my own baby girls. My youngest will graduate in two more years. ((sigh)).

Matthew 10:29 "Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave (consent) and notice."

A small shelf to the right of the shears--where the next is.

My first meeting with the Birdie Babies.

One yellow beak poised to eat.