Our Baby Birds

Earlier this spring, as I was walking by the front door, I noticed that I kept seeing a bird flying back and forth from near the doorway. I happened to go outside into the yard that day, and a pair of purple finches squawked at me so loudly that I investigated all the bird houses and roosters looking for a nest. A few days later, I noticed a bit of nesting material up on top of the post above the front door, and I was tickled pink about it. Every day since then I have stopped at the front door several times to check on the progress of the birds. At first, there was mostly an empty nest. Then, the mama bird would be sitting in the nest, but still fly out if we were too close to the window or the cats were checking out what all the fuss was about. Within a week, or maybe two, mama didn't leave the nest much. I could stand there with the inside door wide open, and she's stare at me, and not move. I decided she must've laid her eggs, and was busy keeping them safe.

After some time, I heard lots of little chirping noises coming from the nest if I stood next to the door. Mama would fly off, and come back, and sit some more, and I noticed that the daddy bird was often in the nut tree making a ruckus if anyone got too close or flying back and forth to the edge of the post. He really is a beautiful bird, and I have enjoyed watching him as he's taken care of his little family. If Bella happens to be out in the backyard, they sit in the shrub in the middle of the yard and squawk at her until she comes back into the house. Saturday when I was working in my garden before the rain came, he was in the yard on the ground, and she was getting ready to pounce on him and my heart skipped a beat just thinking about it. It's crazy.. but I've become rather attatched to these little guys.

I have learned a few things about birds that I didn't know before. More often than not, it's the daddy bird that I see feeding the babies. Now that they are larger than the nest, mama doesn't stay in the nest anymore, but hangs out in the nut tree with daddy. Bird nests that you find on the ground must have fallen out of trees with the eggs unhatched, because baby birds are MESSY as all heck. I'll be glad when these little guys fly the coop, because the mess is giving me a twitch. Baby birds are loud enough that they make cats come and check out the commotion from inside the house. This has been highly entertaining. I'm not sure of the breeding habits of finches, but I secretly hope they come back next year.