A Bird in The Bush

CAPTION: "O Solo Mio, I'd like a Worm, Oh!"

 

     A bird in the bush is worth a lot more than two in the hand. It is a rare opportunity to witness a good part of a lifetime in just weeks. How do I know that? Well I've had the time and rare opportunity to watch a pair of Robins build a nest, lay two eggs, have only one of them break open.

              I've watched Mom and Dad bring bugs and worms to feed what at first just looks a mass of pink protoplasm. That protoplasm somehow instinctively reaches out for sustenance. I've imagined Mom to be going through some tough post partem issues over only one of the eggs producing. Some days she just lays on the nest with her beak agape.

           I see new enthusiasm from her as Robin Junior starts to take some form. Closed eyes take shape, and hour by hour, day by day, little feathers pop up. That gap that had been taking in worms is slowly forming itself into a beak. The hard edges look as if they have the texture of teak.

           Junior's growth rate is hard to absorb. Within five days of hatching, aka birth, it's mass has easily increased ten fold.

   Mom and Dad don't spend the whole day at the nest.  I have to assume they are out feeding themselves, and doing whatever Robin couples do in their spare time. Maybe they are just getting out of my way so I can get some good pictures of the kid.

    When they are at the nest? They are not the best company in the world. If they are not dive bombing me in protest of my presence? They are feeding the kid a lot of food. One of them, I assume it's Mom, is just sitting there with it's jaw unlatched. She looks hot and exhausted.

    The other bird, I assume its Dad, shows up with the goodies and hands them to Mom, who in turn tranfers them to junior.

     Junior still doesn't have his eyes open, and with few feathers  his movement is still pretty clumsey and limited. But man, does this kid know how to find a meal. With that kind of high energy metabolic rate, I see little chance he'll be facing any obesity issues.

       I don't imagine I'm going to have them around much longer. Watching this process in the past from greater distance, I know a bird goes from egghood to adolescence to young adulthood in about a month. And so here is some thinking I'm having as I'm out riding my bike a few days ago?

       We tend not to give much esteem to birds. We talk of them as if they are stupid. (Bird Brain?) But I have to wonder if we can 't learn a bit from our fine feathered friends.

       Birth to teenhood in a month? Think about it. And the course of life so clear. Sex in early Spring, Kid Late Spring, Rearing Early Summer, and then more than half the year to just fly around chirping and eating.

       There can't be much call for Bird Shrinks. All life's tasks and moods are so predictable.

        There is romance, lust, drudgery of home building, pain of pregnancy, fear and amazement of child rearing, the sad sending of the kids out into the cruel world.

         But I think the real beauty and wisdom is that it all gets crammed into a few months out of a year.  AND, ALL BIRDS ARE DOING IT AT THE SAME TIME. Talk about misery loves company.

         There is always some one around to talk about it with.

      Tommorrow we can talk about Wren babies. My stepdaughter Rhonda and her husband Mark are expecting a little miracle in the Winter. Right now I'll bet they are wishing it never grows up.

      About a year from now I'm thinking they are going to wish their little bundle of joy is more bird like. That's just a guess.

        Tweet.