Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Watching Nature - a teaching moment

While I don't have any pictures, I wanted to document here these moments of beauty we've had this spring.

When Grandpa P was here in May, we trimmed the bush in front of J's window.  It grows out of control every spring. 

Last year, we cut it in the summer, when I was worried about fire escape hazard (what ever possessed our builder to put this kind of bush in front of a *kids* window can only be made sane by his thoughts of preventing window escape in the teen years).  While hacking snipping away at it, Grandpa uncovered a Robin's nest with blue eggs still in it.  We stopped our trimming, but it was too late.  The mother never came back & the eggs were eaten by bigger birds.

This year, we checked first.  There was a nest, but no eggs.  So we went about trimming the bush to tame/prime it for the Spring growth.  Grandpa used the electric trimmer this time & wow did we shrink it.  Especially in the area closest to J's window. 

With J sleeping in our room since Spring, his shades are rarely open, so when we recently moved him back to his room - and I opened them - it was a surprise to have Moma Bird sitting there staring at me.  When she flew away there were 3 beautiful blue eggs staring at us.  Way better than a Tiffany egg for a 3-year-old.  J was entranced by this happening of nature. 

It has been a lesson or 10 in patience & and understanding nature.  He was really good about leaving the Moma bird alone to cook her eggs. 

And it was rewarded.  This week we have seen the cutest yellow squalling beaks peek out from the nest.  J even got to witness Moma Bird feeding the little ones.  Prompting causing him to want to go to the grocery store to buy worms to feed them.

Mr. M & I've been very adamant we don't feed the birds, or they won't know how to look for food themselves.

However, I do think a bird feeder is in our very near future. 

It is so awesome for me to listen to J share this with Mr. M repeating all the things I say to him about having to be quiet & keep the curtain closed so the bird family can have their quiet time to go into big birds that can fly... I really hope we catch those first flights.  I think J would be entranced by those first wing spreading moments.

1 comment:

  1. When I was a kid we used to catch caterpillars to watch them turn into butterflies, but a nest right outside your bedroom window? Totally winning!

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