A Hopeful Beginning - A Tragic End

On April 22nd we discovered a nest in our blueberry bush.  Almost every year we find a song bird's nest in a bush right around the house and we follow it from the time the eggs are laid until the babies leave the nest.

The nest -2020

The nest was constructed with care.  It had a strong outer nest made with live oak twigs and an inner lining fashioned with hay and grasses woven to make soft bedding for the baby birds that would be coming.  Three blue eggs that were speckled with brown spots were laid in the nest.  Momma bird flew off to eat and I peeked in.

A few days later, things started to happen.  The first baby chick hatched out of the egg.  So tiny and so newly hatched, the chick was still curved into the shape of the egg.

After a few days, three ugly chicks were out of the egg, clamoring for momma bird to bring some worms or bugs or something to eat!

Every time I checked in on them, they seemed to be all peach fuzz and mouths wide open...

I'm not sure what type of bird this is, but here is a photo of the momma bird sitting on her nest.  She would squawk at me when I got near, so I backed up and zoomed in and got a picture of her.  Know what kind of bird this is?

A few days later, I looked in to find only two birds in the nest.  I don't know what happened to the third baby.  The two remaining looked to be growing.  The peach fuzz was almost gone and you can just see the tiny pin feathers on their small bodies.

Over the course of the next week, we weathered a few rough storms with lots of rain and wind.  From a distance I could see that the momma was sitting on the nest, keeping her two babies warm and dry.

The next time the weather cleared, I checked in on our little bird family.  With dismay, I found the nest was empty, and it was laying on its side.  The parts of the nest that were once so impeccably built and cared for were now askew .  There was no trace of the baby birds.  There was no warning squawk from the momma.  Just silence.

I was sad.  The momma bird had worked so hard, done all the right things, shown care and compassion, nurtured here offspring, and yet...  The promising start was full of hope and potential.  The results were discouraging and tragic.  I still am not sure what happened.  If I was a betting man, I would put my money right here.

Ginger would be the primary suspect.  I can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she did it, so at this point charges will not be brought against her.

I looked it up on the Internet and found that most song birds only nest one time per year, so this just makes it even more tragic for the momma bird.  A whole year lost!  But I bet she'll try again next spring!  Just in a better spot!  There is a parable there, I think, for humans.  Even in the midst of trouble, trial, and tragedy, we should keep going and not give up.  Persevere.  Persist.  Push on!

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
Galatians 6:9