Shortly after writing my previous entry ("On the Edge" July 15, 2008) about how big and strong the baby birds were getting to be, we noticed one that didn't look very good. It seemed smaller, and hanging it's head over the edge of the nest weakly, appeared to be failing. We've all heard the term "survival of the fittest", and heard stories of how animals (and birds?) will abandon or force from the nest one that is sick or dying. I don't know if that is what happened but one of our little "peeps" was found dead yesterday with it's head wedged between the cement slab outside our front door and the foundation of the house. My older son and I left for a brief time to fulfill his commitment to care for a friend's cat while the family was on vacation. When we returned, our dog was up on her hind legs just under the place where the birds are nested, tugging at the line that tethers her to the house barking furiously at something out in the yard. We jokingly call her our "squirrel dog" and as we have an over-abundance of gray squirrels invading our bird-feeders, we assumed she was barking at a squirrel. Checking the nest quickly as we ducked in the front door, I only counted three little beaks poking out of the nest. I've never actually observed the moment when the nestlings "fledge" so I've been keeping close track of their progress hoping to see the moment! Concerned that I missed something, I went back outside to count the babies again and that's when I noticed the little feet sticking up in the space where the cement slab has pulled away from the foundation of the house. It must have fallen, been pushed, or jumped out of the nest and taken a nose-dive onto the cement below. Maybe it was already dead and was pushed out of the over-crowded nest; I guess I'll never know. It was sad. When I went to pick up the little body and dispose of it away from our front door, it was so tiny and frail. What made the difference between this one and the others? Was it the youngest? (Not all eggs are laid on the same day, maybe they don't all hatch the same day either. With such a short time to mature, one or two days would make a huge difference! Did the bigger, stronger siblings demand (and receive) most of the parents' attention and feeding?
I've been wondering what the "lesson" is for me in this experience. Even though I only have two in my "nest", maybe it's a warning to pay closer attention to the needs of the youngest and smallest one. I'm so preoccupied with getting my older son through his Algebra I (that we had to start over in April and now need to complete before beginning the new school-year and with planning and preparing for "next year") that my younger son is spending a lot of time just hanging around, watching TV and being bored. We had been doing Math with him, too, but I just wasn't able to give him much attention and I was concerned that his frustration would establish the feeling that he "just can't do Math", so I decided to let it go and let him have a summer break, and pick it up again in September.
I think I'll try to be more aware of my youngest "nestling's" need for attention and nurturing in the midst of the demands and clamoring of the day! |
