|
FLASHBACK COLUMN:
|
|
Photos by Vija Kelly
Tending the nest: Above: A Northern Cardinal returns to the nest with food every ten minutes to keep those babies fed.
Parenting is for the birds
In a fit of pique I once told my daughter that birds had it right when it came to parenting—they raised their young in a few weeks, fostered their independence and then did not recognize them on the street two weeks later. I was fussed because my lovely daughter was taking an inordinate amount of time to grow up. The implication, of course, was that birds had an easier time of parenting than we humans do. That is definitely not true. They have the same responsibilities: they must furnish the nursery, give birth, care for babies, teach young independence and then, finally, let them go. And all of those responsibilities are compressed into a single season. Then, if they are lucky, they get to do it all over again the following year.
Birds don’t get to go to the store and pick out nursery furnishings. They have to build the entire nursery. I was watching a Robin in my yard. She had been gathering grasses and other fibers out of my garden to build her nest. Then it came time to find the mortar to hold the nest together. There had not been rain for a week and she wanted mud. Finally she discovered that the solar-powered fountain I have to attract birds splashes over into the lawn. Carefully, beakfull by beakfull, she gathered the mud. She made dozens of trips throughout the day until the nest was done.
|
