I've been obsessively watching the robins. Not the ones in my front yard. The ones that are thankful today that most of the snow has melted. No, I've been watching the robin family that Wildlife Gadgetman is live streaming from Suffolk. I watched the egg laying, watched the egg sitting, watched the egg hatching, and am now watching these tiny little things grow feathers and appetites.
Ah, the wonders of technology.
I'm watching the birds in my own yard as well. Over these last few brutal winter weeks, we have spent about a third of our grocery bill on birdseed. I've discovered that tossing some seed under the Spirea bush gives the smaller birds a quiet place to feed when the red-wings stop by gobbling. My chickadee is there in the trees in the morning calling. I never see it, but I hear it's calls. I know it and it makes me smile first thing on grumpy mornings.
I am still waiting to see if we will see any nesting going on in our houses here. I hope so. It's hard because we have those outside cats wandering around. Sometimes it's hard to love both cats and birds.
I'm amazed watching these birds nest though. The natural process, knowing exactly what to do, focusing all their energy on those young ones. Those mama birds aren't avoiding their kids with cell phones, Facebook and television. They are sitting and feeding, sitting and feeding. Then their littles will fly away. In basically no time at all.
I keep trying to keep my eyes open for the amazing in the everyday. I would have to say the birds provide a daily dose.
