A Spring Surprise

As if the uncharacteristically warm weather wasn’t enough of a clue in, the surprise on our porch definitely is a sign that spring is here.

There’s a new bird’s nest in our wind chimes!

Last year a house finch lived in the re-purposed sugar bowl of our wind chimes and raised one nest of birds successfully in the spring. Unfortunately, the mama bird disappeared (and presumably died), abandoning her second clutch of baby birds. By the time we realized what was going on and checked on the babies, we were too late. They had also died.

Talk about witnessing life and death firsthand on our front porch!

It was a life-shaping experience for us, surprisingly more for me than for our young daughter. Her understanding and acceptance of the situation was a lesson for us all. She calmly said, “They died, Mama. It’s okay. There will be new baby birds.” Oh, how she was right.

I wasn’t sure this day would come, but here we are with with a different species of bird (that we have yet to identify!) moved into the nest and having laid (at last count!) three rather perfect little eggs.

I feel both excited and hesitant over this turn of events. Hopefully we’ll have a happy ending this year! And if we don’t, it’s a reminder that life goes on…