Empty Nests

Do you remember the photos of the robin's nest with the eggs that I shared recently in a previous post?

Well today I have some exciting new photos and a video to share with you! My family and I had been checking the nest daily, waiting for signs of new life to appear. First the sad news. Although there had been 3 eggs in the nest, the day we noticed the eggs had hatched, there was only 1 baby present :(

Since the nest was located in a shrub at the end of our deck, we had the pleasure of being able to check in regularly and watch how quickly the baby grew...

and grew!

I can tell you that for a little guy, this baby ate a lot and kept his momma busy looking for food...

He would chirp quite loudly when he was hungrily waiting for his next meal...

He would get louder ...

 

and louder..

and louder..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iWnoMZFshA

At other times he would rest quietly however ...

A few days after the baby robin left the nest, we heard chirping in a boxwood shrub that was located on the other side of our deck. Upon close inspection we found another nest well hidden inside the shrub. This nest was much smaller than the robin's nest, but it was home to three tiny babies! We weren't able to get a close look at this mother bird, so we are not sure what type of birds these babies were, but they were so sweet...

After these birds left the nest, my daughter said she was amazed at the short amount of time the babies were  there and how quickly they grew. She commented on what little time the momma birds actually had with their babies and how sad that is. I just nodded and was reminded about the book I reviewed in my last post. With my daughter's high school graduation ceremony quickly approaching, and my son about to begin his senior year of college, I could fully relate to how quickly a mother's "babies" grow, and what little time she gets to spend with them. A mother's job is to protect her young, to nurture them, to provide for them and to teach them well. While the ability of the babies to learn to fly independently is a sign of a mother's job well done, I could also relate to the mixed emotions that go along with an empty nest.

Linking up with these great blogs:

The Stone Gable
God's Growing Garden
A Delightsome Life
Katherine's Corner
Saving 4 Six
Between Naps on the Porch
Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home