Thursday, July 08, 2010

A Nature Tale





Yesterday I spotted baby robins in the nest above my car, and took some pictures of them. They were so cute, with their mouths wide open, just waiting for their parents to come along and drop something in. They looked so trusting, although I suppose trust, at least as we know it, wasn't part of the picture. Like the parent robins, who react to the sight of the interior of the babies' mouths by inserting worm, the tiny birds were operating on instinct.

Apparently something else was operating on instinct, too, because when I went to my car this morning I found the nest on the ground, the babies gone. Poor little things. All I could hope was that they died quickly.

Snake? Raccoon? Hawk? It doesn't much matter, because there's nothing I can do to prevent it from happening again. Next time will arrive and proceed on schedule, whether or not I'm aware of it. And I hope I'm not. I hope it happens deep in the woods, although robins probably don't nest there. So in that case I hope it happens on the property of my neighbor, who wouldn't know a robin from an ostrich.

"Nature is cruel." We hear that all the time. We forget that we have a place in nature. Human nature can be cruel, too. Sometimes our nests are destroyed. And sometimes someone goes and finds a nice sturdy ladder, manages to carry it without tripping, and makes an effort to put things back where they're supposed to be, as best she can.

8 comments:

Bridgett said...

GASP.

Sabine said...

I disagree - baby robins aren't cute. They look way too much like Rex Murphy to be called cute.

Sorry to hear about your robins. We have a nest under the deck, and the ugly little buggers seem pretty secure. I call them Rex (and Rex and Rex).

Susan said...

Oh, dear. Any particular reason why you're feeling unsympathetic tonight, MM? Huh? I don't suppose it has anything to do with . . . oh, never mind. I'm writing this from work, and it's time to go home.

Susan said...

And thanks, Bridgett.

Indigo Bunting said...

You've captured so much here, Susan. This is lovely. Sad. Hopeful.

crystal said...

Great photos. Sorry about the bebies. I angst over the birds too - the blue jays had another baby this year and everytine I hear him in the trees sqeaking that baby "feed me" squeak I worry :)

I finally posted something from my past with a photo - a wedding picture. Come and look if you have time - link

Helen said...

My impression of mm is that she is always grumpy; sort of like a female Rex Murphy.

Nature sucks. Nurture rocks.

Sabine said...

Bite me.