Bird Watching on the Porch

One of the things about our country life that I love is the way the swallows nest on my front porch.
When we returned from France, I woke up to the familiar chirp of homemaking birds, and it brought a smile to my face.

These acrobatic birds are mesmerizing to watch. Building their nests, setting upon their eggs, and feeding the babies, they are very diligent in their duties. Once the eggs are hatched, the mother and father bird fly all day long in an effort to keep their babies fed. This is really great for us as mosquito control, but has to be tiring for the parent birds.

The babies grow really fast, and this morning I was watching the nest as they have gotten quite mature looking, and wanted to do a count. I could hear the parent birds chirping, but they were not feeding the babies, who have gotten big enough to leave the nest. The parents are trying to coax them out, hovering near the nest, yet the babies are still opening their mouths hoping for the parental hand out. The parents will still feed them some, however, the gravy train ride is over. The babies are crowded in that tiny space, and I think that one has already fled, and the clock is ticking on the ones that remain. It is time to leave the comfort of the hand out.

Don't you think that there are some life lessons here for all of us?