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The girls and I went out around 7 tonight to enjoy the late evening breeze. My youngest was running through the sprinklers, but when her sister went to turn the water down, a mama bird came flying out of our Camilla bushes. Every time my oldest  went near the faucet after that you could hear the mama bird protest. I figured she must have a nest nearby. A little while later, the mama got really upset and I saw a baby bird fluttering around on our porch, followed by my cat who had up to that point been lazing on our doormat. I quickly put the cat inside the house, then went to look for the baby. The mother was flying from her bush to the tree next to our porch, calling for her baby. I found him behind one of my big flower pots, and moved it out of the way so the mama could see him. We stood back on the grass and watched to see if she would come to his rescue, but I soon realized she was trying to scare us off. So we went into the house and watched for awhile through the panes of our French door.

I kept hearing the mama call to the baby, and finally the baby answered her and started to make his way back toward the safety of another nearby bush. All the while the mother circled the area and kept a close watch. My guess is the baby is learning to fly, but hasn't quite mastered it yet. And even though that mama is trying to teach her baby a little independence, she still has her eye on him. Just like any good mother. I remember wondering when my girls were babies, how I would ever let them out of the nest, out of my sight. But gradually, I was able to let them fly, a little at a time, but always beneath my watchful gaze. It is our God- given instinct to protect our babies with our very lives, and it was no different for this mama bird than it is for us. This evening we got a lesson in nature none of us will soon forget.