Fly Away Home

We've been closely watching a nest of three little mockingbirds in a front-yard holly. Yesterday, they left the nest, though you can tell by this photo that they were still so young! In the afternoon, drawn by a terrible uproar of skwawking by the parents, I stepped outside to check on them again. The little one in the photo was the only one to be found. A scattering of still-downy feathers in the grass and the sudden departure of a large black and white cat did not come together for an encouraging conclusion to what must have just happened. The third little bird is shown here in a huge evergreen shrub that he may still be hiding in - I hope so, at least! Its parents were still nearby last night.

As far as Cullen is concerned, the other two youngsters figured out how to fly and have already flown off to make homes of their own. I just let him come to that conclusion and didn't tell him anything different. Maybe I am missing an opportunity to teach about the food chain and the stark realities of nature... He is probably perfectly able to think and talk about this - he is all boy, after all. Truth is, I'd just rather him have the happy ending for these little ones that he has enjoyed so much as we've watched them grow.


I have a rather bad attitude toward that cat right now, though.