Mothering

May 14, 2023 / Rebecca / 9 Comments

I spotted these three juvenile house sparrows sitting on some branches of a bush in my yard. They were sunning and preening and eagerly awaiting their mothers return.

Her arrival caused quite a flurry of activity as each juvenile vied to get the next morsel of food that she brought.

After feeding time, her departure left the juveniles looking a little lost and forlorn.

Here is a short video of the mother sparrow feeding the juveniles.

“(24/7) once you sign on to be a mother, that’s the only shift they offer.” ~Jodi Picoult

Shades of Brown

March 23, 2022 / Rebecca / 9 Comments

Various shades of brown can be found in nature’s palette. These earthy hues provide a richness and warmth that can be soothing to the soul.

“Nature gives to every time and season unique beauty; from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it’s just a succession of changes so soft and comfortable that we hardly notice the progress.” ~ Charles Dickens

Napping sparrow

September 29, 2017 / Rebecca / 4 Comments

This sparrow found a nice, quiet, partially sunny spot on the side of the birdbath to take a little siesta. It was hard not to yawn as I watched this peaceful little scene.

“… May we learn to honor the hammock, the siesta, the nap and the pause in all its forms.” ~Alice Walker

White-crowned Sparrow

April 22, 2017 / Rebecca / 2 Comments

This White-crowned Sparrow, so named for the striking black-and-white stripes on its head, landed on the ground near where I was sitting. Less shy than most birds, it seemed almost curious as to what I was doing and quite willing to be photographed.

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” ~Leonardo da Vinci

Testing the nest

August 26, 2016 / Rebecca / 5 Comments

A young sparrow discovered a wire nest in one of my metal yard ornaments and was trying to decide whether to test it out or not . She timidly stood on one side of the nest, gave it some rather deep contemplation, then hopped right in. However, it didn’t take long to decide that it was an awkward fit for her, and off she flew. One of the children’s books that my granddaughter and I enjoy reading together is “The Best Nest” by P. D. Eastman. I guess that this was NOT the best nest for this little bird.

“You can only grow if you’re willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” ~Brian Tracy

Young sparrow

July 1, 2016 / Rebecca / 4 Comments

Waiting patiently …

Finally, some food! …

Any more??? …

Where’d you go? …

I want some more!!!

“Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.” ~Barbara Johnson

Sweet sparrow family

May 18, 2016 / Rebecca / 10 Comments

I’ve enjoyed watching this little family of house sparrows fluttering around the backyard this week. Right now, the baby birds are sticking pretty close to the mother even though they are big enough to pick up the sunflower seeds themselves. You can tell the babies from the mother by the yellow lines around their mouth.

“That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” ~Emily Dickinson