A perfect learning moment!

About a month ago, we had a storm.  Wind gusts were about 35 mph with some recorded even higher.  We have a metal hanging basket on our back patio (relatively close to a window) which was full of beautiful flowers spilling over the sides.  Since it had been over 100 degrees for so long, we were very excited about the storm, but to prevent damage or injuries, we quickly ran out and secured / brought in anything that could become a projectile.

To my surprise, as I entered the kitchen with the hanging basket, I noticed something under the leaves, terrified that it was something icky or with a stinger, I quickly set the basket down and pulled the leaves back.

There was a little bird's nest with three tiny eggs no bigger than a peanut M&M!

We taught Cutie not to touch the eggs or nest and had to make a hard decision.  Scare the Mama bird, but secure the basket possibly saving the three eggs but risking her rejecting them, or return it to it's hook, hope she did not notice that it had been moved and hope it survived the storm.

We opted to secure it outside, on the ground within a few feet of it's hanging area so she could easily find it  if she returned.

After the storm passed I was returning it to it's usual home when Mama bird returned.  She perched on the fence a few feet from me.  She stared intently, making sure I did not touch her eggs and as soon as I stepped off of the chair I had been standing on, she fluttered up to the nest, checked it out a bit and sat back on her eggs.

I have no idea if she knew that we had been trying to protect them, but somehow it felt like she did know.  Since the storm I have not watered it at all, not wanting to hurt them- the plant is dead but oh-well.  I have also gone out and given her food a few times, she stays close and occasionally hops down and rummages for food on the lawn.  I am not sure if she is going for worms or the seed that fell from our old bird feeder, but she clearly feels secure enough with us to be within arms reach!

Cutie has been checking on the eggs daily, hoping for them to hatch and telling Mama bird that he wants to help her keep them safe.  She does not seem to mind most of the time, when she has had enough, she poses like an eagle.


Today I was sitting outside and heard the faintest little chirps!  I looked up and there was a fluffy head with a ginormous beak sticking up!

All three eggs hatched safely and Mama Bird Stood nearby as we took some pictures! She even fed them while we watched from only 2 feet away.

Cutie is enjoying learning about these precious little birds.  We are going to try to identify them so that we can leave the proper food out for them!

During the time leading up to the hatching, Cutie was able to use the eggs as speech practice for future tense and now, we will be able to use them for past tense, plurals and future tense (they will learn to fly, they will fly away , they will get bigger etc)!