Spring?

After a week bitter, biting cold, it is now surprisingly warm here in the Mid-Atlantic. Just for fun, I'm posting some Spring 2008 pictures. My balcony turned into a home for unwed mothers for birds, and I enjoyed seeing two mama birds prepare their nests, care for their little hatchlings, and wish them well in the world after a two weeks.

This is Mama 1. I captured this scene on Mother's Day.

So hungry!I added the wood base when Mama kept trying to build her nest on that little ledge.The prior owners warned me that birds always try to build on this small space! Bird brains, indeed.

This is Mama 2. She was born to Mama 1. These are Mama 1's grandbirds. As you can see by Mama 2's small size, she was practically a baby herself!

Young Mama 2 had only two hatchlings. One hopped down and flew away on his own. This little one took almost a month to leave the nest.

And when he finally did leave the nest, he only went so far as my flower pot. He remained there for day, feasting on bugs brought to him by his mother. Eventually, he made it out into the world.

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Tip/trick/lesson of the day: Afterschool kit to help kids learn to make responsible decisions.