CTST: Baby birds and new life

Celebrate the Small Things: New life in nature reminds us of God’s care for all creation.

This week I’m celebrating the new life of these baby barn swallows. They are the second brood of the season.

I marvel over the intricate design of the nest that the birds built outside the building where I work. It takes commitment from both parents to make such a sturdy family home with mud pellets, sticks, grass and other plant fibers, working through natural elements (rain, wind, heat, humidity) to create the nest. They even sometimes battle humans whose first instinct is to remove the nests so they don’t make a mess outside the doorways.

Who taught these birds the design and what materials to use? How do they know that it’s best to nest in colonies and under man-made structures? God has equipped them with all they need to know to survive and thrive. There is no bird class or YouTube video to show them how – they instinctively know.

It’s truly a family affair to raise these babies! The mom can lay up to five eggs, which are then incubated in 14 to 16 days. When the eggs hatch, both parents feed the young until the babies are old enough to leave the nest. It can take up to 24 days until they are mature enough to survive on their own.

There are four babies in the nest but one must be camera-shy. Either that or the mom warned them I was trying to get a group shot!

With their beautiful forked tales, they fly low over fields, lakes and lawns, eating many insects like aphids, beetles, caterpillars, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers and moths.

The parents are extremely protective of their young and “dive-bomb” people who come close to the nest. When I took this photo, I came out of the door quietly, and quickly took the photos, so as not to disturb anything. Mom and dad were cautiously watching on the roof to make sure I didn’t overstay my welcome.

What a great reminder about God’s love and care for the smallest of creatures and all of us! It truly is an illustration of Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

What blessings of nature remind you of God’s love and care?