Wednesday, April 28, 2010

distressed / confused


solo post - L, Nikon
(more accurate color here )

I'm distressed and confused that's why I've been sitting on this post for a couple of days. First I don't have good photos of this beautiful nest and second I don't have good information about why it was abandoned. But I wanted to go ahead and post about it because, thirdly, I have nothing else. (Taylor has been too busy with finals to contribute - school is out on May 7th - I can't believe another school year is behind her).
Anyway, I have been searching for some facts for this post of mine and think I have them and then find something else that makes me think I'm wrong. So if you have any ideas feel free to help me out with the puzzle.
I wish that I could say this photo was of a nest found in my backyard and that I am anxiously awaiting the hatching of tiny little birds. But my parents brought it home to me after being on vacation. It seems this nest had been abandoned so they brought it home to me knowing I would be in love with the beautiful eggs and fascinated by the nest. I was so excited about the beauty of the eggs and seeing the amazing nest, rich and plush with feathers of all kinds, grasses, fur, cigarette filters, etc but then holding the tiny eggs in my hand it wasn't long before I felt very sad. Sad that these little eggs were abandoned for some unknown reason or sad to think maybe the nest was disturbed prematurely. I went to work trying to find a reason why a nest would be abandoned. It's obvious one bird layed eggs in another's nest. Would that make the original owner of the nest leave? The cowbird is known for laying eggs in another bird's nest, never building a nest of their own. But i think usually the other mother bird will take care of them. I found photos of cowbird eggs and they are similar to the speckled ones here but I think larger than these... the blue eggs look like bluebird eggs but these are larger, almost the size of a Robin's egg... but the Robin egg photos I saw seem more pointed that the ones I have here... they are close to a Starling's egg... the little ones look very close to a photo I saw of a house sparrow... but does that make sense? I'm so confused! Do house sparrows lay eggs in another's nest? They are known to be very aggressive birds, especially for the bluebird population, and will evict bluebirds from their nest, many times aggressively killing adult birds. But I'm not sure they will actually lay eggs in another's nest. By the way, House Sparrows and Starlings are not native birds and are not protected by federal law and should be controlled.
I just can't take in any more information again tonight. It's an odd feeling I have that I don't know how to express. Please know that no one in my family would ever intentionally do harm to a bird, it's nest, the eggs, or babies.

8 comments:

georgia b. said...

oh, that is heart-breaking. and your concern and confusion is so evident, as is the sense of how much you care. i would feel the same.

we have a robin building a nest atop the mounted light above our mail box on the side of the house. i think i would cry if i discovered that the mom had abandoned her eggs. i hope you get some answers and peace of mind on this.

Gayle said...

I don't have any answers. That is sad.

S. Etole said...

the soft colors tell one story ... the combo of eggs, another

Jewels said...

Wow, that is very sad, but I suppose that's the way it is sometimes. It makes you think. Meanwhile, we can think of Matt. 10:29-31. Peace, friend.

ELK said...

oh...i posted a fly free wish on my art blog before I came here..you know i have a thing about birds...what intense colors of blue...such a shame tho'

d smith kaich jones said...

my landlord knows so much about birds, but of course he is not here to ask. It is heartbreaking though and so sad. There is an abandoned cardinal's nest in a bunch of honeysuckle outside - now I will have to check if there are any eggs. I think not.

I will be researching this like crazy. One of those things.

xoxo
Debi

holly aka golly said...

It's funny, I've been thinking about painting a nest like this with eggs of two birds. you've inspired me to go back to that idea. It's really beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Hard to imagine what took place. Sometimes the nests are built in the worst possible locations and then the birds get agitated and leave or the eggs simply don't hatch. I read somewhere that birds such as robins lay several broods during their mating season and many eggs never hatch.

Relyn Lawson said...

The nest is completely gorgeous. I find it sad, too, but so lovely.

footnote

The photos on the left are taken by me, Leslye, the mother. The photos on the right are taken by my daughter, Taylor – unless otherwise noted. Comments are always welcome. thanks
If you care to visit, I, Leslye, have another blog - AutumnSun where I ramble around different paths and pleasures of my own.