Inspired by . . . natural love

Inspired by . . . natural love

Being that St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated this Saturday, I have a love story to to tell you. It’s a bit unconventional, but I think you will enjoy it.

One day, last July, while I was sitting on my front porch, I noticed a pair of cardinals building a nest in a nearby cedar tree. I had already enjoyed watching the scissor-tail flycatcher family grow and fledge, and looked forward to meeting the cardinal family littles.

 

 

 

 

 

Within a day or two the nest was complete and momma cardinal was soon sitting on the nest full-time, which alerted me that eggs had been laid. Then, my husband and I went out of town for a few days and when we returned I was disappointed to see that the nest had been abandoned. I wondered why, but really didn’t give it much thought.

Time rocked along until one late afternoon when my husband set up the sprinkler to water the lawn. I’m always on high alert when we’re watering, because the water attracts the birds and animals.  Today was no exception. The sprinkler was hitting one of the trees in our front yard and a pair of cardinals had come to bathe.

I took about a million shots! But it wasn’t until I downloaded the images onto my computer that I realized, to my horror, that the female cardinal had a terrible wound on the back of her head. I marveled that she was even alive. Birds are not hardy creatures and I was saddened to think that she would likely soon die.

 

 

 

 

 

I began thinking a lot about the wounded cardinal and her mate. I greatly hoped to see her again, to know that she survived. I watched for the pair, and listened for their call {one of the few bird calls I know} whenever I was outside.

A couple of weeks later I spotted the pair at my bird feeders. The female seemed to be healing, but what really surprised me was the male! I hadn’t noticed earlier when I photographed them bathing, but he looked like he’d been in a battle too!

 

 

 

 

I began to wonder if it was this cardinal pair that had built that abandoned nest in the cedar tree in early July. Perhaps the nest had been attacked and the female had been hurt defending her eggs. Male cardinals are very attentive to their mates and their young. It is not uncommon to see males feeding their mates, and caring for their newborn chicks. Many experts even believe that cardinals mate for life.

I could only imagine how this male cardinal fought to defend his mate and unborn chicks!

 

 

Instinct? Sure, you can argue that, but it’s been my experience that most non-dominant animals flee from attack, they don’t engage their attacker. Song birds are some of the most innocent, and docile creatures on our planet. It may be a purely romantic notion, but I believe these two are a love-match!

 

 

Love…

is a fruit in season

at all times,

and within reach of

every hand.

~Mother Teresa

 

Happy St. Valentine’s Day!

 

Blessings,

June

 

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