Bluebirds “For Life”
To start the spring season, we decided to buy a birdhouse and erect it in our backyard. For a couple of years it became an empty fixture in our yard until one spring, I saw a bird coming by to investigate! It was a beautiful, female Eastern Bluebird. I had never seen such a bird and she was absolutely gorgeous. It wasn’t long after her frequent visits that along came a handsome male. It appeared that they were already a couple because he waited patiently as she inspected the house. Much like a newlywed couple on the hunt for a new home together was this adorable bluebird pair. In no time, Aurora began to bring small sticks and pine needles inside the cavity to start building her nest. She wove a beautiful nesting basket from each needle and twig so precisely. I was astounded to observe the final result and how accurate her placement was with her nesting material. Like a beautiful mother who carries her young, she is excited to plan her baby’s room. “What colors should I pick? Where should I place the crib?” A loving human mother is no different from the industrious Eastern Bluebird Aurora. Throughout the time she spent preparing, I sat quietly and would gently speak to her. After some time, she became comfortable with my presence and with my camera. As a result, I was able to keep a watchful eye on her clutches over time.
Most female birds have subdued coloring in comparison to their male counterpart. This lovely girl was not that way; she was surprisingly vibrant and she had freckles on her chest! Since she was so brightly colored, I named her, “Aurora” after the Borealis. Her mate was very handsome, attentive and vivid in blue and rust feathers. With the help of some suggestions, “Darcy” became his name. It would seem that Aurora and Darcy have been a couple for quite some time now. Their plumage was a bit worn and not as fresh as a newly matured bird would have. Eastern Bluebirds mate for life and these two, were definitely experienced.
Each time Aurora would go inside her home to weave her nest, Darcy would stand on top of the house as if to be on the watch. Time and time again, she would fly with her supplies and work hard with Darcy there to support her. One day, I witnessed the most precious and beautiful interactions that I have ever seen between them. Darcy hunted a juicy bug, then fed it to Aurora! When a female is preparing for her eggs, she invests a great deal of energy to do so. In order to have a successful clutch, she must choose a mate that will provide well for her and her chicks. During the time when the female is working hard, the male bird will often bring food to their mate and feed her. This proves that he is capable of not only taking care of her but also her future babies. This is called a, “Courtship display.” What a gentleman Darcy was!*
It was time to incubate the eggs and Aurora was spending most of her time inside the cavity. Sometimes, she would leave but most of her time was spent inside the birdhouse. Even so, Darcy would at times come to feed her to make sure she ate well.
When the babies hatched, the real work began! Both Aurora and Darcy worked hard to hunt for spiders, grub and caterpillars to feed their newborn chicks. One day, I noticed that Darcy and Aurora would carry out a white-like sac from inside the house after feeding the babies almost every time. After observing through my lens, I discovered that they were fecal sacs! Not only did each parent have feeding duty, but each had the duty of removing baby poop! Every day, back and forth they flew in and flew out to look after their young tirelessly.
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| Eastern Bluebird Hatchlings Photo Credit: Dietra Semple - Lens Poet Photography |
When the babies grew large enough to start learning how to fly, it was interesting to see which parent was more tough than the other. Aurora would purposely stand outside the house with food in her beak to lure the babies to fly out. Sometimes she would stand for a while before she caved in to feed them in the home. Darcy would just fly in to feed them without attempting to lure them out. It’s as if he lacked the patience to do so. Happily, the juveniles left the home and began their lessons of foraging. Aurora and Darcy would lead their children to where the food was and comically, the young still expected to be mouth-fed though they were standing on their food. Darcy would ignore their obnoxious begging and continue eating hoping they would catch on. After some time of the constant screaming, he would lovingly mouth-feed his children as if to reward them for trying. Fortunately, in time, all of the juveniles learned how to forage on their own. Thanks to the hard work of Darcy and Aurora, they had raised a successful clutch.
In watching these precious birds, it reminded me of the joys and toils of parenthood and marriage. There is joy to be had when having a family of your own but it also comes with hard work. To raise a family and have a successful marriage requires love and effort from both parties. Watching the sweet tender moments Darcy would have with Aurora warmed my heart and reminded me of the scripture that admonishes husbands to, “Assign them [wives] honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one…” (1 Peter 3:7) Much like a beautiful wine glass (a weaker vessel) is to be cared for gently, this is how wives are to be treated by husbands, with care and delicacy. Aurora reminded me of the, “Capable wife” described in Proverbs chapter 31. “She prepares herself for hard work, and she strengthens her arms.” (Proverbs 31:17) Watching the way Aurora and Darcy worked together was a heartwarming experience that I take to heart dearly. They were clearly in it, “For life” together. I was happy to witness the miracle of life in my own backyard at the time and I look forward to many more reflective moments with my winged soulmates.
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| Darcy the Eastern Bluebird (male) Photo Credit: Dietra Semple - Lens Poet Photography |
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| Aurora the Eastern Bluebird (female) Photo Credit: Dietra Semple - Lens Poet Photography |
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