A Nature Lesson.

Over the last few weeks, every time we would try to open the gate at the ranch, a few birds who had placed themselves close would get really upset. We began to call them "Guard Birds". They were Guard Birds all right, guarding their nest. Watching them made me think about Mother Nature. Sometimes I just can't figure her out. As if laying an egg bigger than your own head isn't bad enough, she allows you to lay four. Then your instinct tells you to lay them in a makeshift nest in the middle of some gravel so your eggs look like rocks and are protected from predators. And if that's not enough, you're suppose to sit on the nest in 110 degree Arizona weather with no shade in the hot rocks. We watched this insanity week after week. And then finally we saw the birth of one of the little birds. Getting close to the nest made the mother bird very upset.

The Proud Parents.

They have a ritual to distract you from the nest. They run and turn upside down and play dead or injured so whatever is going for the nest will change their mind and go after the bird who is doing their best Oscar performance of a death scene.

The whole thing was pitiful. A week later I went to check the nest and there was not a trace of an egg shell, bird or anything had ever been there. Mother Nature must know something about making birds.