The Mockingbird family

Yesterday, as I was headed to work, I noticed something in my driveway. I wasn't paying much attention to it and thinking it was a piece of trash or something, I almost ran smack over it. Then I noticed it was a baby bird. At first I thought it was dead but quickly realized it was very much alive. I sat there for a few minutes wondering if I should pick it up or leave it alone. I truly didn't know what to do with it so I called my bird loving next door neighbor, aka...my mama! She quickly came over determined it was a baby mockingbird. Soon enough a mama mockingbird was looming overhead. My mama felt we should leave it alone and see if the mama mockingbird could get it going. I was headed to work so she said she'd check on it in a little bit, as we knew it wouldn't make it too long on the hot pavement (we are having triple digit weather here in the south I tell ya!). I sat in my car and just waited. I hated to just leave the baby bird and I wanted to make sure that the mama was going to come back for it. Sure enough, in a matter of minutes the mama bird brought her baby a nice juicy worm. The whole time the mama bird was hyper aware of her surroundings, she was constantly looking and watching for danger. She sat there with the baby for a while yet nothing happened. This mama bird flew into the trees but she never a once let her baby out of her sight. I headed on to work hoping the mama could get her baby to flyin'.

Later I talked to my mama who had went back to check on BB (baby bird), she was worried about the hot pavement so she put BB in a shoe box and moved it into the shade. She gave BB some drops of water and BB hopped out of the box and into the bushes. Still MB (mama bird) was looking on.

Later in the evening, we went to make sure BB was ok and we couldn't find it anywhere. However, it was out there because now there was 2 mocking birds standing guard. They were squalking like crazy. Soon enough we realized that mama mocking bird AND daddy mocking bird were guarding BB. These birds never a once left their baby and that mama bird worked her tail feathers off all day long to constantly feed and protect her baby.

We finally found the baby and my mama put it is a strainer and put it in a tree to keep it a little safer. Mama and daddy mockingbird were there the whole time watching on. As soon as we stepped away from the baby, MB was in the strainer with here baby.

So I give you that long story just to say this...parents today need to be more like mocking birds. I see parents all over in public that are barely watching their children. This mama mockingbird NEVER let her baby out of her sight. She was super hyper aware of her surroundings making sure her baby was not in any danger. We live in a world today, plagued by some very scary people. People that will snatch your child up in a skinny minute. Mother's need to be constantly be aware of their surroundings and protect their children at all times. (I say this in light of seeing 2 amber alerts since Monday). Mama's need to fight like the mama mockingbird did to keep their children safe and nurtured. Also, daddys need to be there like the daddy mockingbird. He was right with the mama helping protect his baby. Parenting is a joint effort!

So that is my life lesson from the mocking bird family. The whole thing became such a lesson to me. The mockingbirds should be a model for all parents out there.

I am happy ( hopefully) to report that as of this morning the mockingbird family is gone. We are hoping that means they made it safely back to their home.