Monday, May 30, 2022 A Mother’s Dilemma

There’s a robin’s nest out on our balcony, right above the lamp fixture. Each spring, the nest gets rebuilt and then occupied. We don’t go out there much in the spring, which works well for shy Mother Robin who is apt to bolt at the slightest appearance or noise from us.

A few days ago I happened to look out and saw two little gaping bird mouths soundlessly waiting for their afternoon snack. Oh boy, I thought to myself. The mother wasn’t there so this was the perfect time for me to go out on the balcony, position myself near the door with my camera and just wait for Mama to show up with the goods. I’ve taken photos before, but always had to do it through the screen window which isn’t nearly as nice. This way I was already out there and could stand perfectly still, thus not bringing alarm to Mother Robin.

Sure enough after a couple minutes, Mother showed up with a tasty worm, but she detected my presence immediately and perched on the railing on the other end of the balcony instead of going to the nest. I told myself that a little patience was all that was needed. I’d stand still and she’d overcome her objections. Five minutes went by. I was holding the camera up and had it all focused so there wouldn’t be any sudden movements when she came. The camera got heavier and heavier. I took the chance of moving it ever so slightly in her direction so I could get a photo.

She stood nervously in place, making regular “chip” sounds. Then she moved ever so slightly as well, but showed no signs of flying up to feed her poor hungry children. What a dilemma I had placed her in! Two instincts were at war now: the instinct to feed the babies, and the instinct to keep them safe when danger was lurking nearby. I admired her, I was frustrated with her. I waited five more minutes, ten more minutes…then I conceded defeat. I went back in the house and within 30 seconds she was up in that nest and I was taking photos through the screen window.

Well, in the new heaven and the new earth things will be different. Isaiah 11:6-8 says that:

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

…and the robin shall not be frightened by me and my camera.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning while the robin babies eat their wormy breakfast.