Bluebird Family Just Like Us……

Carla Rodio

I stopped by the birdseed store the other day to use a gift certificate. When I parked the car， I saw these finches fluttering around and perching all over a feeder at the edge of the parking lot. So I bought the same kind of feed—a bag of sunflower chips.

Later I hung the feeder. Soon， excited goldfinches， purple finches， and house finches began feeding.

Then on Sunday morning I was sitting on the deck talking on the phone with a friend and along came a bluebird family： Mom， Pop， and Baby. The father positioned himself on one of the highest perches. Baby got on one of the low perches， and Mom watched on the sidelines. Pop started eating seeds. He took one for himself and then popped one in Babys mouth. Baby， stretching his neck to reach up for Dads gifts， kept chirping and gulping seeds as fast as they were served.

Then Mom noticed me and started fluttering and chattering. Pop continued eating and feeding Baby. This was too much for Mom. She grabbed one of Babys legs and pulled him off the perch. This caused him to lose his balance and land on the edge of one of the planters. That didnt discourage the old man. He just fluttered down from the perch to poke a seed in Babys open mouth and went back up for his share and the next seed for Baby.

Mom was getting very agitated. She scolded the kid and her mate. Placidly they continued their eating and feeding routine. She was beside herself with fear because she heard my voice and noted my “huge” presence. I was describing the drama to my friend on the phone. Finally Mom had had enough. She grabbed Babys leg so he had to loosen his grip on the planet. He fluttered and flew off with Mom to the big tree. Pop gulped a few more of the seeds and reluctantly followed them. Then I saw the little family fly off to the west.

How amazing to witness such distinctly human roles in tiny creatures！ Mom was protecting her young. Pop was willing to take risk. The baby was completely innocent of any problems. His mission was to eat.

前幾天為了將禮品券花出去，我在賣鳥餌的商店前停了下來。當我停下汽車的時候，我看到那些雀科的鳴鳥在周圍飛翔著，然后落在停車場邊沿的喂食器皿上。于是我也購買了同一種飼料——一包向日葵碎片。

隨后我把鳥餌放入食物器皿中。不久，興奮的金絲雀、紫燕雀和家燕開始過來吃食。

然后到了星期天早上，我坐在甲板上同朋友通電話，一同來的還有一家藍知更鳥：媽媽、爸爸和孩子。鳥爸爸降落在最高的一根桿子上。小鳥落在較低的桿子上，而鳥媽媽則在一旁觀望著。鳥爸爸開始吃食。它自己吃了一粒，然后將一粒放入小鳥嘴中。小鳥則伸長脖子去接爸爸的禮物，并一直不停地吱喳叫著，并飛快地將給它的食物吞咽下去。

鳥媽媽注視著我，開始拍打著翅膀并啁啾地叫著。鳥爸爸繼續吃食和喂小鳥。對于鳥媽媽來說這真是難得可貴。她抓住小鳥的腿然后將它從桿子上拽了下來。這使得它失去了平衡，一下子降落到一個播種機的邊沿上。這并沒有使鳥爸爸灰心。它只是舞動著翅膀飛離桿子，然后將一粒種子送進小鳥張開的嘴中，然后飛回去繼續進食，接著又給小鳥喂食。

鳥媽媽開始激動起來。它開始斥責孩子和配偶。然后它們平靜地進食和喂食。鳥媽媽在一旁開始擔心，因為它聽到了我的聲音，并看到我“巨大的”身影。我將自己看到的一切在電話里告訴了朋友。最后鳥媽媽也吃飽了。它抓住小鳥的一只腿，這樣小鳥就可以不用那么緊地抓住播種機了。小鳥拍打著翅膀與鳥媽媽一起飛到了一棵高樹上。鳥爸爸吞咽下更多餌料，然后不情愿地與它們一起飛走了。然后我看到這一家朝西方飛去。

在這小生靈身上能夠親眼看到我們人類的舉動太令人吃驚了！母親總是在呵護著她的孩子，父親也愿意去冒各種風險，孩子則無憂無慮地成長著。它的任務就是去吃食。