It’s that time of year. Yes, we are in the last week of school and instead of nesting, I am de-nesting, if that’s even a word, but in the natural world, it is nesting time.
Out in the school garden, we were planting sister seeds, sunflowers and beans. Our garden sponsor explained that while the stalk of the sunflower is thick and tall, the beans grow on a thin vine that will wrap around the sunflower stalk. They help each other. I love this and was anxious to get our seeds into pots for my students to take home for the summer.
There is a thick vine growing in the garden, a perfect hiding place for a nest. I heard little peeps and climbed on a bench style storage box to see a bird sitting on a nest. I scared her off and there were baby birds wide-mouthed and featherless in the nest.
I wasn’t sure what kind of bird it was, so I sent my students on a Google search to find it. We think she is a Carolina wren. There is something so marvelous and hopeful about a nest of baby birds.
If you’ve been following the wood duck drama, you know that we now have another clutch of eggs. The first clutch of eggs this spring, we believe, got too cold and died. We cleaned out the nesting box on Easter Sunday. Last week amidst end of the year activities, field trip and splash day, I didn’t check the doorbell camera much. (We mounted a doorbell camera on the roof of the house and can monitor the activity inside.) On Friday night as I was settling in bed, I heard an alert on my phone. It’s unusual for the female to go into the box at night. Unless there are eggs!
I was so excited to see that she had been busy all week laying a new clutch of eggs. She’s been sitting on them every night since. Yesterday she spent the whole day in the house. I think it’s safe to start counting the days. These eggs should hatch around June 16th. Fingers crossed. Prayers said.
On Twitter last week, Amy VanDerwater tweeted an article from the New York Times about the devastation of climate change and the things we can do. In my small corner of the world, I am nurturing these nesting birds and am holding onto a bit of hope for the world.
And I can remind myself, all day long every day, that there’s a difference between doing something and doing nothing. That “something,” small as it might seem, is not “nothing.” The space between them is far apart, limitless stretching distances apart. It’s the difference between a heartbeat and silence.
Margaret Rinkle, Surviving Despair in the Great Extinction, May 13, 2019
Reflections on the Teche 
So much to cheer in this post- last week of school (we have another month!), sister seeds and lots of nesting. My fingers are crossed, too. Thanks for the quote from the article and, by inhabiting the world so fully yourself, for reminding me to be a part of the hope for the world
Margaret, it is so important to have hope for the world amidst its various struggles. I like that you teach your students to become advocates for the environment. From your small corner of the world, new birth brings hope. Thanks for sharing the beautiful story and the inspirational quote.
You are so clever to monitor nest activity with a doorbell camera! I love discovering nests near our house, but I hate scaring off mama every time I try to catch a glimpse. And speaking of nests, your instruction poem is scheduled for tomorrow, Margaret. 🙂
Thanks. I’ve got birds on my mind. We also put up a prothonotary warbler box but haven’t seen any activity yet.
Your post is charming, and I enjoyed looking at the photos. The quote you provided is a powerful one, well worth considering.
I’m so happy to learn there are more eggs! I hope there will be babies and much duck news in June! Thanks for sharing the op-ed too. I bookmarked that to share with my students as a mentor text.
I love the new life you and the kids found in the nest, and that you had them do research on the type of bird! Wrens can signify “positive change.” I am especially glad to know the wood duck has new eggs! This whole post just fills me with hope. And a sense of grace.
“There is something so marvelous and hopeful about a nest of baby birds.”…and about this post. Thanks for spreading the nest love, Margaret, for doing something to nurture living things in your part of the world, and for sharing it all with us here. PS–I’m lucky enough to work with a PreK teacher who puts up bluebird houses and I got a sneak peek at a newborn chick yesterday morning. Marvelous and hopeful indeed!
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