I brought my horse, Leo, with me to Colorado this year. I needed the company while teaching my six week equine massage class. I enjoy spending evening time with him after a day of teaching. As soon as we arrived at our barn where he would stay in west Loveland, we unloaded Leo and settled him in then we backed our three horse trailer into the slot where the trailers are parked. We put it on the block. It will be there for the duration of my stay.
Often times I will feed Leo his grain by the trailer where I can sit in the shade and share the time with him. A week into our six week stay I noticed a Western Peewee bird fly from the front of my trailer. On closer inspection I discovered the little bird was busy building her nest in the crook of the hitch. I took a closer look at her architectural design and building skills. It is impressive and very functional. Her beautiful little nest of mud, dried grasses, and horse hair sits snugly between two vertical bars above the ball and hitch. I was blessed by her presence but I grew concerned about the hatch and fly timeline – six weeks.
The only way I could see into the nest was with my cell phone camera and I could not help myself. I have a life long love affair with babies of every species … nothing is cuter than nature’s babies. A few days later there were five beautiful little blue speckled eggs arranged neatly in the circular bowl of grasses and hair. How long will it take for them to hatch? I checked every few days with my camera. She would see me come to sit with Leo and I decided I wouldn’t stay to long so that she could get back to her nest. She was nervous when I was around so I made my visits brief. I was counting the days and weeks before I would have to move the trailer for my return trip home to New Mexico.
About a week ago when I took another picture the eggs had hatched and the little naked birds with their yellow lined prominent beaks were snuggled in close together. Now when the momma bird watches me I see bugs and worms dangling from her beak anxious to feed her babes. I keep my visits brief.
I am still counting the days and hope that they fly before I have to hitch to the truck for Leo and I to return home. The last thing I want to do is endanger a precious nest of baby birds. It is a time in our ecological history that all life needs serious protection for their survival and ultimately our own. Every day I watch, every day I hope they grow fast and become ready to fly the nest. Strange, I have become attached to the little feathered family that chirp so sweetly.
Note: They flew a few days before I had to hitch to the truck. All five babies sat on the horse fence near by and watched they home and nest leave the ranch. I have the nest tucked neatly away in my tack room. A reminder of a time spent with birds and horses.
