Easter, Sad & Happy

[Boneabii]

What's sad is...well, we know what's sad. The coronavirus is really leaving its mark on humans, and it's depressing having to sit inside all day, waiting for good news to come. We know that this isn't even the peak, and that it will get worse soon. Schools have shut down, stores are being emptied, and much more. (Also Ugly Duckling here in my dressup is lost.)

Happy story time!
So I was in the backyard, reading a book. I saw a bluejay with various nuts and bugs in his beak. "Huh." I said. This bluejay flew into a tree in the yard, and hurried back out quickly. It flew right out of the yard and returned later with some more treats. The same thing happened about 3 times, and I was getting hot. So I went inside, past the tree. (It's more of a bush.) I heard a panicked squawk as another bluejay hurried out of the bush as I passed by. I ignored this because I was pretty close to the tree and that was not out of the ordinary. I came out a few hours later to watch this odd behavior. Bluejays and most other birds eat food they find right on the spot unless they are feeding something else. When the bluejay with food flew out of the bush, I noticed that it didn't have the bugs it carried anymore. Then, to see if there was another bluejay it was caring for in the tree, I walked past it again. As I had expected, another bluejay flew out. It perched on a pipe on the fence. I peeked in the tree.

There was a nest, holding three little blue and green speckled eggs and two, small, ugly chicks. Their heads were the size of a halved walnut, and their eyes were about the same size. They were completely shut. Their wings weren't even wings, just little sticks protruding from their fat little bodies. I marveled at them until I realized Momma Bluejay was still perched on the fence, glaring at me. The whole weirdness of the thing made sense now. Papa Bluejay was feeding them. Momma would go and stretch her wings, and I would check on the nest. Fast forward a week later, and the two little chicks now take up half the nest, and are as fat as a little rubber ball. Their eyes are still not open, but I can see little slits. They have pin feathers just barely poking out, two rows on their wings and their little nub of their tail. Unfortunately, those three eggs have never hatched. They are duds and will not ever get to see the world, but I'm still excited to watch their progression in life, and hope that I'm not bothering Momma too much.

[~Vincent-Valentine~]

I like this. Actually, I LOVE this.
Happy (and sad) story time