One of my favorite things about spring is the return of the house finches, which build a nest and raise a little family on my front door wreath.
I am treated to a bird’s eye view of tiny life coming into the world.
As some of you know from previous posts, the finches built the nest last year but never laid any eggs. It was haunting, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 shutdown. Barrenness. Emptiness. Loss.
They are making up for it this year.
Mama Finch laid five eggs during Holy Week; usually there are only three or four.
They’ve all hatched now and more pictures will be forthcoming, but here are the first two babies.
For the record, the collective noun for finches is a charm or a trembling.
A trembling charm of tiny new life upon my house:
For Day Twenty of National Poetry Month, a haiku:
Nature has her charms
Gifts of fragile new songbirds
Trembling abundance
How wonderful! My teammate has a second batch of eggs she is getting to observe in the last few months- nature is really inspiring!
LikeLike
Some years we’ve had two sets of eggs, also, but it’s rare. Seems like these started late – as soon as the nest was made, an egg was in it!
LikeLike
Love this! We had a nest on our front door wreath a few years ago – and it was so exciting to watch those babies!!
Beautiful haiku, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you re: your words on the haiku. It really is exciting to watch the babies hatch & grow!
LikeLike
A trembling charm! Oh, the lovely infant images. I love your eye for nature as your way with words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Kim – I love watching this whole process, ceaselessly magical and miraculous to me, for all it is natural! The babies are so, so tiny and sweet.
LikeLike
I love teaching children a bird unit on adaptations this time of year. Your finches will be part of the lesson today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exciting! I hope they enjoy. I will have more pictures as the babies grow.
LikeLike
Oh, what a lovely way to start the day. Was mama finch on a worm foray? How did you get your video?
Your haiku is splendid. “Nature has her charms”. Oh my. How many versions did you need before you got this? I am just very curious. You have the best way with words, Fran.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mama Finch is sometimes snuggled so low in the nest that I can’t tell, so, I will call “Mama Bird!” when I am rounding the corner. She’ll fly out to a nearby tree with a series of chirps and tweets. This afternoon she must have been out feeding, as the babies were unattended at the moment – they’re vegetarians, eating seeds, etc. Papa Finch kept watch while she was incubating the eggs – he stayed by the steps and called warnings if anyone came too close. I only go to check on them once or twice a week. Don’t want to get in their way. The haiku – two tries, I think; I had the third line but had to rearrange and rephrase the first two a couple of times! Thank you, Janet.
LikeLike
It’s sweet to hear about the hatchlings that you can observe up close, and the video clip is great. I like the terms “charm” and “trembling” to describe a group of finches– it is such a delicate way to think of the birds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel like they are mine, lol – a gift anyway, and watching this whole process never fails to fill me with awe. Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
They are beautiful. They also speak to your OLW – awe. So much joy and hope and potential – and yes, ABUNDANCE in these tiny packages.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are beautiful to me, too, even as scraggly as they are – birds hatch every day but somehow it’s just so miraculous. Such fragile life, soon to have wings and flight – it does speak to my OLW, “awe”! That’s exactly what I feel while holding my breath to take a quick peek in the nest-nursery. They are so, so teeny-tiny.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, what a charming, trembling joy of life in that little nest. What a gift of hope for 2021! I love this post. Thanks for telling us about the names for a group of finch…
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are a gift – they bring such joy. They’re utterly tiny! I find myself holding my breath, looking at them.
LikeLike
Thanks so much for sharing! Those babies will definitely improve in appearance as they get older! 🙂 Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
They will be absolutely adorable in a few days – stay tuned!
LikeLike
I love the play on words you worked into this poem. Very clever! And have been hopefully waiting on these birds again after last year – this new year bore life again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Christine – as soon as they fill out a bit I will post a new photo! They are so sweet and so, so tiny!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How wonderful you have a birds eye view 🤣. I’m sure your granddaughter is enjoying this too
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol, right! She is enjoying them – so excited!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I told the grandsons about your eggs and can’t wait to show them the video of your trembling abundance!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am delighted that you told the grandsons about the eggs, Ramona! I shall have to post more photos or video soon for them! Exciting!
LikeLike
I just finished reading the passages in The Enchanted Hour regarding reading to preemies in the NICU, the sights and sounds of my own experience there as a mother, assistant, and volunteer rushing at me…and now, here are two scrawny looking baby finches, looking very preemie-like indeed, reminding me of just how similar we animals are. Trembling abundance indeed, thinking of the full lives ahead of these birds–and those preemies. Happy Earth Day, Fran!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks for the Earth Day wishes – celebrating new, fragile life growing stronger each day! Such a meaningful comparison, Chris; I know how you have a heart for those preemies. I can see them in my mind. The word that keeps coming back to me is “miraculous” even though this happens every second of every day; but to watch the tiniest life come into being, so seemingly weak, taking hold and flourishing…amazing. Breathtaking. Both ordinary yet extraordinary. Life wants to live. The babies here are much more feathery now; they rest their wide little yellow beaks on the rim of the nest… more photos to come!
LikeLiked by 1 person