This story in pictures really touched me...

[silkieluver_07]

That is so touching... Animals do have feelings whether other people agree with me or not.

 

[Wynette]

Hey, EC! So glad to see your post! Miss chatting w/you....hope all is well in your neck o' the woods!!

Silkie - yes, they do. It's so touching to see...a good human reminder!

 

[ruth]

Very touching story - of course, animals have feelings.

We have a pair of barn swallows that built a nest on our second story balcony. They swoop right past us as we sit on the balcony and tend to their nest. The other day we laughed and lauged because one of them was chasing a huge feather through the air. Every time they would catch it and try to fly back to the nest with it, it would blow away - it was nearly as big as the little bird. I laughed and told my husband "she's determined to have that big fluffy feather for her nest - can't you hear her now 'but honey, it's just perfect'".

Yesterday I called DH to come see - there were three little heads sticking up over the edge of the nest, all with their mouths wide open waiting for mama/daddy to bring them some food.

 

[Wynette]

OH, Ruth - what a precious story!

Do you find that the babies are VERY quiet? I almost never hear the chicks make a peep when they are in the nest & momma is gone. I don't know if it's a protection mechanism, or just this particular breed...?

 

[English Chick]

Quote:
WYNETTEEEE !!!! lovely to see you........ all is well in my neck of the woods, how are things with your neck of the woods...... neck!!!! any cysts!!!

 

[babylady4]

Our cat that had kittens did something similar.

We decided to keep two of her babies, and when they were adult cats we would let them outside to hunt. One was hit by a car and killed at the end of our road. I had classmates tell me later on that they witnessed the mother cat standing over her adult baby that had been killed.

I have always believed that animals have feelings of some kind; this was just the cement that others needed.

Touching story.

 

[FrizzleFreak]

We love our swallows! We get the barn variety and the green backed variety. They are closely bonded, we have noted, and to see them raising their kids is a treat! I personally love it when "newly-weds" or birds new to our property come through, and they fly very close to each other, and when they land they always preen each other-so sweet.
Yes, the babies are VERY quiet. BUt sometimes they get spooked by the horses running into the stalls, and instead of calling for help, they try to find it.

I hate finding their little bodies on the ground...thinking of how beautiful they are when they are grown, and all the bugs they eat, and how much fun they are to watch them dive-bomb my cat.
My cat is a serial killer, but there are two things he's never managed to catch: hummingbirds and swallows. Naturally, both breeds dive-bomb him and make fun of him. The swallows especially when he is unsuccessful on a hunt, and when he's coming back, the look on his face is priceless.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks for your story, Frizzle! Again, it give me a new respect for this little bird!

When my DH mows lawn, they dive down SO fast behind the mower - they must be catching the bugs that fly up out of the grass after the mower has passed. They'll actually follow him all around the yard! The funniest thing is that they sometimes perch on my horse's behinds out in the field...I guess it's a good vantage point for bugs and a free ride!

 

[DuckLady]

I love swallows.
We have several of the mud nests in our eaves.
We were in the middle of having the soffits sealed off so the bats and birds couldn't nest but we left it too late...I saw the swallows gliding around and the beginnings of their mud type nests and delayed the work til October when bats and birds will be gone for the season.

These are on the balcony from the third floor so they are high and safe!

 

[gritsar]

That was bittersweet. Thank you for shaing it Wynette.