I stopped filling the bird feeders, so worried was I about the bluebird babies. I read that House Sparrows, for instance, can act rather ugly when they learn of a bluebird nest nearby. But with our babies more stable, my conscience began to nag me about the many full-time Bickley’s Pond residents who rely on our bird seed and, more specifically, how—without it—they would teach their own fledglings (of course there are others, right?) to feed.

And so I made my way outside and filled them both: (1) sunflower seeds for the cardinals, and (2) wild bird seed for the little ones.

(It was not a comfortable thing to do. Aside from my constant worry over the bluebirds, there is the matter of the snake now living in the bed just at the base of the feeders.)

It didn’t take long to know I had made the right decision.

Is that a purple finch?

Is that a baby???

I’m thinking yes!

I did keep a close eye on those bluebirds, believe you me, and before I could say “Saturday” the nest was nearly empty and there were little fuzzy balls in flight.

Well, sort of.

That story is coming up.