Our Little Robin

Yesterday afternoon, while playing with a friend, Max found a baby robin. It was sitting in the middle of a driveway, not under trees or being guarded by any hysterical parents. Being my mother's daughter, I had to go get it.

Once when I was a kid a robin's nest fell from a tree in the back yard. They were the ABC Triplets - Albert, Becky and Cathy. Unfortunately, only one made it to adulthood. When he was ready, we released him and he was gone for several days.

I very vividly remember the day he came back. It was pouring rain and we had been to the grocery store. Albert's (or Al-burd as my brother called him) angry chirping could be heard through the back porch door. He marched in the door clearly irritated to have been in the rain. He dried out, spent the night in his laundry basket home then left the next day never to return.

When I picked up this little bird he seemed to melt into the warmth of my cupped hands. We put him in a shoe box with a dish towel and checked on him a few times. The way his little body sagged - I didn't think he'd make it through the night. Gratefully, I was wrong.

After a 12 hour nap, he awakened with his scrawny neck craning and beak wide open. He was ready for breakfast. We dug some worms and he gobbled 4 small ones down and settled in for a (very brief) nap.

At the rehab facility we were happy to hear that we had done a good job. Our little bird is snuggled in with 4 others of the same age and in time, will be released.

Sometimes Mother Nature needs a little help. I hope she is as proud as we are.