BLUEBIRD BLUEBIRD ON MY SHOULDER

The day a newborn baby arrives a new set of parents are discovering life has given them new purpose. They become as focused on this tiny helpless creature as a hungry tiger eyeballing a rare juicy steak. A shy timid woman can instantly become as ferocious as a infuriated pit bull as she protects her young. Parenthood also affects fathers. It causes fathers who are best buds with everyone to clean the old shotgun as his daughters date arrives. (YES, HE DID!!!) The parental right to protect offspring is a common factor in both man and beast.

The eastern bluebirds nesting outside our bedroom window are raising their second brood this year. Their simple abode is nailed to a light pole that sits in the middle of a flower garden boasting bold bronze cannas, brilliant colored gladiolas and delicate balsams . I was watering the area admiring the floral bonanza when all the sudden a juvenal bluebird poked his head out of the house, took one look at me, screamed and jumped as if he was determined to commit suicide. He was mature enough to flutter his young speckled breasted body only two feet off the ground. Thinking how awful I must look to terrorize the gray little thing to that extreme and feeling responsible for the ordeal I thought I could capture the down covered escapee. That is when the protective parenting kicked in.

Out of the sky streaked a pair of turquoise bluebirds with their rusty red breasts shinning in the sun like a couple of B-52 bombers in attack mode. I stepped back to watch the clan as they chattered away like girlfriends catching up on the latest gossip. The parents flew under the fluttering fledgling gently guiding him back to the nest. I have heard of such things happening but never witnessed such a sight. "Bluebird Bluebird on My Shoulder"... not quite but I will never forget the gentle love of these protective parents.