The Smallest Members of the Garden…

Our yard is full of bird feeders and bird houses, flowers for the creatures whether butterflies or birds or squirrels. This spring something amazing happened. We got to see from start to finish the development of tree swallows! They nest in the same box every year but each year they abandon the nest leaving me a nest full of dead babies to clean out. This year I decided I would keep careful watch to be sure these babies survived. Each afternoon when mom and dad swallow would leave the nest I would carefully open the bird house and check to be sure all 4 babies were alive and well. I took a picture about every week to document how fast they grow. This year the tree swallows all survived and I even caught a glimpse of the last baby leaving the bird house to fly off and not return till next season! I teach my daughter to enjoy nature and care for what’s around us. Most often letting nature take its course. We try our best not to disturb the critters who call our garden home so these pictures are a rare treat for us and I couldn’t help but want to share them with you!