Yesterday morning when I got up I emerged from the bedroom and instantly noticed the sound of birds chirping. Odd, I thought, since I was fairly certain all of the windows were shut when I went to bed Saturday night. John was already up, but I usually find him downstairs on a Sunday morning if he gets up before me. As I walked further down the hall the bird chirping got louder. “This can’t be good,” I thought. “What if there is a bird in my house? Oh, that’s going to be a mess.”
Soon, I noticed that the chirping seemed to be coming from my office. I hesitantly stuck my head in the door expecting to see a bird. How they would have gotten in I hadn’t quite worked out in my sleepy head. I was preparing to call for John to come and help with what was already in my mind a “bird situation” when, to my surprise, I found him sitting at the computer – watching baby eagles on the computer screen.
The very fact that the computer was turned on was a bit of a conundrum since just a few weeks ago John told me that, search as he might, he couldn’t find the “power” switch on my new Mac. Anyway, back to the eagles. It seems that the Sunday paper had mentioned a link to an eagle’s nest in Decorah, Iowa and John decided to check it out. I was just relieved not to find birds pooping their way around my office.
This particular nest has three baby eagles (or eaglets as the case may be.) And, I have to say, that it is rather interesting to watch what’s happening there – in short 1 – 2 minute visits. John has a longer attention span for things like this so could literally sit here for an hour to watch it. I suggested he might switch it up a bit and take a chair outside to watch the grass grow.
I must admit, that eagles are great parents, taking turns caring for their young, getting them food, and keeping them warm. Did you know that they even mate for life? Tonight while both parents were looking at the newly caught fish, I was adding commentary to the “movie.” It went something like this. “Really? It’s my turn to make dinner again? I thought it was your turn. I hate making dinner.” (You can see how I’ve imposed my personal feelings about cooking onto the eagles.) Eventually, the parents started ripping that fish apart and enjoyed the reward of their labor.
As I watched the parent eagles care for their young today I was reminded of a Bible verse that compares an eagle’s care of it’s young to God’s care for us. Check out this description in Deuteronomy 32:9-11 “For the people of Israel belong to the Lord; Jacob is his special possession. He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes. Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions.”
Now, go to the website by clicking here, and think of yourself as the baby eagles. I think you’ll feel loved. I know I did.