Ellie came running over to us, so excited.
“Mom, Dad! I found a bird’s nest! With baby birds in it!”
As she told us the story, we learned that while she was exploring in the woods, she saw a bird coming out of a hollow tree. She went to check it out and looked inside – breaking off a bit of the trunk in the process. She discovered a nest filled with baby birds – she had held one of the baby birds and put it back in the nest.
Our eyes met over her head, distressed. We both thought she might have just killed those birds. (Because isn’t it true that when you touch baby birds their parents will abandon them because of your scent?) But what should we say? Her soft heart would just break in half if she thought she had hurt a baby bird. She was so, so excited about the baby birds – literally bouncing where she stood as she told about how she found them. Ellie adores animals of all types and wants to be a zookeeper or a vet when she grows up. This knowledge would kill her. We talked a bit about how you need to leave baby birds alone – just look, not touch.
I was heartbroken. I know about the Circle of Life, I’ve seen Planet Earth. I know that baby carnivores need to eat too. But it still broke my heart that these birds might die because of her innocent curiosity.
But then…
Then the next morning, my heart sang as we saw the mother and father birds flying close to the nest, feeding the babies and protecting them. Once we got home, we learned that birds shunning their babies after human contact is an old wives tale – birds actually have a weak sense of smell, so they don’t notice the smell of humans. As long as you leave the nest alone, they’ll return. (But clearly baby birds are very delicate, so you shouldn’t touch.)
I was so, so happy. I was just imagining her hearing someday about how touching baby birds can kill them – and realizing that one of her most precious childhood memories was actually awful. That those baby birds she found died because of her. I’m so, so thankful that isn’t the case. That we don’t have to decide whether to keep the truth from her or not.
Now we just have the beautiful memory of witnessing these tiny creatures just starting their lives and our precious Ellie has an amazing picture of God’s care and love for His creatures. And for her…
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26
