Just taste it, please?

Hubby and I have been beaming like proud grandparents. This is mama Mockingbird on the right and baby on the left. We watched the parents build the nest and feed their young. The two fluffy little fledglings were forced out of the nest yesterday. We saw mama coax them to the overhead wire where they teetered and squealed, Help!

Bill has been tossing his cooked egg yolks into the backyard each morning, and the mother and father now fly right to him whenever he opens the backdoor. He says just think of the protein the baby birds are getting, better than a garden worm. Oh the simple joys of watching nature. The mother and father both feed the babies; they peck a piece of the egg and fly up to the tree and feed the little beggars.

Today Bill tossed a yucky strawberry into the yard. I heard an awful racket. Usually it's the mockingbirds chasing the blackbirds. But the squawking was continuous. I walked out and saw that mama bird had the babies on the ground next to the strawberry chattering at both to 'take a bite'. She was showing them how to get their own, but they refused and sat there with their mouths open, pleading,"Feed me. Pleaseeeee." Like any good mother, she encouraged, chided, got upset, flew away, came back, chattered some more right in their faces, "If you want to eat, take a bite!" The babies screamed, no-no-no! But finally one of them took a nibble. It was like watching a human infant eating something tangy for the first time. It shook its head and chirped, "Eewww, this is not a worm (egg)!" The other bird wouldn't even try. Mother was exasperated and flew to the fence. The one baby took another taste test, decided it wasn't so bad and ate another bite and another, then with its tummy full, it flew up to the fence next to mama. The littlest squawker sat there pleading with its mouth wide open. Mama finally gave in, flew back and fed the little dickens. That strawberry was gone in no time, and soon the fledglings will be too. My honey will continue to toss them his egg yolks and keep them fattened up.

Observing these birds confirmed that parents of all species have some of the same problems when it comes to their offspring.