I have a Bluebird birdhouse in my backyard. Every year I watch the bluebirds prepare their nest for their new family. It is said that the same bluebirds will return to the same birdhouse every year. This year I noticed something different about the nest that was being built but did not see the bluebirds. When the eggs were laid it was obvious what had happened. Instead of light blue colored eggs there were 5 brown speckled eggs (one did not hatch). I identified the eggs as house sparrow eggs. I had heard that the sparrows were quite aggressive and would compete with the bluebirds for their nests. The sparrows won out. Although I would have preferred to have the bluebirds I did not have the heart to disrupt the eggs once they had been laid. These babies are about 2 days old waiting for some food. They will rise up to the occasion each time I open the door of the birdhouse. Its actually quite amusing. These 4 guys look like they have their arms around each other singing a song.
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Well done with great detail and composition. My first reaction before looking at the title was a little sad as I thought about the liklihood the runt will not survive, so I imagined the story/title would have something to do with the runt's plight. Hope I'm not raining on your optimistic title, just thought you might appreciate my alternate reaction. Powerful photo overall that tells an interesting story.
I'm such a sucker for shots like these. I'm currently waiting for the ducks in my backyard to hatch, so this photo made me smile. It gets extra points for the aawww factor! :)
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