Signs of Spring: The Bird Family at Walmart

Disclaimer: This is not an advertisement for Walmart. I received no compensation for this post. It just happens to be the all-purpose superstore in the area and, as everyone knows, a haven for travelers who need a safe place to stay.








Like many other areas around the world, our local community has suffered the loss of trees and other types of natural habitat due to wild weather and fires. We've all gritted our teeth, cried a bit over the results, and burned a lot of energy cleaning up while minimizing the effect on wildlife.

I drove to Walmart earlier this month looking for chainsaw oil. It was a dark and stormy night cloudy, windy day that had the truckers pulled into their special area while they kept off the road. I parked nearer to the entrance than usual and got out of the car.

(Okay, use your imagination!) Flapping their wings to stay aloft in front of me were Mr & Mrs Bird. It was sort of hard to understand what they were saying because my grasp of birdese is limited. When Mr Bird finally hushed and let Mrs Bird have her say, I found out the tree a mile over in which they usually built their nest had been blown down. They followed the big rigs off the highway to Walmart and found one of the young trees planted along the walkway between parking sections had limbs strong enough to hold a nest!

Just like any young couple, they proudly showed off the home they were building. Leaves, straw, twigs, and twine formed a sturdy exterior wall, while soft down plucked from their own bodies lined the interior. 

Mr Bird pointed a wing towards the customers going in and out of the store. "They're nice," he chirped. "We've been here just a short time and we've had a potluck of fresh greens dropped off on the ground for us."

Mrs Bird agreed and added, "One lady even opened the wild bird seed she bought for her yard and left us some."


They mentioned how wonderful it would be when the leaves reached their full size. Mrs Bird commented on how nice it would be to hear the conversations of locals and tourists walking to and from the store. She mentioned how her mom had complained about being left out of things when her day and night was spent sitting on the eggs to keep them warm until the baby birds hatched out. "I won't have to face that!" she chuckled in a bird sort of fashion. "The people who come will stop to talk with me and admire our beautiful children."

I said goodbye and ventured into the store. When I walked back to my car, they both trilled "See you later" and watched to make sure I got into the car okay. I smiled as I drove home, feeling happy that all God's creatures are adaptable and thriving despite the hurdles life throws in the way.

What signs of spring have you encountered?