The Nest <le> <al> <el> <il>
Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This bird has been on her nest for weeks. It is almost time for the eggs to hatch. She can hear sounds inside of the eggs.
It might only be a day or so. Then she will have a lot of running around to do. Chicks need a lot of care, but she is ready to be a great mum. She will have to catch food for them and keep them warm.
She has not eaten for a long time. A butterfly floats by. She needs to eat so that she can look after her chicks when they hatch. With no food, she will have no energy to run around after them.
The butterfly is far off. She goes for a quick walk so that she can catch some bugs. The bugs will fill her up and get her body back in good shape. She spots some juicy worms in the grass. They taste great.
Oh no. The bird covered the nest with leaves, but a dog has found it. A dog is not evil, but it can do bad things. It might bite or crush one of the eggs while it is having a look. Will the bird be able to get back in time to defend the nest?
She is close, but she does not know if she can land. She is scared of the dog. She is going to watch and see what it does. She will swoop if it gets too close.
Her heart feels as heavy as an anvil. Why did she leave? She is so worried that she is going to lose an egg, but the dog is so big. She might get hurt.
Oh no! The chicks have started to hatch. The dog looks shocked. It does not know where the chick came from. The dog is not hurting the chick, it just wants to see what the chick is.
The chicks think that the dog is their mum! They start to climb all over the dog. They want food. The dog is so confused. It does not want to be a bird mum.
The dog takes off. It thinks that it is in peril. It can run a lot faster than the chicks. They try to keep up, but it is out of sight before they know it. The chicks feel all alone.
But then their mum lands. She meets them for the first time. The chicks are confused. They do not know her yet. Is this the right mum?
Yes, this feels right. This mum will help them get food and keep them warm. They will be good pupils as she teaches them all that they need to know. The bird is so glad that all of her chicks are safe.