A Little Birdhouse In Your Post

Not to put too fine a point on it, but there is a bird nest in our mailbox. It all started with a bird feeder that the Littlest Miss made in school. She came home with it one day a month back and that evening, we tried to figure out a place to put it where birds might find it. I noticed that the mailbox mounted next to the front door had a hook, so we put it there.

The next morning, after coming back from dropping the girls off at school, I noticed birds at the feeder. It took them only a few days to clear it of all feed, but I got a few pictures of it, and the Littlest Miss was delighted that it had been put to good use.

Time passed.

One day, a few weeks later, while pulling the mail from the box, I noticed the mail seemed to be sticking out a little more than usual. I peered inside, and saw what looked like a bird’s nest crammed into the bottom of the mailbox. Then, last week, I went to get the mail and as I pulled it from the box, a bird fluttered out, nearly crashing into me, before veering to its left for a nearby tree. I watched it perch on a branch, looking back it me. I went inside.

Thereafter, each morning that I head out for my morning walk, I peer carefully into the mailbox and can see the bird in there. What’s more, there are eggs in the nest! I counted at least five of them.

Now, when the mail comes, I am quick to pull it from the box so as not to disturb the bird or the eggs. It will be interesting to see if the eggs hatch and if the little birds make it out of their nesting place. At this point, I am not quite sure how they will do that, since the nest is down at the bottom, but nature abides.

Written on June 8, 2022.