The Ruckus

The beach.
Tranquility, sand, salt water, ocean waves.

I walk each morning on vacation just like I walk at home.
I find that I am walking more for stillness and less for exercise.

I have my favorite spots…more for my eyes to see and my heart to ponder.
Places that are a respite…places that delay my going home.
One such spot overlooks the Sound.

The Sound is quiet.
It is a place of incredible sunsets.
Colors splashing across the sky that would be impossible to capture on canvas.
A place where wildlife thrives in its own habitat…where I am the intruder.

I reached my spot at the end of my walk.
I have been watching the same thing every day.
A pole, just a bit offshore, with a nest on top.

Each day, I watched a large bird on the nest.
The bird resembled an eagle.
I assumed there were babies in the nest, though I never saw them.
I prayed that before the week was over, I would see something.

God answered my prayer abundantly.

The nest was an osprey nest.
It was a heap of sticks much too large for the platform it was resting on.
Long pieces of sea grass cascading down, blowing in the breeze.
No engineer could have designed and built this nest any better.

I watched as the mother osprey sat up.
Her three babies were now visible.
They were making their hunger known.

The mother osprey joined in the chorus.
I never heard such a ruckus.
I actually thought that there was something threatening her babies.
I looked around but saw nothing.

The ruckus continued.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, another osprey flew into view.
Something was dropped into the nest from the talons of the approaching bird.
As quick as the bird came…it left.

The father osprey…feeding his family…the fish dropped neatly into the nest.
I watched the mother get the fish and break it into pieces for her babies.
Mother and babies were quiet as they ate the food that was provided for them.

The mother osprey kept looking around as she fed her babies.
She discarded what was left of the fish into the water.
The meal completed, the ruckus began again.

This time…no father osprey came to the rescue.
Louder and louder they called…but no answer.

The mother osprey lifted herself off the nest and took flight.
I watched her and followed her route with my eyes.
Over my head, over the trees, close to the water, and back up again.

My eyes darted this way and that as I followed her.
I felt sorry for her, thinking that her flight was unsuccessful.
Suddenly, she dropped a fish from her talons.
She perched in her usual spot and began to feed her babies.

When did she catch that fish?
She came close to the water…I saw her!
I didn’t see anything in her talons.
She caught the fish right in front of me and I missed it!

It began again…the breaking into pieces…the feeding of her babies.

Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important that food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:25-27)

Our Heavenly Father provides all that we need.
I pondered how anyone could doubt the existence of God.

Such Precision.
Such Order.

Ospreys mate for life.
One father and one mother.
Each day, the father and mother osprey repeat what I witnessed that morning.
Babies raised and protected so they can continue the cycle.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33,34)

I was ready to leave my spot…so grateful for what I just witnessed.

As I began to walk away, I heard snippets of conversations as people walked by.
The town was waking up.

What’s that?
That’s an osprey…a mommie with her baby…just like me and you.
Where’s the daddy?
He is probably working hard just like your daddy to get food for his family.
Just like my daddy…

Their voices trailed off as they walked away.
One mother…one father…taking care of their children.

There is a ruckus all around us.
A lot of noise coming from different nests.
No fish being dropped from talons.

The town is waking up.
Time for sleep is over.
There is work to be done to make our nests stronger.

What would someone think if they heard my ruckus on any given day?

God answered my prayer abundantly.
I witnessed more than I ever imagined.

 

 

2 responses to “The Ruckus”

1. Gina, this was awesome and sounds like an osprey nest I have photographed in
   Duck/OBX, could that be the place on the Currituck sound? I have some wonderful
   photos on my flickr site……you’d have to look under my set called “critters” but
   I got the mom & babies http://www.flickr.com/photojeannettics/ hope you can find
   I loved reading this on this rainy morning. I often see ospreys, hawks and great blue herons on our lake here; LOVE IT ALL!! hugs Jeannette

   Reply

   • Jeanette,
     This osprey nest was in Duck, NC on the Sound.
     What a blessing to watch each day…and to see all that God allowed me to see.
     I will check out your pictures later today.
     I have seen many of your photographs hanging at Blue Cafe!
     They are simply beautiful!
     Hope you and Dick are doing well.
     Blessings and joy in HIM.
     Gina

     Reply