Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Friday and Sabbath, June 28 and 29, 2024

Earlier this month on a neighborhood sidewalk I discovered this bird’s nest which had evidently been wrenched loose from a tree by recent heavy winds.

It had been many decades since I’d seen a bird’s nest up close and personal, and now—from the perspective of adulthood—I can more deeply appreciate the miracle of its production. These birds don’t go to school to learn its construction methods, and there seems to be no parental instruction given. This nest was made before the eggs were laid, and since the birds are briskly booted from it as soon as they’re able to fly, they’re on their own. Yet somehow, all around the world, most birds build nests, and build them serviceably and sturdily for their protective purposes.

Our Tuesday Daily Photo Parable blogger Robert Howson is our true expert on the habits and abilities of birds, but even an untutored layperson like me can marvel at the magnificent engineering of this dwelling—and raise my eyes to the Creator in deepest reverence.