The Nest Under the Canopy

Story by: TaiMora Gilbert

Written by: GoodBuddy KD Gilbert

Edited by: Mother Sharon Clemans 

I remember it like it was yesterday, my dad

was cutting the grass near the music studio on
his John Deere as I watch him peacefully going
back and forth enjoying the moments.
*(FIRST PICTURE OF ME WATCHING MY DAD CUTTING THE GRASS ON HIS JOHN
DEERE)*

I noticed a bird fly near him, this bird came

very close to my Dad. I signaled to my Dad by
waving my arms up! Dad! Dad! my Dad stopped
 *(SECOND PICTURE OF BIRDS FLYING AROUND MY DAD ON HIS JOHN DEERE)*

the John Deere and look at the bird as it

took flight near him again. My Dad continued to
drive the John Deere near the music studio
front door, the look on his face was not one you
would want to mess with. 
*(THIRD PICTURE OF MY DAD WITH AN MEAN LOOK ON HIS FACE!)*

The John Deere came to a stop, my dad

jumped off of it, I could see he was frustrated
and upset because he had let the birds nest
there home near the front entrance of the music
studio.
*(FOURTH PICTURE OF ME LOOKING AT THE NEST UNDER THE AWNING)*

My dad approached the nest, he had a flat

shovel in his hands, he lift the shovel at the
nest, as if he was ready to poke it head on, he
hesitated, position the flat shovel against the
2x4 where the nest had rest, then he scraped it
off the 2x4 causing the nest to fall to the
ground. What happen next, was unexpected. 
 *(FIFTH PICTURE OF ME LOOKING AT MY DAD HOLDING A SHOVEL IN HANDS GETTING
READY TO SCRAP NEST OFF OF AWNING 2x4 BOARD!

My dad looked down at the nest and when

he saw what he had did, he immediately drop to
his knees, I heard him say the words,
*(SIXTH PICTURE OF MY DAD ON HIS KNEES LOOKING DOWN AT THE DESTROY NEST!)*

God forgive me! please forgive me. I asked

him what’s wrong? what happen? as he looked
down at the destroyed nest, he said oh no, no,
there was a little beak pointing up at him. Then
my Dad move some of the debris from the nest,
and there were three more beaks totaling four
baby birds.
*(SEVENTH PICTURE THE FOUR BABY BIRDS PEAKS FACING UP AS IF ITS DINNER
TIME)*

My dad was pleading to God how sorry he

was, as he looked at the baby birds he got
closer and noticed that all of them were
breathing! Their little chest was pumping in and
out, in and out! he was so relieved but still very
much angry and disappointed in himself. 

I remember saying dad! what should I do,

what do you want me to do? what are we going
to do? My dad instructed me to go get mama
Sundee!
*(EIGHT PICTURE OF ME RUNNING TO THE HOUSE TO GET SUNDEE)*

so I went to the house, we came back, I

kind of explained what was going on to her as
we headed to where the incident occur. Sundee
approached the destroy nest laying on the
ground. She noticed the four baby birds! Then
she noticed how upset my Dad was for
destroying the nest. My Dad explained what
happened and she then made a suggestion.
*(9th PICTURE OF SUNDEE POINTING AT THE NEST TO MY DAD AND I)*

She pointed out that there was an old nest

sitting up on the outdoor AC unit by the back
door of the studio. 

My Dad quickly investigated it and found it

to be vacant! He pulled it down from the AC unit
and took it to the front where the baby birds
were. He took some of the debris from the
destroyed nest and blended it into the round
nest. Then scoop up each baby and placed
them carefully into the round nest. “It was a little
crowded! he said. But they all fit!
*(10th PICTURE OF THE MOTHER AND FATHER BIRD FLYING AROUND WANTING TO GET
BACK TO THE BABIES!)*

In the back of us you could see and hear

the Mother and Father flying around wanting to
get back to their babies. We moved away from
the area and watched them fly back and forth
looking for their babies. They didn’t see them in
the nest on the ground. We watch for 30
minutes and nothing changed, so my Dad
decided to put them on this 4-foot glass bar
table. 

*(11th PICTURE OF A TABLE WITH THE NEST ON TOP OF IT!)*

We watched, and 5 minutes later they

noticed them. My Dad was relieved but still
concerned. There are mouser cats around our
property, and he was worried they would find
the babies at night and do what cats do to birds.
The next morning, we went over to see if all
was well with the baby birds, and all was.
Everyone was breathing, they made it through
the night. My dad was still wanting to find a way
to get the birds back up in the area where he
destroyed the nest. He went to the garage and I
followed him, “what are you thinking about
doing?” I said. My dad replied, “I need to find
something that can hold the nest in that area
where the original nest was.” 

That would be nice I said! So, he looked

and looked and looked, until he came across
this wooden mini drawer that holds all our ping
pong balls in It. It had this sliding slot lever you
could slide out or close it halfway or all the way
or just a little bit of the way. My Dad removed it
totally, and just kept the bed part of the drawer.
He said this will work just fine, all I must do is,
remove the front lip of the bed so they can fly in
and out without having to fly over it. I said good
idea Dad. Then I suggested we add a plank
they could land on before entering the bedded
area. 

He agreed and we started on the Mission,

Get babies to the original safer area. We got all
the tools and supplies we needed then headed
back. This was kind of fun now, My Dad was
going to make sure nothing was going to
happen to them and they would be up high like
they were in the beginning. After 20 minutes,
the mission was completed.
*(12th PICTURE OF ME CLIMBING LADDER PUTTING THE NEST IN PLACE)*

Now it was time to relocate the babies to

their new home. I asked my Dad, can I put them
in the bed. He said, “Sure just make sure you
put them as far back as the nest will allow you.”
I climbed up the ladder, he handed me the nest
with the babies and I carefully put them on the
makeshift platform.
*(13th PICTURE OF SUNDEE GIVING ME A HIGH FIVE 🖐🏾 FOR DOING A GOOD JOB)*

I Climbed back down and was greeted with

a high 5 from my Dad & Momma Sundee who
was watching from a far. She commented,
“good job team Gilbert! thanks to you and your
ideas the babies are safe now! ok let’s get out
of here now, the mom and dad are getting
impatient. “
 So, as each day went by we would go over
to check on them to make sure all was well.
And it was. We decided to find out what kind of
birds they were so we could learn a bit more
about them. One thing we knew for sure was,
they are a close-knit family, and my Dad like
that about them, how they looked after each
other day in and day out! We found out they are
Barn Swallows! My Dad said they are the most
skillful flying birds he has ever seen when it
comes to flying and changing direction at the
drop of a dime!
*(14th PICTURE OF 5- BARN SWALLOWS FLYING AROUND TRAFFIC AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT
WITH CARS MOVING IN TRAFFIC!

He said he use to see them at traffic lights

dodging cars, while collecting insects! It was
truly amazing on how close they would get,
then instantly they would change direction so
fast! 

Well a couple of months had past and we were

wondering how the babies were doing! So we
went and visited them again! Strange, the mom
and dad weren’t around flying about this time.
My Dad decide to get a ladder and peep in the
nest! And to his surprise! They were gone!
Nothing, no sign of a bird or anything. We figure
the babies had grown enough strength in their
wings and took off. My Dad removed the nest
from the platform we created for them. He said
we are going to leave the platform for the future
guess. Well that was the end so we thought! 

But one day about a week after we removed the

nest! We were walking near the shed right
across from the studio, and suddenly 4 small
birds came hovering over us about 20ft. In the
air.
*(16th PICTURE OF ME, DAD, AND SUNDEE WITH 4 BABY BARN SWALLOWS HOVERING ABOUT
US)

It was like they were moving in slow motion. We

stopped and watch them for about 10 seconds.
It was like they were trying to communicate to
us. My Dad said those were the babies we gave
shelter to. I believe they were thanking us for
watching over them. That’s what I felt as well.
Then they departed from over us and headed
north. That was the last time we seen them, for
now. 
THE END