bad news

Yesterday I came home and bee-bopped up the back steps after a happy jaunt into town to fill up Black Rose's gas tank not realizing I was being watched.  Shortly after I came home, Shaun went down the back steps to crank up the grill and saw something out of the corner of his eye.  A very large black snake had somehow slithered it's way up the 12-15 foot pole to the Eastern Phoebe nest where three fuzzy headed baby birds were.  I showed you all the pictures last week of feathered friend's nests around our home.  As I looked around to spy the mother and father Phoebes close by.  I felt their loss and fear of seeing that snake up there.  Shaun pulled it down with my sturdiest walking stick but for the babies it was too late.  How sad.  I have enjoyed watching the Phoebes feed their little nestlings and hurt thinking "now what will they do?"  The same thing I do I guess... move on.

Last year their first nest fell and tragedy for their babies struck as I came home and found their little bodies on the concrete.  Their second attempt at a nest and little ones proved wonderful.  So maybe their second set of eggs will be better than the first.  Nature can be unfair and hold brutal truth in life.  The snake is the only one who came away happy.  Shaun let him go.

I didn't even notice that you can see one of the parents back to the left on the fence.  Breaks my heart.
So help me if I find the snake visiting my hen house for eggs.  It will not be so lucky a second time.