仙台 えいごの教室

  Since I wrote the stories of the bulbul raising kids, I think I should finish it. The babies grew up big and strong¹ and they left the nest. It’s been a while since they left, but here I’ll tell you what happened. 

 

  After they were born, every single day², they grew and grew. Day 1, I saw Mom and Dad were feeding them worm-like³ food, but already by Day 2, they were feeding them bug⁴ kinds of creatures such as moth-like things and crickets⁵. They babies bodies were getting darker, which means their feathers were getting ready to come out. The babies opened their mouths wide when the parents come back to the nest.

 

   

 

  Day 4, you can see feathers starting to grow on their wings. Around this time, I was always thinking about how the babies were feeling under their skin. You know, dogs and human babies often try to bite something when their teeth are coming out. They must feel really weird⁶ or ticklish⁷ all over, don’t you think? I also caught the moment when Mom took a fecal sack⁸ and ate it!

 

 

 

 

  Day 5 — Around this time, some babies had their eyes open, but some didn’t. I could keep looking at them all day long.

 

 

 

  Day 9 — They flew out of the nest. They were tiny, but their feathers were so fluffy⁹. That made them look really round. They were flying around so clumsily¹⁰ that Will and I couldn’t take our eyes off them. The parents were also so nervous and alert¹¹. When bigger birds flew nearby, they made a loud noise and chased them away. 

 

 

 

  Just hearing the parents making loud noises all the time around our house, I got so worried about the babies and I went crazy. However, gradually the babies learned to fly better and went a bit further. I sometimes heard them chirping. I was involved in their child-rearing¹² so much that I was really worried about them after the babies left the nest, but now I try to believe they are strong enough and hope that they are enjoying their lives as a family in our neighborhood.