A True Story

An incident yesterday has made me look at what wonders there are in the world so I thought I’d share with you a true story, which happened to me.

There are a few things that I have seen in the course of my travels that have made me sit up and wonder. The pilot whales in the Atlantic and the French man who waved his hands and took my pain away to name a couple I have encountered, but it’s the story of two little birds who had the hearts of eagles I want to acquaint you with today.

My partner and I were living in a small village in Western Provence; South Africa with three cats and a beautiful view over the river to the mountains beyond. It had a stope to the front of the house with a large table and chairs with a braai attached to the wall of the house. Our outside inside room as my partner used to describe it.

We would sit outside in the evenings watching the sun go down and throwing shadows over the mountains. I’d light a fire and have a laker chop and a dop “Life don’t get much better.”

One spring morning, a couple of years ago I came out to find the beginning of a swallow’s nest being constructed on the braai chimney. Swallow’s build their nests out of mud which they carry in their mouths all chewed up then spit it out onto the wall they mold it into a round shape with a funnel at the end, probably so their chicks don’t fall out when their away from the nest. After some discussion regarding the placement of the nest with the three cats, they don’t like poached eggs, I thought it best to discourage the two swallows from building it on the chimney and scraped the beginnings of their home off the wall.

A day later I had a visit from the two swallows. They both perched on the top of one of the high backed chairs opposite me and gave me what can only be described as “a rite good tongue lashing”. Well the bloke just stood there. If I understood her correctly she was telling me she was pregnant and this was the best place for their home and why couldn't they build their home on this stope, you don’t own the place. The bloke just stood there totally embarrassed and looked away with a stance that said “look mate, see what I have to put up with, have a heart”

I first explained about the cats; “Cats can’t fly” she tweeted. “Ok Ok” I agreed “but you can’t build your home on the chimney your chicks would cook.” “We will build it off the wall” she conceded “we’ll start tomorrow” she stated “OK” I agreed. The bloke look at me nodded his head as if to say cheers mate and they were off.

 The following day they started building their home again and this time they left an inch of space between the chimney and the back of their nest.

That is ridiculous; you can’t have had a conversation with two swallows regarding the construction of their nest. Why did they leave an inch between the chimney and the back of their nest, the nest I destroyed was on the chimney. I don’t believe you can have a conversation with two birds either, but it happened to me, so what can I say.

They built their nest and raised two chicks that year and they came and showed them off to us prior to going overseas, we named them Poached and Boiled.

The following spring they were back, said hello and when straight into their home, watched intensively by the pussy cats licking their lips. We left that house soon after, they were right we didn't own it, we were renting.

It’s their home now I will visit the house at Christmas and see if they returned to their home for a third year?