Parenting- A job indeed for birds too

For those of us who have undergone the travails of parenting would agree the great joy and at times the pain involved in parenting. I have always believed that we are as old as our kids as a parent.

Well Parenting is a task for all living beings. Have we not being chased by a ferocious dogs when we approach their litter, or a violent hen ready to peck, when the chick are approached. But what we have not seen is probably how the birds take pains to hygienically feed their young ones, just like we would sterilise the bowls, spoons, bottles etc. of our young ones

A mother River tern with her chicks patiently waiting for her mate to come with lunch.

One of the chick is a little docile may be because its younger, but the older one is quite brave and ventures out exploring the surrounding.

Pop Arrives with lunch, but the feed being big, the chick nibbles at it and in this process the feed is dropped

Guess what, Pop picks up the feed, flies to the stream, dips in the water to wash fish                          
                                                     

It now comes back with the feed, unfortunately the feed is big and again gets dropped, Pop dutifully carries the same drill of washing the feed

Meanwhile the daring kid ventures out further, and is now dangerously perched near the water. Pop comes and starts feeding his baby, probably unaware of the proximity of the water.

But alas, in the process our daring young one tumbles into the stream and the parents starts wailing and screaming.











 
well, no further photographs...........
 
 

There was a happy end though. We decided to intervene,  rightly or not we do not know? We rescued the chick to its parents. Nature  has its owns  laws should we intervene in the ways of nature ? Can we be a mute spectator? I know not. Rescuing seemed the right option. but then, people has other opinion too. 

The whole saga took about 20 minutes and was more of a delight  to watch than to photograph.