In the dry foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the sweet song of the six-inch rock wren is often heard. Their gray colors blend in well with the dry, rocky homes where they live, among boulders, sandstone cliffs and rocky hills. Here they find plenty of the insects they like to eat. They can live far from water, as they are not known to drink water, even if it is offered to them when in captivity.
What an interesting home the rock wren has! Its small nest is made of bark, grass, hair and moss, lined with soft things including spider silk. There is nothing unusual about the actual nest; it is the walkway or pavement that it is built on and sometimes leads up to it that is unusual. The nest is built on a foundation of tiny stones and sometimes sticks, in a crevice under a big rock or between rocks. But sometimes a walkway extends out from this foundation, made with small pebbles and rock chips. This can be quite ornate, and may even include man-made objects. This can help hide the crack in the rock which houses the nest, but it may also give away where it is.
About four to eight white eggs, speckled brown on one end, are laid twice a year. In about two weeks the chicks hatch out. Both the father and mother feed the babies once they hatch.
The male is a talented songster. He can sing 100 or more different songs, including ones he has learned from other birds.
The rock wren has been given a long, delicate bill to reach food in cracks and under rocks. Its short legs have sharp-clawed toes, allowing it to cling upside down to overhanging rocks.
The walkway, or pavement, of the rock wren may have a lesson for older people reading this paper. There is no doubt a good reason for this bird to build its nest on its interesting foundation. But then they may get a little too interested in this building project, and it goes from being a good thing to being something that attracts danger to their babies. This is easy for us to do, too. Human parents need to provide a safe place for their children to grow in. But it is possible to start adding lots of extra things to this safe place, things that can cause problems for the children in their lives. The Lord wants all of us, old and young, to be occupied with things in heaven, as our opening verses tell us. He knows that we can easily get distracted from all the wonderful blessings He has for us by thinking too much about things on this earth, so He tells us what we should be seeking in our lives.
Did You Know?
Male rock wrens can sing 100 or more different songs, including ones they’ve learned from other birds.
Messages of God’s Love 6/30/2024