Thought for the Week

THERE are certain moments that just simply enchant us.

One such moment happened this week when we were holidaying in Dunkeld.

Almost every day we visited the wildlife centre at the Loch of the Lowes and delighted in our times watching the osprey.

From the webcam we could see every detail. We watched with great anticipation to see when the chicks would emerge from their eggs, of which there were three.

One of the days we went to the centre there was great excitement as one of the eggs was about to hatch.

The staff there are dedicated volunteers who love sharing their knowledge of these wonderful birds.

To our total delight we witnessed the birth first-hand as the shell cracked open and out struggled a tiny little chick as the mother bird looked on anxiously.

I could hardly believe that this tiny scrap of life would be strong enough to fly to Africa in just a few months.

Shortly, the father bird arrived with a very large fish and I was amazed at the tenderness of this great strong bird as he gently fed his baby.

Since then we have been ‘hooked’ as we follow this wee family at the beginning of their journey of life. Soon the chicks will be given flying and fishing lessons and will leave the safety of the nest.

My prayer is that they will all safely complete their long journey to Africa and that they will come back next year to enchant people once again.

When they go, sometime in September, I fear that I will suffer from ‘empty nest syndrome’ till they come back again next spring.

Scripture tells us: ‘Seek information from the birds of the air.’