Empty Nesters

Song - Oak Titmouse Coaxing Young to Fledge

Remember in March when I saw some Oak Titmice making a nest in Mr. B's barn-style bird house?  Well for the last two weeks we have been hearing some mighty high pitched noises coming from the Japanese Maple tree.  We thought.....wow, there must be hundreds of tiny birds in that tree but every time we looked for them, we couldn't see any birds.  I finally saw a parent Oak Titmouse in the tree with a big fat green worm in his mouth.

The more we watched the parents come and go with tasty morsels, the more the high pitched chirps would happen.  It was the baby birds inside the bird house excitedly waiting for mom or dad to bring them something to eat.

On Tuesday morning I saw a little one peeking through the hole of the bird house.  Hi there little fellow!  I set up my tripod inside our dining room and patiently waited to see what he would do.

Can't you just see him thinking "it's a mighty long way down from the railing of the deck if my wings aren't quite ready......"

And number one has lift off.........I actually cried when I saw him fledge.

As soon as he had flown away, I saw another cute face in the bird house wondering if it was his turn now.  He went through all the same moves as number one. He looked down, went back in to reconsider several times, came out again and then before I knew it number two had flown away too!

Mom and dad kept coming back with treats trying to encourage the youngsters to leave the nest.

"Oh Junior....I have a big tasty grasshopper for you if you'll just come outside"

"Ahhhhh.....Dad right now it's so cozy inside 

and besides I kinda like having my breakfast brought to me in bed"

 And every time mom or dad came out of the house they would have a little crumb of something that they have cleaned up after Junior. Some things never change.....

And number three is more than ready to leave.....she took no time in flying off!

Number four...... 

 Number five.....

Number six needed a little prompting from mom...... 

And he's off.....

It sure is quite around here today!

"All of a sudden, the nest is empty.  

The birds have gone, 

and what had been a constant blur of activity

 is nothing more than a few discarded feathers.  

Silence mutes all that was colorful 

and it is time to reestablish

 our significant place in an ever changing world."

-- Marci Seither

Nesting Instinct

Song - You've Got a Friend in Me by 4-year old Claire Ryann and Dad

Suddenly Spring is here!  After months of rain my bulbs are flowering, the trees all have baby shoots on them and the birds are so happy right now......as love is in the air!

 These are Band-Tailed Pigeons and while daddy watches out for hawks......

....mama takes a little rest and looks around to see if it's a nice neighborhood to raise a brood in.

 Meanwhile a couple of Oak Titmouse are building a nest in Mr. B's wedding ranch bird house for the third year in a row! They sing to each other in the sweetest way and both are working on building the nest.

 Luckily I wired the house onto the Japanese Maple tree several weeks ago so now it's pretty stable.

 Mama bird didn't like a piece of moss that daddy bird brought in.......

.....so it's outta here!

And just beneath their house are a bunch of twigs that were too big to fit through the hole!

A work in progress......

I'll let you know when I hear the pitter-patter of little birdie feet!

"Sometimes, simply by sitting, 

the soul collects wisdom."

~Zen proverb

Home Sweet Home

Song - Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

As some of you may know, a wedding will be taking place in our backyard in September!  Our oldest son and his wonderful girlfriend have asked to be wed in our yard.

 


So I have been strolling around the yard for the last several weeks, pouring over plant catalogs, making garden plans and taking a few visits to local nurseries to see what my options are for beautiful blooms that time of year. I have a few idea's up my sleeve!

As I was walking around, I noticed the bird house that Andy placed up in an Oak tree in our shade garden.  I saw a pair of Black-Capped Chickadee's on the tree beside it last week.

Then several days ago I noticed something inside the hole but I couldn't quite make it out. When I got out my zoom lens, it just looked like a blur inside.

But today I noticed something move!

When I zoomed in on the hole, it looked like a lot of fuzz and maybe a few feathers!!! Not sure what to make of it but I am hopeful!  Even though I have fed the birds for years, this is the first bird house we have ever put up.

Other than our ladder on the side of the house which is inhabited again this year!  No sign of babies yet but mom & dad are taking their turns sitting on the nest. If you need to borrow a ladder, you'll have to wait a few more weeks!

 This is where the sweethearts are planning on having their ceremony - the side lawn. It is in need of some tender loving care as last year we had to let it die because of the California drought.  Right now it's green because of the recent rains but it's mostly weeds.....

Mika is hoping to be the flower girl or at least be invited!!!

"Weddings are important because they celebrate 

life and possibility."  -- Anne Hathaway

Weddings are important because they celebrate life and possibility.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_wedding.html

Weddings are important because they celebrate life and possibility.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_wedding.