And by ‘nesting’ I mean the real thing. This morning I took advantage of Mama’s momentary absence to open the net curtain so that I could get some photos. We’ve had an erratic weather week here. Earlier in the week it suddenly got very hot and humid. I noticed that Mama’s beak was open for long periods of time and she seemed to be flying on and off the nest more often. After googling for some info, I learned it’s a sign of stress. I have a feeling the stress was caused by the hot temperatures and the need for Mama to regulate the temperature of her eggs. I snuck outside and put a dish of water on the deck in case she needed it. Once the evening came, she calmed down. This went on for a few days. It is much cooler now, thank goodness.
She often turns the eggs before sitting back down on the nest.
This is Dad. He sits in this small tree and watches the nest, staying at a distance so as not to encourage predators. Every so often, Mama flies out to meet him. They sit in the tree together or hit the ground on a worm search.
According to my research, sometime later this week the eggs should start to hatch. Then both parents will be on feeding duty. I will, of course, have camera in hand.
I’m enjoying the scrappy randomness of my throw:
Actually, I suppose this is more of an afghan. It’s pretty wide, which can be daunting when I think of how long it has to be. I’ve made one this size before and it lives on our bed. This will be for the den. I try to crochet at least 2 rows every day.
I have rehearsal this evening. Then a day off. By the way, my class with the apprentices went very well. I’m working with them on Shakespeare’s verse – how to analyze it and how to use all that information to make the verse come alive when acting. The apprentices are very engaged and a lot of fun.
See you soon!
