I have a gift: Right after I discover baby birds in nests, they fledge the next day. Is it me? It happened with the robins and it happened yesterday with the Carolina wrens. If you remember, in yesterday’s post I wrote that they were very busy flying back and forth to the nest, feeding the babies. But now I think they were urging the babies to take off. Later in the morning, I went outside to water the pots and seeds. Don’s car was gone so I could see the nesting area pretty clearly. No activity. I waited a while, then I tested it and walked to the ramp leading to the shed. Nothing. I went inside the shed. The nest was behind the Cottage sign on the window box, right outside the window. I walked toward that window and saw the nest. Empty.
There’s the sign and there’s the nest. Keep in mind that it’s much smaller than it appears in this photo. But there’s the little hole in the nest where the babies were.
Sob. I’m a little depressed.
I almost went in the shed the day before yesterday to peek at the babies, but for whatever reason, I didn’t.
Godspeed, little ones. Enjoy the world.
Ella.
One of my Elly Griffith books is waiting for me at the library. The other, which is the one I need to read first, hasn’t arrived yet. Hope it comes in today.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
Aww cute! I had a cousin who was a brown-eyed blonde. That combination always reminds me of her. Best luck to those baby wrens. Maybe they’ll return to nest next year.
That would be nice!
Stay safe, Shanna.
nicely said and a kind wish and good advice. thanks, claudia. so yes, Godspeed to the babies … and everyone … enjoy the world!
that is what members of my family and i did yesterday … enjoyed some of our favorite places in the world. we went back to nebraska to take an opportunity we missed when out there last week. went just for the day, but it was a very nice day. got to see and do some things that we all love. walked around, took photos, reminisced, laughed and cried (not that we love crying). bought some treats, including rusks and books. just like last week, we went to a place we’d not been (a different place than last week, but in the same small town where my father was born and raised) and were thrilled to see on the wall a photo of some family members … this time of my maternal and paternal grandfathers and my father’s uncle clyde. :) on the way over, we drove past wind farms, long stretches of wind turbins looking like very tall synchronized dancers. we saw more sheep than usual compared to here in iowa, and lots of cows, including lots of babies. also miles and miles of farmland, acres of bean fields pushing up their kelliest of green leaves against a beautiful blue sky. we went through or near small towns with names like bee and surprise and friend. on the way home, there were an uncountable number of flat-bottomed clouds filling the sky, lines of them all close together along various heights and looking like squadrons of planes shown in black-and-white ww2 documentaries and then, a half-hour from home, drove through rain so hard and lightning so close i was about to pull over (but didn’t). we had a very, very good day. :)
hope you all did, too, yesterday. same wish and prayers for you all today and every day.
kathy
meant to add something (i need a nap) …
sorry you missed the fledgling. hopefully you feel good knowing birds again felt safe enough to create their home by your own.
and miss ella … she looks so much like my spunky, much-loved and much-missed maternal grandmother (if only her eyes were blue instead of brown). :)
enjoy the books and puzzle!
kathy
Thanks, Kathy.
Stay safe.
Sounds like a lovely trip, Kathy.
Stay safe!
…kathy; what an interesting time you’ve had ..!!.. thanks for sharing; it’s like a travelog to places I’ve never been; thank you …
…my husband has, at times, lived in Iowa and Nebraska, so I read to him your paragraph about the travel and he very much knew of the places you spoke, like bee, friend, etc … apparently the tiniest of towns out on the prairie …
no wonder then that you’ve said he has talked about maybe you all moving to wisconsin … what some people dismiss as “fly-over country” is actually beautiful with lots of nice people and fun things to do (though an ocean would be nice)!
if you ever come out to wisconsin (or anywhere in the midwest) to check things out, please let me know!
thanks, vicki.
hope you have an easy, awesome day!
kathy
re-reading what i wrote, guess i did get a bit effusive … haha … but it was a very good day and i love those places and especially my family (most of whom hail from nebraska, some via sweden).
thanks, vicki.
kathy
Sorry you missed the fledglings, Claudia. You have so much prime birdie real estate on your property, there will be more nests and babies to come!
After observing the nest in my large pot (it holds my daffodils, and I’m itching to clear out the dried leaves but have held myself back) from afar we’ve concluded that it isn’t being used. It’s the second nest built in that pot, as I found one last summer when I was cleaning out the pot. And I’ve noticed that there have not been hummingbirds in my yard for at least a year. I usually get a couple of regulars feeding on the nectar of my hummer-friendly flowers.
There are, I’m sure, lots of nests we don’t know about. I can tell there are babies elsewhere by the behavior of the parents.
I hope you get some hummingbirds again, Wendy.
Stay safe.
Ella, isn’t she the prettiest; those eyes. The hair!
I’m in Mom’s house since we bought it 10 years ago and she’d been feeding the birds here . since the 70s when I bought her a large, heavy, stone birdbath for the yard which is still in the same place. Thing is, the bird seed and more big birds than the littles ones was playing havoc with our dog’s yard space and, bit by bit, I stopped feeding; then, when the last of the feral cats passed on, I’ve just felt somewhat uncomfortable and sad about spending a lot of time in the rear yard, something I simply must get over, so the water in the birdbath went to the wayside, too. The result is that the blue jay (who I know darned well was the same one for YEARS) gave up on me and it’s just another thing I beat myself up about; oh well. But, yes, not a lot of babies of any birds in nests around here anymore; sorry you couldn’t enjoy your babies longer, Claudia; but the glimpses of nature we DO get to see, however fleeting, are priceless.
Hey, sorry I went off with pages worth of comments about Barbies over the weekend; I think I like to hear myself ‘talk’ too much on a subject I know a little something of (and of which I have an interest in; maybe it’s self-entertainment!); but wasn’t it great to hear everyone’s comments about playing with their dolls? And that for many of us, our moms and grandmas made clothes for them. I’m so glad when you bring up subjects here on the blog, Claudia, for which a lot of us (of a certain age!) have familiarity and similar memories.
Hope you’re having a nice Weds. I can actually see a bit of blue sky in the western horizon so maybe in SoCalif we’ll get out of the dark-gloomy weather earlier today; a girl can hope. But I’m staying in on these humid days, decluttering like a mad woman; very motivated at last.
Go with a birdbath. I love ours and it provides hours of entertainment. Almost nothing makes me happier than watching a bird take a bath.
I’ve loved the discussion about Barbies, Vicki. And you have so much knowledge! Very valuable to me.
Stay safe.
You gave those baby wrens a happy and safe environment for their nest. They will, no doubt, be singing your praises as they get older. Ella has that very determined look on her face. She has things to do, places to go. Love her sweet dress and ever so cute shoes. Hugs, Elaine
Ella is feisty, that’s for sure!
Stay safe, Elaine.