For the third year in a row, Mrs. Blue Jay has blessed us with the honor of her nest in the tree next to our house. Each year we watch with anticipation as she returns, does repairs and begins to sit. All to quickly though, her little ones have fledged. For a brief moment each spring we get the chance to watch them “grow up.” Sometimes we have to grab them and return them to the safety of our fenced in backyard so they don’t get run over or attacked by stray cats after they have fledged and Mrs. Blue Jay always chatters at us to either help them or put them down, sometimes I am not sure which! LOL
This year, right on schedule Mrs. Blue Jay returned. But word must have gotten out about our “labor and delivery floor” or our superb child care because we have nests all over the backyard this year! Above our garage door, right by our duck pen a mother Cardinal is sitting on her little nest. And our birdhouse by the sandbox finally has a family of Sparrows that moved in, despite the loud downstairs neighbor (aka the oldest country kid playing.)
I can not wait to hear the flitter flatter (get it, pitter patter) of little wings this summer! I hope our new mamas will learn what Mrs. Blue Jay already knows…… We enjoy being spectators of the little miracles that are happening in our yard and mean no harm with our peeking. And that they learn we will care for and protect their babies as if they were are own. And that at the end of the summer, when they have raised their young, packed their bags, and checked out of our yard till next year, I hope they tell their friends about us!
It is nice to know we are doing something right for nature, even if only in our yard.. We are a certified “Backyard Habitat” which means we go out of our way to provide food, shelter, and water. How do we do this? We plant native plants in our yard, we have a brush pile in the back corner of our yard, we have a little pond with a sandy area for birds and butterflies. The list goes on and on. It means our yard is not “photo perfect” but to the critters who call our yard home, it is beautiful. And to the children who spend time here, it is a magical place with discoveries around each corner. And for me? It just makes me smile to watch it all.
So here is to visiting our feathered neighbors this year…. I can not wait to meat natures next generation!
What fun it is watching wild birds nest and babies emerge a few weeks later. This year we became a labor and delivery ward as well. First a Wren build a beautiful nest on top of our patio ceiling fan, rendering it now unusable (but we didn't care). We didn't use it that much and it really was the best location for keeping her babies safe. We figured we would remove it after the babies flew out of the nest but before we could get to it another bird has remodeled the broken down nest (caused by 5 big baby wrens), and now she is sitting on her eggs. Guess we might have to just leave the fan for nesting.
Just stopping by from the Backyard Farming Connection Hop, I already follow you and enjoy your blog.
Holly
http://BackyardChickenLady.blogspot.com
Hi Holly! I have seen you post comments before 🙂 Sorry your fan got taken over a second time LOL Darn nature!!
Oh I am jealous – bluejays and cardinals – certainly not in the Australian line up. I think it is wonderful they feel safe enough to nest in your yard and spread the word. And I am glad to see the bird house get some residents.
I was glad to see the bird house in use! It sat for so very long. Australia scared me LOL every thing there can kill you it seems.
I found a nest of baby birds in the strawberries today, of all places. Have no idea what they are but hurried up and picked so mama bird could come home to them. Thanks for sharing at the HomeAcre Hop. Please come back and see us this week: http://everythinghomewithcarol.com/the-self-sufficient-homeacre-hop-2/