bad news

Yesterday I came home and bee-bopped up the back steps after a happy jaunt into town to fill up Black Rose's gas tank not realizing I was being watched.  Shortly after I came home, Shaun went down the back steps to crank up the grill and saw something out of the corner of his eye.  A very large black snake had somehow slithered it's way up the 12-15 foot pole to the Eastern Phoebe nest where three fuzzy headed baby birds were.  I showed you all the pictures last week of feathered friend's nests around our home.  As I looked around to spy the mother and father Phoebes close by.  I felt their loss and fear of seeing that snake up there.  Shaun pulled it down with my sturdiest walking stick but for the babies it was too late.  How sad.  I have enjoyed watching the Phoebes feed their little nestlings and hurt thinking "now what will they do?"  The same thing I do I guess... move on.

Last year their first nest fell and tragedy for their babies struck as I came home and found their little bodies on the concrete.  Their second attempt at a nest and little ones proved wonderful.  So maybe their second set of eggs will be better than the first.  Nature can be unfair and hold brutal truth in life.  The snake is the only one who came away happy.  Shaun let him go.

I didn't even notice that you can see one of the parents back to the left on the fence.  Breaks my heart.
So help me if I find the snake visiting my hen house for eggs.  It will not be so lucky a second time.

babies everywhere

As I was unloading my beautiful seedlings/plants at the house after work yesterday, I couldn't help but notice that I was being watched.  From the basement I could see an Eastern Bluebird flying from the back side of the house to the trees, an Eastern Phoebe nearby in a tree watching me who has a nest underneath our porch and a pair of Carolina Wrens, one very verbally talking to his mate and the other with a mouthful of food or maybe building supplies.  We have several places purposely put out for our feathered friends around the outside of our home and this spring the birds are making good use of them.  I had to make supper and didn't have time to pull up a chair and wait around for pictures of the busy parents but I did want to share their homes.  And I did spy some sweet little Phoebe fuzzy heads in the nest.  Mrs Phoebe built in a better spot this year where she will be able to use her nest again.  Last year her first attempt fell and the second served it's purpose but wound up falling too.  

The bluebird house.

The wren household.

Mrs Phoebe's nest and fuzzy heads.

The sparrow family home.  They flew from the nest last Sunday.

And this is the Mourning Dove that is nest in the tree outside my bathroom window.  She has quite the camo going on.

She is actually to the left of the split in the crook of a fallen dead branch.  You can't see her in this picture.  I was making her nervous so I let her be.

We also have Starling babies in the shop which we aren't pleased with.  It's harder to get rid of them with little cheeps coming from the nests.  

I am positive I wouldn't have to go far to spy more nests of different kinds of birds.  It's amazing how close by the birds with nest to each other creating a wonderful kind of natural harmony.  Maybe a bird watch is in order for the weekend.