Saturday, March 21, 2015

Just thinking about nesting. . . . . . . . . .


With the official first day of Spring now here. . . . .I've been thinking.
Mostly about the garden which requires a lot of sprucing up and TLC, and 
about the bird population which seems to be ever increasing around here.
It's a good thing! 

I need to start dragging home large bags of mulch to replenish the sad looking beds.
The sun has just popped out so it may be a good afternoon for a garden center
visit - with the temperature due to hit mid-60's.

Will there soon be more tulips?  This is the first and probably an old bulb, 
the stem and leaves are very short. Last Fall's planting are all in large pots 
and just coming up. . . . . . I hope they will be tall and strong, able to wave 
to passersby in the March winds.

Does my year-round robin, sitting in the fig tree, and whom I now think is a 
female, have a gentleman caller at long last? Is she playing hard to get? 
Will there be a nest construction project in the near future?

Note the suet cage on the ground - each time we fill it some animal, probably 
a raccoon, takes it down, opens it up, and has a greasy midnight meal.
Our woodpeckers are getting really upset!


Talking of nesting - will our longtime porch-living wren family be building again this Spring? 
I've already seen one checking the window box but still too cold and a bit early perhaps 
to start on construction.
My lovely blog friend Deb at Just Cats in still really snowy/chilly Ontario, Canada, 
has a great idea which I must share, and will be doing too as I already 
have the suet cage. Hopefully raccoons will steer clear!
She fills her cage with leftover scraps of yarn cut into 2" pieces, and even cat hair from 
her beautiful kitties - all of which nest building birds will pull out and use. 
Other bloggers, in their comments to Deb, also share the bits and bobs they 
put out for their birds, including lace. 
How lovely is that, a tiny bird weaving delicate lace through a twiggy nest.
 I usually tuck chunks of dryer lint into places on the front porch, and will be starting 
this again after my next laundry load - I have seen the lint used in the nests in our garden.

Hyacinths are late blooming this year too.  These will be pink and pretty, but blue
are my favorite - perhaps I can find some at the garden center for the dining room table 
Easter vignette. I love their fragrance
The white rabbits are ready, out of storage, and waiting for their place in the sun, and 
with Easter coming early I must stop thinking and get to work.

So dear friends, a very happy beginning of springtime. 
May your days get warmer, your blossoms bloom, your birds find mates, 
build pretty nests, sing early in the morning to start your day joyfully,
(notice how much louder they are singing now),
 and the real bunnies stay away from your lettuce!


10 comments:

  1. Nothing better than a warm spring day and a walk in the garden.

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  2. Hi Mary -My, you are right into Spring in your area. It looks so warm and wonderful. I am sitting at my window watching (and cursing) the falling snow. March is like that here, though. I believe it will leave us like a lion. I haven't seen a robin yet but I am sure I heard one last week on a particularly warm day. Won't be long now. I do have a resident rabbit that I am enjoying. I suppose it will become a nuisance once the gardens are in. Have a great weekend in your yard, Mary. Deb

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  3. I've just finished my post for today and mine is almost a replica, even to filling the suet feeder with bits & bobs of fluff and cushion wadding I'm just off to raid my sewing lace bag to put some pieces of that in. I remember finding a gold finches nest which had blue forget-me-knots. woven around the edge. My tulips are just beginning to flower , I also planted them in pots, as I was still on light gardening back in autumn. and it's much easier to take them out to dry for next year.So looking forward to seeing your spring garden. Happy Spring to you in your part of the world.

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  4. Isn't lovely to see the spring touches Mary. The birds who come to visit us have started to look into the boxes once again and feed regularly, so I will take on that idea of the lint, lace and wool. Wouldn't it be lovely to see their little creations starting to be weaved around the garden (I wonder if there is such as thing as a bunting bird!). Take care xx

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  5. Yep, spring is in your garden, just showing itself a bit. Can't wait to see some blooms and birds. Those darn critters getting the suet. I can just imagine how upset the woodpeckers are.

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  6. I can see a few tiny sprouts trying to make it through but it will be a few weeks before we see spring flowers.
    Still a bit chilly up here.
    I do look forward to the Robin's nesting in my Magnolia bush out front. They come back every year and I will be putting nesting material within reach.
    Plenty of cat hair around here.

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  7. Love your thoughts on the beginnings of Spring.
    I really must put some strings out for my birds to decorate their nests.
    Thank you so much for remembering my birthday too. I loved opening
    all my cards when we returned home last evening. Sending Springtime hugs!

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  8. We've been having beautiful spring weather for a couple of weeks but now that it is official we are back to cold and gloomy with a side of rain, go figure.
    I like to see your garden waking up, great photos.
    Amalia
    xo

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  9. Dear Mary, Looking forward to seeing your potted up bulbs. I love your little bird photograph. He looks so happy with his tail up in the air and sitting on, what must be, his favorite branch. .Because we live in the open country our bird nests are mostly built with horsehair.

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  10. I've made a vow to not stint on mulch this year, as I did last year. I lived to regret it - too many weeds! I'm buying lots of it this year, Mary.

    xo
    Claudia

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