Nesting

Week of 05/16/2010 Good time for cultivating.

It was an up and down week of rain and frost, sunshine, wind, and visitors to the windows at night. Staring contest It was an unpredictable week, like early May can often be.

My house cat, See-a-tea (C.A.T.), enjoyed visits from a raccoon who came to the window each evening to snack on the leftover bird seed at the window feeder. The coon would ask the cat how life was going on the inside and the cat asked the coon how things were on the outside. They seemed to look forward to their nightly visits, which lasted half an hour or so.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak It would warm up during the day and the clouds would bring a little rain. At night the skies would clear and the temperatures would drop below freezing and the ground would be frosty white by morning. Up and down, warm and cold, wet then dry, cloudy then sunny. The Cliff swallows seem a bit confused and are still lined up together on a power line. Soon they will begin building their mud nests under the bridge that crosses the river. A hundred or more will fly together in a circle over the water as they search for flying insects. They seem to be waiting for summer to begin.

A mob of chickens The colorful Rose-breasted grosbeaks are eating the sunflower seeds I put out for them on the bird feeders. Their speckled-brown mates are just now showing up and are eager to begin raising a family. The same is true for the tiny Chipping sparrows and they sing their spring songs from nearby branches.

The morning frost hasn’t seemed to harm the large clusters of creamy flowers above the huge green leaves of the rhubarb. How could a plant so sour be so beautiful?

Massive eagle nest A flock of fat brown hens eagerly snap up bugs room the wet grass in the early morning sun. Brown chickens lay brown eggs and the most healthy chickens and best eggs come from those who are allowed to roam free in the green grass.

High in the eagles’ nest, the mother eagle huddles over her two downy young to keep them warm and dry. They are two weeks old but still need to be protected from the frost and rain until their feathers begin to grow in.

One curious squirrel The gray squirrels are playing their courtship games again. Even though their first young were born late in February, they have yet to appear from their hiding places. Soon they will venture out into the world of tree limbs and learn to fend for themselves. Their mother will care for them until she gives birth again in a month or two.

A Rufous-sided towhee flies from beneath the brush pile and perches on a branch near the back porch. There are three different colorful males hanging around the yard while their mates are sitting on hidden nests tucked away in the lush green foliage of the woods.

House Finch The female Red-winged blackbirds are keeping their new eggs warm in their hidden nests in the tall grass of the meadow. The jet-black males occasionally come to the bird feeders for a quick snack of sunflower seeds. Then they quickly return to the nesting area to stand guard for any intruders. They aggressively attack any bird or animal that comes too close to their nest.

The miracle of life is all around with a thousand new beginnings each day. Spring is throbbing to Mother Nature’s own beating heart. Forget your troubled past, don’t worry about the future. Go outside and feel what it’s like to live in the moment. Mother Nature is waiting for you.

Naturally yours,
Dan

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