Coming Home

I had a nice surprise! For the past few weeks, Shelby has been coming to visit! Shelby, if you recall, was one of the abandoned baby mockingbirds that I struggled to raise. There were two, Knox and Shelby, that my little grand niece, Macie, brought to me. She had found them in her back yard after their nest had been knocked to the ground. Her dog was being a little too rough with them so she and her grandpa (my brother) put them in a bowl and plopped them into my care as if I knew how to raise birds! I tried and I am happy to say, both birds survived and were released into the yard. I would see them occasionally but here recently, Shelby has been spending most of her time in the rose garden. This does make me happy as it sort of gives me the feeling that she remembers my helping hand.....or she might just really like roses.

Knox and Shelby on the first day in my care!

Anyway, it was a happy event to sit and watch Shelby as she flitted around the rose garden. She eventually made her way out to Hubby's hammock where she decided to serenade us for a while. All of this singing as made me wonder if I am correct in calling Shelby a "she". While both the male and female mockingbirds sing, the males do a good bit more. I started calling Shelby "she" and Knox "he" simply because Knox was the larger and more dominate of the two. Shelby was smaller, more timid and a much sweeter bird. She did not "bite the hand that fed her"....Knox did! She was also the little one that was hurt by the dog making her require a bit more care. Shelby did start singing a lot sooner than Knox though!

Knox trying out his wings while Shelby watches.

Having this little bird come back to visit does make me smile. She will actually land on my shoulder occasionally or sit on the fence near where I will be working in the garden. Like I said, she tends to hang around the rose garden, even roosting at night in the exact same spot where I would put her when she was tiny. Knox, on the other hand, stays back near the canebrake. He made it clear that he preferred the tomato garden over the roses! If Shelby is indeed a female, I am in hopes that perhaps this next Spring, she will nest in the climbing Seven Sisters Rose bush! Shelby, Shelby...I am so glad you come home to see me!

Shelby, now fully grown and beautiful!