Close Encounters of the Snaky Kind!

   Snakes are out and about these days.  Yesterday, I watched as the ospreys squabbled over a cottonmouth and, then today, the encounters were more personal.  It all started as I was pulling out all the old winter crops from the garden to make space for the summer crops.  While there, I usually let the mind wander or listen to the birds.  It was one of those birds that caught my attention.  Papa Cardinal was making the oddest chipping noise.  I called to him and asked "What's the matter, my friend?" and then went about my work.  The chipping continued and then Mama joined the chorus.  These are the parents of a nest full of babies in the rose bush just outside the garden fence.  Ok, so Mama obviously needed help.  Going to the nest, I could see she was heroically guarding it from some unseen entity.  "Well, where is it, Mama?" I queried?  Yeah, I talk to my birds as if they understand.  Well, maybe they do.  I asked again and Mama fluttered off the nest to the nearby fence and then back again.  Ok!  I turned and came face to face with a snake!  There on the fence, mingled with the pea vines, was a rat snake almost 3ft long.  Hmm...ok.  Now what?  Papa Cardinal was on the fig tree having conniptions, Mama was on the nest standing guard and the only other creature coming to aid was a nuthatch!  Yep, a tiny nuthatch joined the fight!  

  Since Mama dutifully showed me where the snake was hiding, I figured it was my job to get rid of the thing that was causing their despair.  Well...I reached in, grabbed the snake and tugged it out of the vines.  That little rascal was feeling quite protective as it turned around and tried to nip me!  Nope, Little Buddy!  I swapped it to my right hand and flipped its body around the arm.  Even though, I was trying to save the baby birds, there was no reason to hurt the snake.  Now that I had him secure, it was photo time!  After a few shots, I toted Friend Snake down the hill and released it next to a large oak tree.  There was plenty of coverage for it and it was far enough from the birds...hopefully.

  The next incident was on the north side of the house and involved blue jays and a quite large rat snake.  Being as there was no nest nearby, I did not have to tangle with that one.  I am sure it would have been a bit feistier than its little brother.  After shooing the snake into a brush pile where the birds would not bother it, I resumed my yard work.  All was quiet on the hillside!

  Late this afternoon, Darling Daughter related an incident at her workplace.  She is a speech pathologist at a senior care facility and was having a group session when they had an unexpected visitor.  A small garter snake slithered into the room and was causing a big stir among the human residents!  So...what does Darling Daughter do?  She is like her mom, she picked up the snake and took it out into the gardens of the facility.  She said she sure was not going to let anyone kill that sweet thing!  Good job!  That makes a mom proud!  Thus ended the snaky encounters for this day...at least, I hope!  I am in for the night and would not want to find one in the Little Bayou House!

Very Special Surprise

   In one section of the Small Gardens, there are quite a few rose bushes.  Even though the arbors have gone the wayside due to hurricanes, the roses have made a comeback and are doing well.  One, which was Grandmother's Rose, has outdone itself with blooms.  Granddad rooted this rose for me many years ago and he was the one that dubbed it "Grandmother's Rose". The name stuck and I will never think of it as anything but.   Grandmother always loved her flowers but never worked in the gardens.  Her "work" consisted of taking her little snips, cotton gloves and flower basket out to clip a few blooms to bring indoors.  Still, they were Grandmother's gardens.  When I stepped outside today, I was tickled to see so many blooms on the bush.  I tried counting but somehow got lost after a hundred!  Grandmother's Rose!

   There is something very endearing about that rose bush this year.  Right smack dab in the middle of the bush is a bird nest with several baby cardinals in it.  Mama Cardinal is mighty tolerant of me wandering about the gardens as I work.  Sometimes, I am only inches away from her nest but she never makes a fuss.  While it is not unusual to have a cardinal nesting in the Small Gardens, I find it heartwarming to know she chose this particular rose bush.  Northern Cardinals were Grandmother's favorite bird.  How appropriate that Mama Cardinal chose Grandmother's Rose as her home!  Maybe it was just meant to be,

  

Just How??

   It boggles the mind to know the tenacity of birds and their nesting habits.  I know a lot of people who would have given up long before the Mama Wren.  It was a sweet surprise to walk out in the drizzly rain to find that five babies have now hatched from that clutch of eggs.  How??  Just how??  We have had so many terrific storms since this little bird started her nest that I am fully surprised that she was able to protect her eggs.  When you get 7 inches of rain pouring down on you in a matter of 5 hours, it has got to be majorly uncomfortable, to say the least.  She stayed put and bore the harshness that surrounded her.  She and Mama Cardinal have been stoics through some of the worst weather.  Both have been brave little mamas and now Mama Wren has to find food in all of this wet weather.  (Yep, it is still raining.)

    Tomorrow will most likely find me moving some of the stacked planks from hurricane debris in hopes of uncovering a few bugs for Mama Wren.  If I stir up enough of their hiding places perhaps the wriggly critters will be on the move and the wren parents can snatch them up for a quick and easy meal for their little ones.  With 5 mouths to feed and pouring rain to make hunting difficult, they can use all the help that is offered.  Since both wrens are accustomed to my presence, they should have no worries about working alongside of me.  Gotta take care of my friends!

Maybe a picket fence?

   Several times in the past, I have written about a pathetic rose bush that I bought from the local dollar store.  Once it was brought home, it was put in a large pot and I hoped for the best.  The bush has outdone itself every year since.  It is beautiful and blooms year round if I remember to trim it occasionally.  One crazy thing about me is that there are some "weeds" that I consider to be garden plants.  Wood sorrel and woods violets are two of my favorites and both just happen to have taken up residence in the same pot with the rose bush.  All three get along fine so I never found a need to get rid of any of them. The pot is filled with an assortment of colors now!  

  Early this past week, I noticed Mama and Papa Wren were scoping out the rose bush.  It was not long before a fine, tightly woven nest was nestled down in the oxalis.  Mama Wren never worried that I would be working within two feet of where she decided "home" would be.  She and I have always had a special bond.  Nothing has changed.

  Today, I noticed five beautiful eggs fitted into that tiny nest.  Mama Wren is going to have her work cut out for her again this year with her large brood.  Last year, she nested in the hanging fern three different times and each time had a nest full of young'uns.  We shall just have to see how this plays out with the predators on the hill since now she is so low to the ground.  I am pondering if I should add some fencing around the entire pot!  My sweet bird friend needs a little help now and again.  That is just what friends do.

Nestled in the Violets

   There are several plants in pots that I just have not found the place in the yard to put them.  The lemon trees from yesterday's post, five large fig trees, some quince trees and a few rose bushes need to be transplanted but finding the space, the right time and the energy to do the work is not forthcoming.  I will get to it some day.  In the meantime, the plants (trees) are all flourishing so I am assuming no harm is being done by leaving them a bit longer.  

  One of the rose bushes that still is pot-bound, is one that I picked up from the local dollar store. It was in pretty bad shape as it had been kicked around on the floor for a few days as nobody wished to by a "broken" bush.  I did.  When I got home, I stuck it in the pot and it has stayed there for a number of years.  Each year, it blooms profusely for the entire summer.  In fact, it blooms all winter.  Perhaps I should leave it in the pot.  

  I was doing a bit of weeding today and noticed that the rose bush had a bunch of wildflowers growing around the base.  Well, I could at least pull them out and move those to a better spot.  Just as I was about to pull a handful of woods violets out of the pot, a pair of wrens started fussing.  Thinking some predator was nearby, I stopped work and looked up to find the wrens.  "I" was the predator!  As soon as I pulled my hand from the pot, both wrens flew down and started work on their little nest!  I have homebuilders in my potted rose bush!

  I guess the wildflowers will stay in the pot along with the rose bush.  A mental note was made to be careful when watering the bush as I sure would not want to flood out the babies!  I do worry, however, as we are to have some terrific storms for the next three days with up to a foot of rain.  Maybe I need to put the umbrella over the rose bush!  Love my wrens!

New Home For The Mockingbird Family

   Spring must be here, at least, according to the birds and other critters.  Nest building is in full swing with the songbirds.  Both hanging baskets of ferns have nests (one with a wren and the other with a dove) and, today, I watched as the mockingbird scoped out the jasmine vine as a possible site.  She must have approved the chosen spot because it was not long before the birds started bringing in twigs.  Unlike the dove in the fern, the mockingbirds make incredibly sturdy nests and the jasmine vines will provide a good bit of protection from the elements.  Some predators such as snakes can still access her nest but mockingbirds are well known as fierce defenders of their homes.  These birds can be quite feisty!

  I suppose it is because I spend so much time in the Small Gardens that the critters who visit have no fear of me.  This pair of mockingbirds often seem to crave the attention that I give them.  Yes, I talk to my birds especially now that I have no domesticated pets.  The wild critters are substituting as my pets now and are subject to the same attention that I plied to my dogs and cats.  The female mockingbird will often come sit by me as I rest from doing chores.   It is not uncommon to find her just a few feet from me.  She cocks her head to the side as I speak and will edge nearer and nearer until she is just inches away.  We will stay that way for the entire time I rest.  Then, as I rise to go back to work, she stares at me as if I am not supposed to leave her.  If I am working in the plants, she often comes to seek out any flushed bugs.  She and the mama wren work the gardens for their meals!

  The birds are welcome to taste the veggies or fruits occasionally in return for their constant bug vigil.  A few nips out of a tomato or peach is well worth the free pest control service they provide.  It is nice to live in harmony with those around you.  To bad humans cannot do that with each other.  Life is good here on the Bayou.  Life is good.

  

Don't Leave Me!!

  Don't leave me!!!  Early this morning, quite a ruckus could be heard just outside the front door.  Panicking that a rat snake had found the baby wrens, I hurriedly opened the french doors and stared at the hanging basket that held the nest.  Nope. nary a snake could be found.  Then my thoughts went to the squirrels that are always climbing about the arbor.  Knowing that squirrels are not above eating baby birds, I searched again.  Nary a squirrel could be found.  A hawk, perhaps?  Nope, nary a hawk was in the vicinity.  Something was up, though, as the parent wrens were having a fit in the tomato plants.  So, I tippy-toed out to the garden and was surprised to see baby wrens struggling to learn to fly!  My babies have left the nest!  I settled in on the garden bench to watch.  One, Two, Three. Where are the others?   There were five in the nest,  Wait!  I see one snuggled down under the rose bush.  Number Four!! Where is Number Five??  Try as I might, Number Five could not be found.  Disheartened, I figured the noise I heard was Number Five being attacked by some predator.  

  Since I had not had my coffee yet...hey, I even forgot to slip on shoes...I headed back inside.  Number Five lumbered around in the brain as I made coffee.  Taking the mug back to the doorway, I stood looking out at the nest.  Poor Number Five.  It saddened me to think that, though I pulled the mama and nest through the tropical storm, I was not there to help when the littles left the nest.  Poor Number Five!  

 

  Suddenly, "Peep".  Huh?  "Peep"  I had to look.  Gently, I pulled the basket aside and peered into the nest,  Yep!  Number Five was nestled deep inside!  Whoa!  Little One!  Get yourself in gear, Buddy!  The others are going to leave you behind!  "PEEP!"  Then, there was fluttering by my head!  Mama Wren returned to urge Number Five from the nest.  "Come on, Lazy Bones!", she seemed to be saying!  Number Five stretched up to the edge of the nest and tumbled to the ground.  Mama Wren hurriedly met him and encouraged him to the tomato plants.  Once inside the branches, he felt braver and was hopping from limb to limb.  Go, Number Five!!  Catch up with your siblings!  Now, the nest is empty and my heart feels happier!  Hopefully, all five will continue with their lessons and not meet up with some dire fate.  It is out of my hands now!  

As Our Main Course, We Have SPIDER!

  Early this morning, I needed a break from gardening so the front steps offered a shady spot.  From there I could watch the clouds building over the Bay while I sipped my lemonade.  It is also from there that I could listen to the sweet sounds of the baby wrens peeping in the hanging basket just above my head.  The tiny birds get so excited when they hear the slightest noise as they think Mama and Papa are bringing food.  To me, there is nothing better that babes of any ilk.

  The parent wrens had no problem entering the nest while I was just an arm's reach from the nest.  They have grown accustomed to my presence and just disregard the idea that I might harm them.  I delighted in seeing the birds flit in, pop a morsel in a gaping mouth and dart out again.  The search for food  was never-ending!  As I watched, I became aware of just what the birds were proffering as foodstuffs.  A few caterpillars, a few odd bugs and a lot of spiders. SPIDERS!!!  It seems that wrens have a thing for spider meals.  After about the fifth spider serving, it occurred to me that perhaps spiders were easy to find and easy to obtain.  Every nook and cranny about the bayou has some sort of eight-legged critter lurking therein.  Wrens being the busy, little hunters they are, have no problem snatching up the tidbits.

  Obviously, spiders are nutritious.  Otherwise, those feisty baby birds would not be growing so fast.  Another week and they will be ready to fledge.  Learning to fly will be the next big step in their survival training.  With that comes the lessons on hunting...perhaps even hunting spiders.  For now, however, the birds are snug in their nest as the storms are building.  Mama Wren is a wise bird to build her nest by the front door!

Resting is not an option!

  Little Mama Wren is still sitting on her five eggs.  She made her nest in the hanging basket next to the front door.  As you know, I fretted over her during the recent storm and went out every hour to make sure her nest was still secure.  My extra wiring did the job and she was not wobbled too much.  All is well with her.  She rarely leaves the nest now and Papa Wren occasionally brings her a fine morsel.  He has been busy working the tomato plants and finds extra caterpillars for his ladylove.

  Today saw me digging out an old gutter drain/wannabe pond. Forty feet or so of a gravel drain ended in a small pond at one time but has been filled with dirt for a while now.  Years ago, the area was fitted with a pump making the drain resemble a running creek,  The water cycled from the pool back up to the gutter drain.  Birds loved the filtered running water causing this to be an ideal feature.  I missed the bubbling "creek" so decided to reinstall the whole works.  It was during a short break that my little Papa Wren took a notion to fuss at me.  I had sat on the steps with my lemonade and he thought I was entirely too close to his soon-to-be family.  For being such a tiny critter, he is quite feisty!  The little fellow started fussing far up in a nearby tree but kept getting closer and closer.  He wanted me gone...and now!  Soon, three other wrens joined Papa.  Each were chittering frantically at me to leave the area!

  Through all of this, Little Mama sat quiet as a church mouse on her nest within an arm's reach.  Not once did she give any sign that she was disturbed.  I figured that if she let me add wires to her basket while she was sitting on the nest, she was good with me resting a bit on the steps.  I assume that the others had no idea that she and I are quite friendly.  After a bit, I headed back to work with my shovel and left the birds in peace.  I am sure they will appreciate my efforts once the project is complete.

Storms, Gardens and Birds

  It is THAT time of year again and every eye around this area is watching the Gulf of Mexico.  While the storm, Cristobal, is supposed to not strengthen too much, it is still threatening to dump copious amounts of rain on us.  Yes, the landfall is supposed to be in Louisiana but that puts us on that east side.  Anyone who knows anything about hurricanes knows that is NOT where you want to be.  Of course, like other storms, our little area will cope even without the media attention.  Always have...always will.  We prepare.  We ride out the storm.  We carry on. 

  My one big beef with this storm is that it is coming so early in the season.  Why is that a problem?  Well, my garden is at its peak right now and any high winds, torrential downpours or flying debris will wreak havoc on the plants.  Seriously, I may as well call it a season and not worry about any more fresh veggies.  Thankfully, I was able to home can plenty for our winter stock already so we are good to go.  

  Today, as I was wandering about making a few minor storm preparations, I stopped to admire the healthy plants and thought how fortunate we are to be able to "uproot" ourselves and hunker down inside the Little Bayou House.  The plants and critters do not have that luxury.  They take the brunt of  the storm.  In fact, just outside the front door (south side), a little wren is sitting on five eggs in the hanging fern.  The tiny bird will not give up her nest if at all possible even if that old basket gets to banging around uncontrollably.  This fretted me something fierce so I secured her little home along with ours.  Armed with some strong wire, I reinforced the hanging chains and ran guy wires from the sides of the basket to the main posts.  The basket barely wiggled now so hopefully, my little friend will be safe.  Son and I have a difference in opinions about my efforts.  He says I am interfering with the course of nature.  I say I am trying to help a friend.  Either way, what is done..is done.  Stay safe, folks, stay safe. (Stay safe, Little Wren, stay safe!)

Web of Protection

  Down near the marsh edge on the east side of the house, there is a large clump of underbrush and palmettos.  Entwined in all of that are dozens of large smilax vines.  These vines twist and turn through the shrubbery and palmettos creating an almost impenetrable mesh.  The whole lot looks a total mess and I really should break down and cut it.  I don't.  I don't for one simple reason.  It is a fortress of sorts.

  In that clump of tangles a brown thrasher has made her nest for the past few years.  While she is vulnerable to snakes not much else can reach her or her nest.  The eggs are safe.  Once the eggs hatch, her little ones are well protected against most predators. Even after the little ones fledge, they have the instinct to return to the tangles when threatened.  Land critters such as fox, bobcats and even feral cats cannot slip through the tangles without calling attention to themselves.  Large birds seeking attack from above cannot maneuver through the web  The thrasher did a good job choosing this site for her nest.  I do not have the heart to destroy her world simply for the sake of having a "clean" yard.  

  In fact, the tangled mess is rather interesting.  My daily hikes take me around the back of the clump where I never  know what may be in the path.  Even the tangled vines serve as a point of interest.  With that in mind, I can fully convince myself that the "habitat" needs to stay.  The web of protection shall continue to surround the Thrasher family.

He Has Got To Go!

  Since Son is remodeling the shed, he had to do a good bit of cleaning before he started work.  Stuff had been shoved in there for the past ten years and instantly became lost.  He discarded 90% of the junk but a few items have to stay put right where they were tossed...at least for another couple of weeks.  Some old outdoor Christmas decorations were leaned against the side of the shed with good intentions of donating them.  Well, things happen and those things cause changes in plans. 

  A pair of wrens decided that their nest needed to be decorated for Christmas so they built it in the midst of the figures.  I have adamantly refused to move the decorations.  They will stay until the little ones fledge.  The eggs hatched two days ago and the mama and papa birds are busy creatures.  While I was out working in the gardens, it was nice to see the birds helping me find pests.  Then, it was a thrill to hear the little ones begging for their turn to be fed.  At one point, those hungry tweets were overpowered by terrified shrieks.  Oh, my!  I dropped everything except my trowel and raced to the shed.  A rather large, dirty yellow cat was attempting to raid the nest!  Ok, that was it, you nasty beast!  My trowel went sailing toward the feral cat.  Of course, my aim was way off and the plastic shovel hit the porch rail but the noise was enough to send the cat off in a hasty retreat.  

 I checked on the babies and they were fine.  They had hunkered down in the nest and the parent birds raised enough ruckus to draw my attention in plenty of time.  Now, however, I am worried that the cat will be back.  This feral cat has terrorized the place for too long.  He attacks Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princes Cat, marks the territory by spraying (and stinking up) the steps and is now trying to make a meal out of the baby birds.  I am thinking a trap may just be purchased real soon.  This thing has got to go. 

Starting a Family!

  Early this morning, the water beckoned and I heeded its call.   Usually when I have this urge, it is because I feel there is a reason.  Either a spectacular sunrise is to occur or some of my critter friends are out and about.  This morning, the rails were busying themselves on the mudflats.  More oft than not, only the little female is foraging for breakfast but, this morning, the happy, little couple were working together.  The pair were cornering bull minnows in tiny pools where they could scoop up their breakfast with ease.  This is the pair that nests just a few feet from the pier.  Each nesting, they bring out their little ones to meet me which is a highlight of the summer for me!

  With rails, the male does most of the work building the nest after the female chooses the site.  The nest is built high enough above the water to assure that it stays dry but low enough to be hidden from most predators.  The male will set to work on the marsh mats that have accumulated by high tides.  He will build a small bowl-shaped nest with a ramp as an entrance.  Then, he builds a dome over this leaving just enough opening so the birds can easily enter. He will continue to add to the "house" even after the eggs are laid.   His ladylove will lay anywhere from two to sixteen eggs before incubating them.  It is not unheard of for her to incubate the eggs during the day and the male to take over for the night. 

  Our little chicks will hatch in about three weeks and leave the nest the same day.  They will be covered with black down which helps to hide them from hawks flying above the marsh.  Both parents will feed the little ones and teach them to forage on their own.  Little Mama will usually have two clutches each breeding season but can have a third if the weather permits.

Tangled Vines Are The Perfect Protection

  Again today, I worked in the yard.  There is so much to be done and, well, to paraphrase an old saying "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself."  (Notice that I left "right" out of the statement because I am not sure I am doing everything correctly but, at least, it is getting done.)  Today's chore was digging out the gravel drain that runs alongside of the house.  The torrential rains we get here wash huge ruts in the ground if something is not done.  We dug a trench, lined it with pond liner and filled it with gravel.  It worked great for years but, over time, it has become clogged with leaves and dirt.  The gravel all washed down into the center leaving a mound instead of a gully.  My job was to clear the debris and shovel out the gravel.  It had to be washed and put back in place.  I found out that an old lady has no business shoveling gravel all day!  Needless to say, I am sore tonight but happy that the job is completed.

  While out, I noticed a beautiful male cardinal on the grape arbor.  Since all of the other arbors have been removed, this was his only choice of a protected roosting spot.  The vines completely framed the bird.  I first noticed him when I filled the burn bin with garden trash, then, each time I went around to that side of the house, the bird was still there.  I pondered this fact...since shoveling does not take a lot of brain power.  Late in the afternoon, the bird was still on the arbor.  Hmmm...that bird is not waiting for the feeder to be filled (it already was), he was "on watch".  Could it be that his ladylove was already nesting?  It is far too early for little birds but with the weather as crazy as it is, anything is possible.  

  Just before heading back inside for the day, I eased my way to the arbor.  The bird scooted a bit further under the vines but stayed put.  Aha!  I know the telltale signs of a dutiful father and husband! Mr. Cardinal, you are the best!  Although I could not find Mrs. Cardinal, I feel she is quite near the arbor if not on it.  I did not want to appear to be too nosy so I let our beautiful friends enjoy the afternoon.  I did, however, notice the bald eagle fly over with several large sticks in his talons.  Spring is in the air...obviously!

The Debut!

  While the ospreys are just now choosing nesting sites, Mama Wren is busy hunting bugs.  Her five eggs have hatched and the young'uns are hungry!  Of course, she has the good sense of nesting in the greenhouse where it is nice and warm and where she can relax while setting.  The greenhouse is virtually free of predators.  Probably the only predator that can raid her nest would be a snake and since I am in the greenhouse daily, I try to make sure none are lurking nearby.

  Mama Wren has no qualms about me working near her nest.  This year, she built the nest about six inches from the front door.  This is the door that I use dozens of times each day.  Had she been frightened of me, she had ample opportunities to rebuild in a different spot before she nested.  Once she started setting, my entering never caused her to take flight.  She stayed put and I puttered about the place.  This morning, I had the opportunity to check the nest and found five hungry, little birds!  Exciting!

  This bring back memories of Pop's shed and a wren that nested on his work bench.  If he needed to use the work space, he would merely pick up the nest and move it to one side....with Mama Wren inside!  That little wren never worried about Pop being nearby just like my Mama Wren in the greenhouse.  These little birds are some of the most trusting in the avian world!  

  In a few weeks, the little ones will learn to fly in the safety of the greenhouse.  By the time they make their exit, they will be well on their way to having perfected the skill.  In the evening, however, the entire family will come back home to spend the night.  Smart birds!  I love sharing my space with them.

House of Sticks

  With spring in the air, the critter world is busy nest and den building.   Most smaller birds have already created their nests and are well on the way of hatching their eggs.  The larger birds are still busy choosing mates and nesting spots.  A few days ago, a pair of ospreys was doing the fish dance where the female sits perched in a tall pine and the male does a sort of aerial dance.  He soars to great heights, drops down then goes back up.  This yoyoing is all to impress the ladylove who is watching with keen interest.  At some point, the male will catch a fish to present to the female.  If she accepts, it is a done deal and they search for a suitable site for a nest.  Then, the nest building begins.  

  An osprey nest is quite the undertaking. The things are huge!  At the start, the nest is about three feet in diameter and maybe a foot deep but, if the pair chooses to reuse the nest for several years, it can get up to six feet in diameter and several feet deep.  If the pair stays together and raise a successful brood, they add to the existing nest.  This reinforces the nest and makes it more comfortable for Mama Osprey and her young.  

 This afternoon, I was far down near the creek when I heard a loud scream.  Knowing the ospreys were near, I started searching.  Sure enough, there was a lovely one nearby.  The bird saw me but was more interested in the task at hand...or talon.  It was clutching a rather long branch which was nest building material.  Ospreys will actually break off branches while in flight.  The "grab and go" method is their preferred way of gathering building material.

  I watched for a bit but not wanting to make the bird agitated, I eased my way back up the hillside and let the pair resume their task.  With egg-laying just a matter of days away, the abode needed to be completed.

  It always excites me to find that the ospreys have chosen my creek as their home.  The number of ospreys is steadily increasing in the area which means the Bayou is healthy.  The birds will not stay where the food supply is scarce.  The Bayou is teaming with mullet so the birds know that they can readily feed their hatchlings when the time comes.  

  As I walked back up the hillside, I heard yet another loud scream and looked up.  The male osprey was headed to the creek with another branch in tow.  Ahh, happy times on the Bayou! 

Making Herself At Home

  Ever since Son built my greenhouse, a small wren has been making her nest there.  She has chosen one spot or another to build her compact, neat nest and then lay her eggs.  Most years, she lays five eggs.  She sets on the nest come night and day until her brood is hatched then she and Daddy Wren work themselves to a frazzle to feed the hungry rascals.  After all this time, the little wren has come quite used to my presence in the greenhouse and has no qualms to having me work near her while she is on the nest.  This year, she built her nest about six inches from the door.  I am in and out of the greenhouse probably a dozen times each day but it does not seem to phase her in the least.

  This morning, as the sun warmed the greenhouse, Mama Wren slipped out to get a bite to eat and some water.  I took advantage of her absence to check the nest.  Sure enough, her usual five eggs were there!   In a couple of weeks, the eggs will hatch and my greenhouse will be a nursery for the little ones.  They will be fed there, grow there and even take their first flight lessons there.  The first part of their lives will take place in the relative safety that the greenhouse provides.  While I could be seen as a threat, Mama Wren knows that within those walls, she has nothing to fear...not even me.

  Even after the little ones are on their own, for the rest of this year, they will return to the greenhouse often to seek refuge.  During storms, the hanging baskets and crossbeams will see the wee birds taking advantage of the building.  It makes me happy to know that they trust me enough to continue using the greenhouse as their safe house.  Hopefully, the birds will continue to do so for years to come.  They are always welcome.

Sweet Little Family

  A pair of wrens nested in the hanging basket that holds a Swedish Ivy plant.  This planter is right inside the greenhouse door where I enter each day.  My trips in and out of the door never bothered the little wrens as they were building the nest and Mama Wren was never alarmed while she incubated her eggs.  I like to think that the wrens have accepted the fact that I will never harm them. 

  Yesterday as I entered the greenhouse, I heard a soft, almost inaudible peep.  Ahh, this sounded promising!  I gently turned the basket so I could see inside of the nest.  Yep, the eggs were hatching!  One, two, three fluffy grey heads with huge yellow beaks could be seen inside the tightly woven nest.  The other two eggs showed signs of hatching as well.  Mama and Daddy Wren were already on the search for bugs for their hungry brood.  Mama Wren had no qualms of leaving the eggs to hatch by themselves since the greenhouse was the perfect temperature.  No need to worry about the little ones at the moment.  It was more important to gather food for the soon-to-be hungry brood.

  While I busied myself with the herbs, Mama and Daddy Wren made trip after trip to the nest.  With each mouthful, the peeps grew stronger.  The birds were growing!  The next two weeks will find both parents tirelessly hunting.  Then, the little ones will fledge and learn to fly in the relative safety of the greenhouse.  After just one day, they will head outside to explore the world beyond the confines of these walls.  At night, however, the little wrens will come home to roost.  The greenhouse will be their home for the next few months as they learn the ropes of being an adult bird.  Meanwhile, Mama and Daddy Wren will start another nest and the whole process will start again.

One Smart Mama!

  Back behind the house near the canebrake, we have a dozen or so citrus trees.  In this small grove, there are two trees that were (at one time) lime trees.  One winter the icy weather froze the two lime trees and they died back to the ground.  I wanted to remove the dead trees but Son insisted that we "give them time".  The man has the patience of a saint and believes in giving everything time to thrive.  I begrudgingly agreed to leave the trees for three months but then, if they showed no signs of life, they were to be removed.  He was right.  The trees both came out from the roots and flourished but, instead of limes, they produced a weird fruit that seemed to be a cross between a lime and a lemon.  I had no problem with that as I like both.  The trees are now approximately ten feet in height and doing well but....they now have thorns...huge thorns...which brings me to the whole point of this story.

  Last week, while out trimming around the trees, I noticed that a pair of cardinals were busy nest-building in the lemon/lime tree.  The birds did not seem to mind me clearing the area so I continued my work and they snatched bits and pieces of twigs from my trash.   Now, Mama Cardinal is setting on her eggs in the beautifully made nest. Mama Cardinal is smart.  She usually nests in the Boysenberry vines but since they are sparse this year, she chose the thorny branches of this tree.  She is safe from most predators because of her choice of nesting sites.  Not many predatory mammals are going to risk being torn to shreds by the many long thorns.  With the thatching of thorns above her, it would be quite unusual for a hawk or crow to attempt raiding the nest.  The only predator that Mama Cardinal has to fear would be a snake.  Just like Mama, a snake could find its way between the thorns and make a raid on the eggs.  Papa Cardinal stays nearby and is always ready to defend his ladylove so, hopefully, this smart mama will be able to raise her little ones safely. 

 

The Secret of the High Nest

  High up in a pine tree in a tangle of smilax vines, there sits a tightly woven bird nest.  The nest is one that has been used for the past several years.  What started as a blue jay abode has now changed hands and has been reconstructed to suit the new residents.  While I could tell that the nest was being redone and is now occupied, I had no idea what type bird claimed the living space.  Then, for the past week, strange sounds have been emanating from said nest.  When Son and I first heard the sound, he made the remark that it sounded a lot like a hoarse squirrel albeit an hoarse, angry squirrel.  This made me giggle but I disagreed with him. Nope, it was definitely a bird.  What kind of bird eluded me but, still, a bird...perhaps an angry, hoarse bird?

  Every day as I worked the gardens, I heard the sounds.  It frustrated me that the identity remained a secret but I was not about to climb a thirty foot tall pine tree just to lay claim to the fact that I knew what bird was nesting there.  I did notice, however, that the sounds were part of a protective stance.  Each time another bird flew over the nest or a squirrel scampered up the tree, the raspy sounds were loud!

  Then today, I made quite the discovery and have about decided that the secret of the high nest has been solved...tentatively.  As I was easing my way around the marsh line, a Green Heron flew to the remains of an old pier.  This is nothing more than a couple of broken posts and a few boards but is a prime spot for the herons to hunt in peace.  They can sit on this perch and not feel threatened by land mammals.  This time, however, the Green Heron was more interested in my doings.  The bird eyed me cautiously as I neared the pine tree with the mystery nest.  It then let out a few strange squawks!  The unusual noises from the nest immediately answered!  Oh, my!  Do I have a pair of Green Herons nesting in the front yard?  

  I did a bit of research and, sure enough, Green Herons will reuse other birds' nests and do, indeed, use a threatening series of "kuks" to frighten other critters from the area.  I listened to recordings of the heron's calls and I do believe they are a match.  Tomorrow, when I hear the sounds coming from the nest, a comparison shall be made.  Hopefully, the secret of the high nest will be solved, once and for all!  Green Herons!  Imagine!