Only One Task On Her Mind

   We, as humans, oftentimes find it difficult to stay focused on our task at hand.  Admittedly, I do.  Son laughs a bit when we will be working on a project and I spy something interesting.  His comment is only "Oh, look a bunny!"  It does not even have to be a rabbit that distracted me!  It can be a butterfly, a snake, a frog, a glass of lemonade, a funky shaped cloud....anything will cause me to lose interest in a chore and set me off in a different direction.  Let me clarify that this is not something that has to do with age.  This has been a lifelong thing with me.  So, one can easily see how I came to find the box turtle this morning.  I simply got distracted from the task at hand (also known as throwing scraps in the compost bin.)  Anyway, I did, indeed, find a turtle and did, indeed, have to go greet said turtle.  It is just my way.

  Actually, my visit with the box turtle was quite interesting.  A female turtle had ambled out of the marsh and was still rather covered with mud.  She trudged up the hillside just a wee bit, stopped then peered in every direction.  I greeted her.  She ignored me.  Hmmmph!  That is some way to treat your neighbor!  I plopped myself down on a nearby log and watched her.  Just as I suspected, the turtle started digging a hole.  My turtle was to be a mama!  This box turtle had come from the marsh to lay her eggs.  

  My first instinct was to sit and watch her until she was finished just so I could put a wire frame over her nest.  If this is not done, the raccoons would raid the nest and leave nary an egg.  Yep, my first instinct was to watch...then I remembered that this was a long, drawn-out process and I was sitting right in the midst of about a bajillion mosquitoes and just as many deerflies.  Nope, I was not going to allow myself to be eaten alive.  I would check on our sweet lady and her "birthing" progress later!

  All in all, it took nigh on three hours before she was satisfied with her task....about an hour to dig the hole, maybe another half hour laying the eggs and then the remaining time covering the nest.  Once she was finished, it nearly impossible to see where she had dug the nest.  Nothing was left to lead any predator to her eggs except maybe a scent.  Once she made her way into the palmettoes and then into the marsh, I set the cage over the nest site.  Hopefully, this will keep any marauding critters at bay.  The cage is slightly raised to allow the little ones to make a dash for the palmettoes but is heavy enough to discourage those wanting eggs for supper.  Good luck, Little Ones!  

Good Little Mama!

  Son keeps after me to "let nature take its course" when it comes to the critters of the Bayou.  I admit that I find that difficult at times.  Take for example a few years back when I "rescued" about a dozen skink eggs from sure ruin in a tropical storm.  I had found the mother skink and her clutch of eggs the day before the storm hit and watched them closely as the tide edged nearer and nearer the nest.  As waves started sloshing around the nest site, I could not stand it and raced down the hill to rescue what remained of the nest.  With a dozen ready to hatch eggs in my shirt, I trudged back up the hill in the pouring rain to relocate them in the greenhouse.  On  the way up the hill, three little skinks hatched in my hands!  Over the years, I have saved a baby 'possum, a few squirrels, a couple of baby mockingbirds and a rat snake.  (The snake needed rescuing from several crows!)  With each rescue, Son reprimands me.  "Mom, you have to learn to let things occur as they are meant.  Let nature do its own thing."  I always agree and tell him I will try to do better. 

  Recently, this rescuing came into action again but I just did not tell Son!  A pair of wrens made their nest in the oddest of places and were prime targets for a snake invasion.  Sure enough, a rat snake (probably the one I rescued) was found winding its way up to the nest of baby birds.  Oh, no you don't!!!  In one swift movement, I grabbed the snake and pulled it free from the board covering the nest.  The snake was bewildered which gave me plenty of time to relocate it before it thought much about why it was suddenly not having breakfast.  The parent wrens were in an understandable frenzy about this whole ordeal but soon went on about raising their brood.  That nest was near the shed and happily all five little ones survived.  Mama Wrens are not above reusing an old nest for their second brood of the season but this little mama decided against it.  She has relocated.

  This afternoon, I noticed something strange about the hanging fern that I was rooting.  The basket hangs right next to the steps that I use about two dozen times a day.  It is within easy reach since I want to keep it well watered while the fern roots.  As I looked at my basket, I had to smile.  Mama Wren decided to move her nest near the person that helped her earlier this spring.  The neatest little nest is being made in the hanging basket. I guess she  knew that I would help her if needed and decided to make it easier for me to watch over her brood.  At least this nest is not an easy target for a snake since hopefully, I will be able to see it much quicker than back by the shed.  Smart bird!  Good Mama!

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!

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.

Gotta Get Those Chores Done!

  It was instilled in me as a child back on the farm to rise early in the morn, jump right into chores and then kick back a bit in the heat of the day.  Even now, my day starts long before the sun rises.  As the coffee is brewing, laundry is done, cat fed, dog fed and breakfast is made.  Then, as the dog takes his hike down the hill, I go to the pier to watch the sun rise above the pines.  Twenty minutes later, it is back to the house to complete the inside chores before heading to the gardens for a few moments and then on to the major task of redoing the Little Bayou House.  Carpentry work is tiring to me but if I want it done, I need to help.  So goes the day.  Then about 1pm, when the heat of the day starts to get so stifling that it is hard to breathe, I grab my lemonade, iced herbed tea or sweet tea and head to the yard.  There, in the shade of the big black gum tree, I can find a bit of respite in the cooling bay breezes. 

  This downtime also gives me time to observe the happenings of the Bayou and surrounding wooded areas.  Critters don't seem to mind the heat as much and keep on their daily tasks.  This afternoon, a small, female gray squirrel was one busy little camper.  She was building a nest where an oak limb wrapped around a pine tree.  The nest was basically complete but obviously needed a bit of interior design work.  She would scamper up the large oak branch, gnaw off a few twigs, stuff them in her mouth then hustle back to her dwelling.  Inside, she meticulously lined the nest with strips of the leaves.  This is only one layer of the abode.  It all started with some rather large branches that were bent to form a dome.  Then, small but long twigs were woven into a thatched roof.  The sides were filled in with yet other branches.  Two doors were left.  One to be used as the main entrance and the other (a hidden door) as an escape route.  Now that the nest was sturdy  and enclosed, she gathered leaves to line the inner walls.  Each single leaf is tucked into place until the entire inner chamber is covered.  This step is much like shingling a roof but she does the entire inside of her nest. The last step is to be completed tomorrow as she will gather soft grasses to make a bed.  Here, she will give birth to her young and nurse them until they are strong enough to venture out of the nest.  For twelve weeks after giving birth, she will take total responsibility for raising her little family.

  The female squirrel does it all.  She builds the nest and cares for the young.  She, also, gathers and stores nuts, seeds and fruits to tide the little family over during the winter months.  The male...does nothing.  He will even go so far as to steal her stash of winter supplies if she is not careful.  As I watched the little pregnant squirrel build her nest, I gained a new appreciation for her.  She is one hard-working little mama unlike that deadbeat dad.  I guess I had better put out an extra helping of sunflower seeds for her enjoyment.  She deserves it.  She was working hard to get her chores done and she has a pretty important deadline looming ahead of her!

Home Repairs

  Home maintenance can be costly if you hire the professionals.  Yes, they are excellent in their field and, yes, it is a LOT easier to let someone else do the work.  I highly recommend finding someone that knows their stuff when it comes to repairing, replacing or adding on to the house.  Your home is probably your biggest investment (other than kids).   That said, we decided to let Son handle the work on the Little Bayou House.  Is he an expert?  Does he have years of experience?  Is he even a carpenter?  Nope to any and all of the questions.  Is he doing a good job?  Yes, indeed!  So, there blows the whole idea of needing to hire a professional.

  The home repairs that Son is managing range anywhere from rectifying termite damage to installing flooring.  He has removed windows, put up walls, installed doors, replaced studs, replaced beams, built shelves, installed siding, replaced broken window panes and installed ceiling fans.  How does he know how to do all of these things?  Other than what Mark has taught him, Son tells me that it is all logic and, well, Son is the most logical person that I know.  So, logically, it makes sense to let him do the work!

  Others on the Bayou are building or doing home repairs as well.  Upkeep of the homestead is highly important if you wish to withstand the elements.  With hurricane season just around the corner, adding a few braces here and there can never hurt!  

  While on the pier this afternoon, I watched as an Osprey gathered material to either build a new nest or reinforce an existing one.  The bird would fly past a dead branch in the top of the old oak tree and break it off in mid flight.  He never wavered as he cracked the limb!  Sometimes, the branch would be nigh on six feet in length and as big around as my wrist!  With his prize in his talons, he would make a huge circle overhead then fly back to the nesting site which is in the far region of the Bayou.  There, it is presumed that his ladylove was awaiting another piece of their home to arrive.  She, then, would take the branch and arrange it to suit her whims.  The male does most of the gathering of supplies while the female builds the nest.

  It is good to see that the Ospreys are doing so well.  With their nest building and chick raising, it means that the Bayou and Bay are healthy.  The show that the male Osprey performed this afternoon was quite impressive.  His stamina, precision and determination astounded.

The Garden Delay

  With all of the construction (and deconstruction) being done on the Little Bayou House, the yard looks a mess.  While my guys are brilliant when it comes to building, cleaning up their mess is another story.  Most of the time, things stay where they are dropped.  Well, I have had enough of this!  It is springtime and my gardens need to be planted!  This is impossible at the moment because of the stacks of lumber that block all access to said garden.  I would have to climb over the fence if I wish to even step foot in there much less do any serious planting.  So, there was just one thing to do.  I took a break from the painting and staining to do a bit of decluttering of the yard.

  Scrap pieces of lumber were picked up one by one to be piled into the wheelbarrow.  These were to be hauled to the burn pile.  As I was grabbing the scraps, I unintentionally uncovered a nesting site filled with tiny white eggs.  Oh, geez!  Not this again.  Last year, I was keeping tabs on a skink's nest down by the water's edge when a bad storm washed ashore.  Mama Skink had to abandon the nest.  The flood waters had already killed a few of the lizards that had hatched but a clutch of eggs remained.  These were relocated into the greenhouse where they all hatched and the tiny skinks lived happily in the protected area of the greenhouse.   Some are still there.  But, today, the eggs were much smaller.  These belong to a different skink.  This was the nest of a Ground Skink.  A Ground Skinks are tiny, brown lizards that prefer leaf litter as a hiding spot.  They are quick about darting under cover when danger is near.  Being only about five inches long, it is easy to overlook the Ground Skinks.  Mama Ground Skink chose to make her nest under boards in the very spot that I wished to clean.  That put an end to my work for the day.  

  After discovering the Ground Skink's nest, several of the boards were gently replaced to hide the eggs.  Hopefully, my bungling did not disturb the lizard and her nest too much.  The boards will stay until the eggs hatch and the little lizards are on their merry way.  I can live with this a bit longer, I guess.  The things I do for the critters of the Bayou!! We may be buying our tomatoes this year!

Working Hard!

  Sometimes I feel sorry for the critters on the Bayou.  It seems that the struggle of survival is real and not for the lazy.  Scavenging for food, finding shelter for little ones and being vigilant of predators is just a few of the things that critters must do on a daily basis.  Now, go figure.  Most of these things are left up to the female.  Very few males do anything other than find their own food and a good bit of the time, that means steal it from the female's stash.  Most kid's books paint a pleasant picture of both the mother and father of critter families helping with daily survival.  It just isn't so.  At least ninety percent of the raising of a family is left entirely up to the mother.  Sure, there are exceptions but it is the rarity.

  With all of the rains that have been pounding us all summer, the ground around the Little Bayou House has been washing down the hill. One solution (a temporary one) was to lay boards down on the ground to make another board path.  This path leads around the north side of the house and is slightly protected from the weather...but not completely. Hard rains pelt the boards with a vengeance but the ground is not eroding so all is good.  At least it is all good for me.  A ground bee has decided that a nail hole in one of the boards is the perfect doorway to her nest.  She has been working like crazy to dig out a tunnel under the board.  A conical mound has been erected on top of the hole and was what alerted me to her handiwork.  The pile was a good four inches tall and every bit of that in diameter.  Then the afternoon thunderstorm came.  Evidence of her work was washed down the hill.  Bright and early the next morning, the bee was at work again. She restacked that dirt as she dug even deeper under the board.  She worked hard to make a nest that would be warm and snug for her little ones.  Again, the rain came.  Again, the pile washed away and she started again.  For three days now, she has dug.  She was not daunted by the bad weather or by Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess Cat, demolishing the door to her home.  The fluffy cat pounced on the dirt mound sending it scattering about the boards. The bee worked.  Time and time again, she mounded more dirt.  That tunnel must be huge!

  Ground bees are quite large and build impressive tunnels.  Once the tunnel and its chambers are complete, the bee goes hunting.  She fills the chambers with insects and spiders.  These will feed her larvae when they hatch from the eggs.  Each chamber holds many foodstuffs and a single egg.  The female bee does it all.  She works tirelessly to make sure her species survives.  I cannot say the same for the male.  The male does nothing to help.  He does not dig.  He does not hunt for foodstuffs for the chambers.  All he does is mate then leave.  It is the female that makes sure all goes well and that life for ground bees will continue for another year.  She is one hard worker.

  Once again, I do not mind the critters that live around the Bayou.  Although the female bees will sting you if you grab them, they do not go out of their way to do so.  They are pretty docile, as far as bees and wasps go.  Ground bees are beneficial to have about the garden since they catch so many insects to put in the nesting chambers.  They are also good pollinators!  Some folks get a bit miffed about the dirt mounds but, personally, I sort of like them.  The bees' presence means that my yard and garden are pretty clean of harmful chemicals!  Toxic sprays are bad for bees and bad for humans so using the bees as an indicator of toxicity, I think the place must be pretty safe.  Carry on, Mama Bee.  I hope the rains do not impede your work.  (I say this as I hear thunder in the distance.  Poor Mama. Perhaps if Papa Bee would not be so lazy......)

The "Greatest Potter"

  Here on the Gulf Coast (and especially in Biloxi), we lay claim to one of the most unusual of potters.  Years ago, a man name George Ohr lived here and made his living as a potter.  At first, he made the usual utilitarian pots such as flower pots.  These earned a few pennies that he could use in buying food for his growing family but did not bring him fame.  Try as he might to make lovely flower pots, they were just that...flower pots.  Nothing fantastic about that.  It was in his mid to later years that suddenly he gained momentum with his business.  Things started booming for the fellow.  He started playing with odd designs and glazes.  Legend has it that he was mad, hence, the moniker of "George Ohr, the Mad Potter".  This was a self-proclaimed label and he bragged that "no two of his pots were alike".  His designs are touted as the forerunners of today's abstract works and, being relatively rare, are quite desired.  I do not own any of his fantastic works of art but rather a few of his utilitarian flower pots.  I am just as happy with these but to tell you just how folks think, I had to climb under our old farm house to retrieve these!  They are just flower pots even though now they sit on the shelf in my dining room.

 My potter of today is definitely not mad.  She is perhaps one of the greatest potters known, though.  I am referring to what is called a Potter Wasp.  This wasp is one of the group of Mason Wasps that are known to make mud nests.  Recently, I wrote about the Dirt Dauber which makes elongated mud nests but the Potter Wasp makes cute little pots.  Her nests are perfectly shaped clay urns with a flared neck and rim.  She will finish her urn, hunt and paralyze spiders (and insects), fill the urn and then lay a single egg inside.  After laying the egg, she will plug the top with a stopper of mud.  There, the egg will hatch and the larvae can munch away on the meals that Mom has provided.  When the larvae is mature and has changed to a wasp, it will gnaw a hole in the side of the urn and crawl out to continue life.

  This urn is one of the most interesting of nests and can certainly rival any human made clay pot.  The wasp's are uniform and sturdy enough to withstand the weather.  These marble-sized nests can last as long as a year if the larvae overwinters inside.  While most folks deem the nests as an eyesore on their window panes, I like them and will not remove them. Since the wasps, rid the place of so many spiders and since these wasps rarely sting, what is not to like about them?

  Now back to our eccentric Mr. Ohr.  To my way of thinking, the man was far from "mad"...more like, he was brilliant.  The "crazy" facade that he portrayed was merely a marketing ploy that worked...and worked well.  The masquerade of being a bit loony made folks interested in him and his works.  It became fashionable to own one of his pieces, therefore making them quite coveted.  He could charge more for demanded work.  Good move, Mr. Ohr!  I do admire your strategy.  You were, indeed, an astute businessman and a wonderfully eclectic artisan!  I salute you, Sir!

Defense Mode

  The weather decided to give us another day of rain showers which was fine by me.  The garden, although saturated, does better with rain than drought so I do not complain.  On one of my many times of closing the windows (only to reopen minutes later), I spied something in the garden that was not to my liking.  On the pear tree located a few feet from the window, a red wasp was starting to build her nest.  While I do not mind having the critters around, this was a little too close for comfort.  The pear tree is surrounded by planter boxes containing tomatoes.  These tomatoes are just starting to ripen so my picking would disturb the wasp and possibly cause a bit of pain for me!  The wasp will have to definitely relocate.  When I went out to check the nest closer, the wasp took up the "defensive stance". She was just not happy with me being so close to her home.  I was obviously viewed as the intruder and a threat.

  Red wasps, like most wasps, are actually beneficial critters to have in the garden.  If they build their nests in spots that are not likely to put people or pets in harm's way, it is wise to leave them be.  They feed their larvae a good many garden pests.  If, in cases like the one today, the nest is built in a place not desired, it is pertinent to remove the entire thing.  This is best done at night since the wasps are diurnal. They all return to the nest at night giving us a better chance of removal if the entire colony is to be exterminated.  A good spray of wasp spray or (believe it or not) brake cleaner can wipe out the critters in an instant.  It is important to be observant, though, and make sure you have a clear getaway path just in case you miss!  These critters can give a nasty sting and given the size of the nest, they can do major damage!  

  Since the rains of today are lingering into this evening, Son and I will attempt the removal of this nest tomorrow.  If there is only the one wasp (or even just a few), it should be a very simple process. I am believing this to be the case since the nest only has a few cells built as of yet. Hopefully, we can get rid of them with no stings!  Wish us luck!  

The Timeshare

  A Timeshare is a housing unit that is shared by tenants equally during the year.  Most of the time it is a vacation home that is "owned" by many tenants that are each allotted a certain couple of weeks per year to use the home.  During the rest of the year, the home (condo, apartment, whatever) is occupied by the different tenants.  This works well for folks who vacation occasionally and like to have their "own" place to go instead of the hassle of hotel rooms.  The concept it is a brilliant idea!

  I am thinking that the birds on the Bayou have come up with a similar plan.  The rose arbor has become a "housing project" for birds.  First, doves made a nest and were getting quite comfy when a pair of mockingbirds confiscated the nest and added onto it.  This did indeed improve the place and made for a much sturdier nest.  The mockingbirds raised their brood of four hatchlings despite the few harrowing incidents of storms, snakes and marauding hawks or crows. The little ones have been out on their own now for a good three weeks.  

  I was out plucking worms from the tomato plants when I heard a familiar call.  A mourning dove was just above my head on the arbor. After we said our "hellos" and exchanged niceties, he flew to the fig tree.  I thought this was rather suspicious so I checked the arbor.  Sure enough, in the same nest that the doves before had built and the mockingbirds improved, Mama Dove was setting on her eggs.  Ahhh, a new family of little ones would soon be hatched.  

  While I was standing there admiring the sweet face of Mama Dove, a chickadee started fussing at me.  That one was checking the little yellow birdhouse just inches from the dove abode.  It does appear that the arbor with its protective rose thorns is the condo of choice for the nesting birds. Wise choice as I am in the garden most of the day and will shoo any predators away from the nests.  I guess this Timeshare has a great security system as well as convenience.

A sign of respect!

  Several weeks ago, I pulled a big wad of algae out of the wallow near the pier.  Mark's skiff had been lodged in the only inlet into the pool making it nigh on impossible for a good flow of water.  Usually the change of tides pulls enough of the stagnant water out and pushes fresh in so that the algae does not have a chance to grow.  The stuff was already creating such a mess that the bull minnows were gasping for air.  Instead of hauling the heavy stuff up a hundred foot or so to the shore, I just plopped it onto the pier.  There, it could sundry and then I could lift it with no problem.  I had good intentions of using the stuff in the garden since it is a good fertilizer for most plants.

  After a couple of days, I noticed that I was not the only one interested in the dried algae.  Two Redwinged Blackbirds were taking turns at the mound.  They would tug at the strands until a nice sized chunk was dislodged then away the birds would fly.  One headed west while the other went east.  Both were males.  (I do believe that the larger and more dominant of the two was the "General" as his wingbars were much more prominent!  He has been around for a few years now and, more or less, rules all of the others.  He eats at the feeders when he wants, drinks from the birdbath whenever he pleases and roosts where he wants with no interference from any of the younger males.  At the algae wad, the same courtesy was given to him as at the other places. The younger bird patiently waited his turn. The General rules.  

  As near as I can tell, the blackbirds were using the dried algae as nesting materials.  The General only went a few feet west of the pier with his shreds.  Mrs. General must have been waiting in the shrubs for her partner to bring material home for her to line the nest.  He made more trips than the other, younger male.  So he was able to choose the finest of the algae.  

  I watched for a while and then decided to inspect the algae.  Sure enough, the stuff had dried but was downy soft making it perfect as nest lining.  Good job, General!  And thank you for sharing with your subordinates!  I am sure the youngsters appreciate your tutelage on nest-building!

Make yourself at home!

  The Little Bayou House is not a fancy place by far but it never seems to be lacking in visitors.  I am not a grand hostess since I just encourage my guests to make themselves at home.  I figure that if they raid the frig in the middle of the night, slouch around on the sofa or stay in their jammies all day, then they are most comfortable and that is what the Bayou is all about anyway.  This not only goes for my human guests but the critter ones as well. (At least, those critters that I like!  I draw the line at bugs, rats, mice, etc. Those, I require to stay outdoors!)

  One critter has taken up residence in the greenhouse.  Earlier this year, I had stuffed a bunch of Spanish Moss in a hanging basket.  I figured that it would store there well until I needed it again during the next clue hunt.  Spanish Moss is one of those standard "go-to" decorations that seem to scream "haunted house"  or in this case..."haunted greenhouse".  Anyway, when  I went in to water the plants, I noticed a perfect round door wallowed out in the wad of moss. Something had made a nice, cozy home.  I knew exactly who decided to call the hanging basket home!  A Carolina Wren had been hanging around the greenhouse for the past few days.  I could hear his calls every morning at daybreak.  After a bit, two wrens were busy as can be toting twigs and poking them in an empty watering can hanging on the wall.   That nest was abandoned when the hanging basket of moss was discovered.  How neat!  They had a ready built home!

  I will now be careful not to disturb Mama Wren even though it seems that these birds have never been frightened of their human hosts. Years ago, a pair of wrens nested in a plastic Jack-O-Lantern that was hanging in my laundry room.  The kids would take the thing down, bring it into the kitchen and play with the baby birds.  Mama Wren would fly through the open door and into the kitchen to feed her babies. She never minded that the kids were holding the little ones.  I, also, recall both Granddad's and Pop's sheds had wrens nesting near the workbenches.  The birds never became upset with the frequent visits by Granddad and Pop in either shed.  Obviously, wrens are comforted by the presence of people.  I like that.  I am in hopes that the wrens make it a habit to nest in the greenhouse every year.  There they can be protected from the elements and any large predators.  The little ones can be safe and I will enjoy having them nearby. Make yourselves at home, Mama and Papa Wren.  

Just in the neighborhood...

  A while back, I bought a birdhouse from from a senior citizens' group that was having a garage sale as a fund raiser.  I was oddly drawn to this particular house even though others were much prettier and much better constructed.  After questioning, I found that the house had been made by an elderly gentleman and his seven year old grandson had painted it.  This bit of news made me love the birdhouse all the more.  It is not every day that you can get your hands on such a special piece of yard art!  Once we got the thing home, Mark helped me to poke it on top of the rose arbor.  There it sat for the entire summer, then on through the fall and even winter.  I did not expect any visitors at those time so this did not bother me.  Now that spring is here, I was elated to see two little visitors investigating the house.

  A pair of chickadees darted in and out of the tiny doorway of the house.  For two days, they did nothing more than check the surroundings and the interior of the house.  Then, on the third day, I noticed that the birds were bringing twigs and straws into the house. The sweet little pair had decided that this would be their home.  For the past three mornings, I have watched the birds as they worked.  Not wanting to scare them, I kept my distance and let them build in peace.

  This afternoon, I took a hike through the garden and under the arbor.  I could hear scratching inside the birdhouse but did not see the birds. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a fluttering of wings.  Uh, oh!  That bird was a bit large to be a chickadee!  I stood still and stared into the rose vines.  Sure enough, a much larger bird was bustling about just a few inches from the house.  Well, my goodness!  A pair of mockingbirds was making a nest just behind the birdhouse!  In fact, the side of the nest actually butted up against the back of the house.  Well, that is interesting!  I have never seen two families of birds build right next door to each other!  I wonder how this is going to work?  Will the birds become enemies or will they both raise their broods side by side? This, my friends, should prove to be quite interesting!  I will be carefully watching the outcome of this birdie neighborhood with adjoining nests!

The "Not so Empty Nest" Syndrome

Mama Dove is on her second nesting of this season.  The pair of doves chose to reuse the same nest as earlier this spring.  It is located on the jasmine/rose arbor above the front gate.  If I so desired, I could reach up an touch the nest without a problem.  It is that close to the most used gate on the hillside.  Perhaps she feels protected there or perhaps this pair of doves are just a tad lazy in their nest-building chores.  This is the same dove that had a near disaster during her first nesting period when a large limb from a nearby Black Gum tree boinked her on the noggin.  Her babies were knocked to the ground during a freak storm that was nigh on Tropical Storm strength.  Mama Dove was not concerned that Ms. Ez and I rescued the little ones and took them inside while she recovered.  Once they were replaced in the nest, Mr. and Mrs. Dove raised them to maturity.  That is when she renested atop the arbor once again.  I was really surprised to see that this time, Mama Dove laid three eggs.  This is almost unheard of in the avian world!  Two eggs are normally the limit with each nesting.  It behooved me to watch  this nest closely!  I pondered if all three eggs would hatch and would Mama Dove be able to raise an extra babe to maturity.

My concerns about the number of eggs in the nest was brought to a screeching halt when one morning a couple of weeks ago, I found an intact dove's egg on the ground.  I am still a bit unsure if the egg accidentally fell from the poorly constructed nest or if the parent birds tossed it.  Either way, the concern about Papa and Mama Dove being able to produce enough "pigeon milk" for the babes was no more.  (Doves are among a particular group of birds that exclusively feed their young pigeon milk or crop milk.  This is a secretion that is more or less regurgitated food.  It is high in protein and fat so the little ones grow fast.)  Mama Dove hatched the remaining two eggs and the adult pair, once again, busied themselves feeding the fast-growing chicks.  Within a matter of two weeks, the squabs are now almost as large as the parent birds!  This evening when I checked on my friends, I noticed Mama Dove was sitting beside the nest.  The two teenagers were filling the small twig mat to capacity!   These two should be flying in a few days but in the meantime, it is a tight fit for three birds in one nest!

Now, I am a tad curious to see if this pair of Mourning Doves will nest for a third time.  If they do, will they decide to use the same nest again?  The pair has been nesting in the same spot now for three years and could very well surprise me with yet another pair of youngsters this summer.  The security of being close to the house or having a ready babysitter/protector of the squabs might be the enticement to nest in the sames spot.  Either way, I am glad that I get to document their family time!

The New Neighbors!

Just outside the front door there is an arbor that has a couple of vines growing on it.  Although the Jasmine is doing well, it is the Seven Sisters Rose that has dominated the twelve foot wide structure.  This rose has done so well that I have to severely trim it each year for fear that it will soon take over the entire area and I will not be able to go under the archway and through the gate.  By the end of summer, the long runners will reach down to the ground and completely block off the walkway under the arbor.  On the positive side, if I did let it just grow with wild abandon, I guarantee that no burglars would ever break into the Little Bayou House!  This is one of the thorniest rose bushes that I have ever grown!  It seems as if those long runners reach out and grab hold to you if you are within ten feet of the bush!  Ouch!

Someone else had the same idea about the burglars.  Up on top of the arbor but under those rose canes is a ramshackled nest.  It consists of about a dozen or so twigs sort of haphazardly thrown together and called home.  But..it is home.  It is home to a pair of Mourning Doves.  Mama Dove sits patiently through all of the crazy weather we have had of late.   The rains and high winds of yesterday did not deter her.  Nor did the warmish sunshine and temperatures in the high seventies that we saw today.  I am just as certain that she will stay put through the change that is coming tonight in the form of a cold front that is blasting in upon us.  The north winds are whipping about the house but at least there is no rain.  In a way, these doves were smart...at least for northerly winds.  The arbor (and their nest) sit just about ten feet from the front door on the south side of the house.  The house blocks most of the cold winds.  Hopefully, she will not build another nest here come hurricane season!  Those southerly winds from any tropical system will not do her nest any good.

Mama Dove has no qualms about me or Ms. Ez being right beneath her when we go through the gate to the pier.  I could reach up and touch her if I so desired.  Perhaps she was seeking some sort of protection by building her nest here. Maybe she figured that if she was close to me, she would be out of harm's way.  Last year, she built on top of the grape arbor.  This was not too good as the young vines were sparse and did not provide much coverage for her.  Once her little ones hatched, the hawk swooped in and made quick work of the hatchlings.   Poor Mama and Daddy Dove were distraught to say the least.  I felt so bad for the babies but even worse for the parent birds.  I am in hopes that the rose vines will at least give her and the little ones a bit of security from any marauding predators in the area...and there are many.  During the day, Ms. Ez will stand guard.  She has already noticed the nest and Mama Dove.  Ms. Ez loves her birds so I am positive she will take her place by the gate for the next few weeks.  Come nighttime, though, Mama and Daddy Dove are on their own.  I sure hope for the best.

A hard winter coming?

As I said, I am becoming a watcher of things. Today's subject was a squirrel working on its nest for this winter. Here on the Bayou, we rarely have frigid winters. Sure, we have "cold spells" with some freezes but nothing that ever lasts for days on end. This past winter there was a period of a few days that we did not get above freezing and had nights down into the teens but that is almost a novelty here. However, this squirrel was padding its nest well. I am wondering now if these animals know something that we don't. Most of the time, squirrels will make a nest of twigs and line it with leaves and bits of fur, but this smart beasty decided to go the extra step. She has made her home in a hollow tree and padded it well. She stuffed, pulled and crammed this hole full. Insulation! No not the type in our walls and attic..something far more readily attainable. Even though it has been five years since Katrina decided to descend upon the Bayou, there is still plenty of debris. I could not really see myself sploshing around in the marsh picking up odds and ends that were washed in with the tidal surge. Consequently, there are still pieces of furniture such as sofas and mattresses hung up in the underbrush and trees. This smart little rodent has decided to pilfer some of the stuffing from one of these deteriorating uglies to line its nest. She had actually pulled so much in on one day that it would go no further. It was stuck! The doorway was jammed! Then after much tugging it finally gave way and she was back in business. A trip to the old sofa..then return to the nest. This is a win/win situation! More debris is finally being cleared and she has a toasty warm nest for the winter. But..does this little smartypants know something that the weather forecasters do not? I have not heard any mention of this being an unusually frosty winter but I am now beginning to wonder. What with the extra lining of nests and the extreme storing of food by both the squirrels and the red-bellied woodpeckers, there could possibly be a connection to freezing weather. I suppose I will just have to watch and see, perhaps we shall have a "winter wonderland" on the Bayou! I think tomorrow I will stock our woodpile a bit higher just in case these wild, woodland, weather forecasters are on to something!

Speaking of winter, it does seem that it might be a bit earlier this year. Our temperatures are predicted to fall into the thirties this weekend. Not that I am complaining one bit..I love cold weather! While shrimping on the pier today, I noticed the clouds that were with this cold front. Last night we had a lovely rain with strong winds from the South. It was a welcome rain as is any. The Fall garden is doing well and the moisture will push it a bit further. Then around two o'clock this afternoon, the wind shifted from the North. The clouds made a turn to come back over us. No rain this time but it made for some interesting pictures.