Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Eastern Phoebe

Spring Nesting 2019 is in Full Swing at The Retreat

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I think we might actually be leaving winter behind here in Georgia and Spring Nesting 2019 is in full swing.  It was concerning to see so many birds build nests and produce eggs when night time temps were dropping into the low 30's, but the mommas wisely snuggled their eggs after dark ...

Spring Nesting 2019

Momma Finch

Spring Nesting 2019

Momma Bluebird (West)

Spring Nesting 2019

Momma Bluebird (North)

Will I Ever Learn I Don't Have Control?

The answer to this questions appears to be "No," but apparently I'm going to keep working at it.

As you may recall, I was surprised the Phoebes would show interest in re-building on the platform after last summer's snake attack.  Nonetheless, I chased the Carolina Wrens away to respect the Phoebes' interest in returning to their annual nest site.

Yeah ... Momma Phoebe showed me who's boss.  The photo shows her beautifully-created nest mudded to the top of the camera pointing at Phoebe Place.  In other words, there will be no camera peering into the Phoebe nest this year.

I'm getting used to a failure.

Spring Nesting 2019

Phoebe Nest on Top of Camera

I will bring you more updates on spring nesting 2019 in the next post.  What I will tell you for now is that we have two active Bluebird nests ... each with 4 eggs, and two active House Finch nests ... each with 5 eggs. Oh, and there's one active Phoebe nest ... only SHE knows how many eggs.  Stinker!

Feathers and Fuzz Home Sweet Home 2019

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The temperature hit 60 degrees on February 1. For the Feathers and Fuzz it was Home Sweet Home Day!

The Eastern Bluebirds made the rounds … checking out each house on the property. I have often wondered if they do this as much to to scope out the competition as to select a house. I have witnessed Bluebirds waiting for the Chickadees to put down a beautiful, soft moss layer in a bird house … then steal the house from the Chickadees. The house that has been occupied by the Chickadees for several years now has been down all winter awaiting camera repairs. As soon as I rehung the house … within minutes … the Bluebirds were checking it out.

The Tufted Titmouse pair returned to check out the south Owl house. The House Finch pair not only scoped out the platform on the upper terrace, but put down a couple pieces of pine straw as if to mark it theirs.

The Carolina Wrens made quick work of stuffing leaves and grasses into the corner of Phoebe Place as the Phoebe Pair exhibits angst over the ongoing “destruction” of their home site.

You already know the Northern Flicker came home to roost.

Struggle for that Peaceful, Easy Feeling

I watch all this and try to figure out how I can become more like these birds. Don’t the Flicker and the Titmouse remember the Flying Squirrel attacks? And the Finches — really?! Not only was this nest a victim of Cowbird parasitism, but it was also attacked by a snake. Admittedly the snake attack happened in the middle of the night and the parents may not even know it happened. BUT — the female Phoebe was ON the nest when a snake attacked. How could she even consider returning to that platform?

When I tell these stories, people often respond with “nature is cruel”. I’ve thought about that a lot these past couple weeks. Personally, I can’t make peace with an answer ascribing cruelty to God’s design.  It is, in fact, an incredibly beautiful and balanced design.

If you haven’t seen the Lessons Learned page of this website, I’ll share a piece of this page again here.  It is a video about the Yellowstone Park wolf-reintroduction program and what happens when humans modify nature’s balance.  Click here for a link to the wolf-reintroduction video by Sustainable Human.

I get it and I struggle and I get it and I struggle. Such is my design.

Let nesting season 2019 begin!!

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