Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Feathers

Fine Feathered Mother’s Day 2018

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Juvenile Bluebirds with Momma
Happy Mother’s Day!  [Momma Eastern Bluebird Feeds Two of Her Offspring]

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On this gorgeous, Georgia Sunday … it is a Fine Feathered Mother’s Day!  I love all the shades of blue in the sky and the greens in the trees and shrubs — delighting in the feathered splashes of red, yellow, and blue darting from perch to perch.

I remember standing out on the terrace with my own mother who was well-into her 90’s.  Mom was in a wheelchair in those days and seemed to me to be looking, aimlessly, out across the landscape.  There’s nothing like a captive audience to launch me into talking about the birds!  I began pointing and explaining.  When I tried to get Mom to fix her gaze on one bird in particular, she slowly shook her head, turned to me and said:  “Jo, frankly I’m not that interested.”  My mom never was a good liar.

Today, that terrace is a busy, fly-through restaurant.  At first light, I head outside with the live mealworms.  Before I can get back inside, I hear the clickity-clack of baby Bluebird feet dancing on the gutter overhead.  There’s nothing like dancing babies to start one’s day with a smile.

Baby birds are everywhere now.  If their yellow-lined, gaping beaks don’t give them away, watch for the excited flutter of a fledgling’s wings as it begs to be fed.  In the featured video, a mother Downy Woodpecker stuffs her beak with suet as she prepares to feed her young daughter.  As is true of those dancing, baby Blues — the young Downy just can’t wait another second.  She clumsily flies to the log and relishes the feast momma delivers.

 

Dedicated to Deborah Ann Kerr

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The feathers are busy creating Brood #2.  I know the Carolina Wrens stuck a nest somewhere after I chased them out of the boxes waiting outside for trash pickup -- don't know where they went from there.  Wrens!  The "urban" Bluebird pair produced their fifth egg of Brood #2 today.  Momma Phoebe is sitting on 4 eggs for her round #2.  Meanwhile, Momma Titmouse has welcomed five hatchlings.

While we're waiting for the stories to mature around this month's youngsters (PLEASE no more bears!!), I thought I'd keep my promise to share a detailed look at the upside-down take-off of the male Scarlet Tanager.  I chose to feature this video today because I know how much my friend, Debbie, loved seeing wildlife in the detail revealed by these cameras.

My Friend, Debbie

If not for my friend, Debbie, there would be no Feathers and Fuzz blog.  It was Debbie's knowledge and keen awareness of nature that drew me into looking at, and appreciating, the details of God's beautiful creation.  I know Debbie acquired her love of nature from her mom -- our "expert resource" when we were stumped trying to identify a bird species we had never seen before.  What a beautiful gift to give your child.

Wherever we went, Debbie was always stopping and pointing.  She would stop at an animal track in the mud and tell me a fox had been around.  Naturally, I didn't even see the track -- let only have a clue what left it!  When Debbie heard a bunch of Crows carrying on, high in the trees, she would say:  "There must be a hawk around."  Sure enough -- the Crows would chase a hawk out into the open.  (Now, I have to say, Debbie's fascination with hawks was very unsettling if you were a passenger in her car.  I swear she could pick out every hawk on every tree and every wire.  She would then follow the flight of that hawk -- much more interested in identifying it than paying attention to the road.)

Over this past year, as I wrote about the escapades of the feathers and the fuzz, I would often reflect on how many of those moments Debbie and I experienced together.  Every once in a while, it even got to where I saw something before Debbie did -- and you can bet I boasted about it!  Debbie was at my house a lot these past two years, after her breast cancer diagnosis, as my house was much closer to her doctors.

Today I got the call.  My dear friend has moved on past this life.  The tracks she left on my heart can not be washed away by any force of nature.  I hate that she won't be here to help me chase bumble bees out of bird houses, or screw acrylic to houses mounted 15' up in the air, but I will carry her with me everywhere I wander through the beautiful gift that is God's creation.

Thank you, Debbie, for opening my eyes.

Deborah Ann Kerr