Wren update!

This morning after my dogs woke me for their morning constitutional I sat down with my coffee and gazed out the window to check on my wren family but something was different.
Since April the business of birds had been to nest, lay, hatch and feed, all under the watchful eye of the parents, chattering orders to each other at every step of the way. Mom and Dad frequently tag teaming, feeding larvae and insects into the dark hole of the bird box, disappearing inside, then within seconds flying off with baby bird poop in their mouths (yuk!) to procure more tasty morsels for their unseen, but loud little babies.
As I looked closely at the "black hole" of the wren house this morning there was a little face, followed by another little face above it! Over the course of the next hour more faces appeared and a great deal of pushing and shoving ensued. Eventually one little face pushed himself to the front and bumbled around trying to get his body out of the small hole without tumbling to the ground. First the head, then a foot waved around looking for something to cling too...push, push...push...then POP...his whole body appeared on the outside of the box he'd called home for 2 months. He looked surprised! Gazing around nervously, #1 seemingly wondered "okay what's next?". He looked up, he peered down, and seemed undecided as to what to do. His decision was made for him when wren #2 pushed himself out of the box knocking his brother off the perch! Amazingly #1 flew off the box as if he'd been doing it everyday! He landed on the vines on my deck much to his parents dismay as they chirped wildly at him ( I wondered what they were saying...as parents we all know the terrifying moment when we have to let go of our children to learn from their own mistakes). Meanwhile, back at the box, #2 was already on the perch and hopped on top of the bird box to get a better vantage point! Within seconds, during which #3 was almost out of the hole, wren #2 flew off in the opposite direction from #1!!!
As the parents became more frantic the mass exodus continued, rapidly producing 5 infant wrens in total over a period of just a few minutes! When it's time to go, it seems they go quickly! ( unlike human children!)
So my little bird drama is over for the moment, and the nest in my honeysuckle bush?...it's empty
now too! The wrens will stake out another nesting area for their second round before the season ends, so I will continue to see and hear these chattering little birds until the end of the season when they will fly off to warmer climates (smart little birds!) and I will replace the old wren house with a newer, prettier version. They deserve a renovation for all the joy they bring me!

The wonders of Wrens

I am unabashedly, a bird lover. Wild birds, pet birds, injured birds, well birds, hungry birds, fat birds, I love them all.  I love to watch their quirks, their comings and goings, their flirting, their nesting, their parenting skills and the feeling of sadness when they head off to warmer climates and the world becomes many voices quieter.
Of all my garden birds my favourite is the little spunky, saucy tail up, common house wren! That may seem strange when there are so many more "flashy" birds to choose from, but when I hear my little wrens chattering in the spring I can only smile a big smile and think "they're back! Yeah!"
My house wrens have been nesting in my garden for 22 years, establishing their territory and growing in number throughout that time. I live right next to a forest and actually since I've been ill my "garden" has become a bit shall we say "wild". Although my neat flower gardens, vegetable garden, and pond are no longer, my berry bushes, trees, and lots of fragrant shrubs have made this corner of my world very attractive to birds ( and I feed them!which helps!).
As I have mentioned in other posts, I became ill back in 2003, and most of my energy now is focused on the most basics of life, and dealing with constant pain which is very tiring.  Whereas I used to be out in the garden everyday possible, now I spend more time in the house. I used to erect a screened gazebo every year and feed and watch the birds from there, I now have a window by the couch where I sit and watch as the world goes by, so I had a brilliant idea! I mounted a wren house on a pole right outside my window! Best idea I've had in a long time as this has brought me much joy as I have a front row seat to the busy nature and highly protective qualities of these tiny chattering birds.
In cleaning out their nest this spring I came across a wide variety of nesting materials which included pine needles, feathers, some branches and amazingly a few large screws and nails which certainly must be decrorative because they're shiny and I can't see how comfortable they would be!! But maybe
they were trying to fix this old house as it is in great need of renovating ( a replacement was in the plan but they came home earlier than expected).
I love witnessing the focus spent on choosing their nesting materials. They are very stubborn birds and fly in with branches 4 times too big to be moved through their nest box hole! They try and try over and over again, dropping the branches and flying down to retrieve them. Eventually they satisfied and begin the task of egg laying which obviously is Mom's job but after that Mom and Dad are equally invested in the parenting and guarding their babies. One wren flies in relieving the other to go in search of food and on it goes like a well oiled machine.  They chatter in their wren language
And alert each other when anything seems threatening, like our dogs bounding around rambunctiously, or me trying to get a great photograph ( not ) of them. When it's really hot they perch on the roof of the house (which has a split in it ) and flap their wings rapidly in an effort to cool the house down ( always make sure there's water nearby that they can drink and share with the little ones.
It may seem silly, but watching them has become a big part of my day and I worry when it's hot, cold, or wet!
When they finally leave for the season I hope they are safe and miss they're presence in my garden.
But I know they will be back, or they're little ones will be back to nest somewhere else in the area next year.

A bird in the hand is worth 9 in the bushes?

As I mentioned before my poor garden has gone wild since my illness starting back in 2003. My lilac bushes are now at least 10 ft. high along with my honeysuckle bushes. I had decided that this was the year to trim them back, especially one of my honeysuckles, which has grown so high that it covers my window! I wanted to wait until they had flowered so the bees and I could enjoy their beautiful scent and flowers. There's nothing quite like it. But now I have a problem! Another wonderful delay! I peeked out my window and in the middle of all those branches sits a little nest overflowing with hungry chicks, mouths open leaning perilously close to the edge and risking falling out in an effort to be the first one to eat!
I've been trying to get a photograph of them but once Mom noticed me at the window she flew away with a juicy worm hanging from her beak and hasn't returned yet so I certainly don't want to interfere with dinner!
So it looks as if my yard will have to undergo some inspection into each bush to choose which ones are uninhabited and which have little tenants! As much as those shrubs need trimming I hope I find some more tenants too!
Wren update: my wren's eggs hatched a few weeks ago which means a flurry of activity is going on outside another window! Like a relay race the parents fly in with food and wait for the exit of the other who has fed the chicks and leaves with clean up duty while the other sits with an insect in his mouth. Efficiency to the max!
So while I continue in my life of isolation I have my dogs and nature's gifts to lift my spirits. Okay it's not the same as real human relationships but they have few expectations and don't care if I'm too ill to meet a prior plan. No ones disappointed and my pups just curl up with me until I'm well enough to take them on an new adventure!

Garden Goes Wild!

The other day I was cleaning out my barrel deck pond and came a cross a nest at the bottom of the barrel. I wasn't surprised since last year we found a mouse nest in there. I gently disturbed the material and all of a sudden instead of a mouse the whole ball of fuzz started to undulate and then little bumble bees began to crawl out and fly around, buzzing angrily! They were so cute and small but perfect little bees. I knew if they stung me neither of us would be happy. I'd be stung and they'd be dead, so I left it alone for several hours so they could move on.

My yard used to be a garden that I had built up from nothing, including multiple flowerbeds, a huge vegetable garden and lilac bushes and honeysuckle around the perimeter to cover the metal fence I had installed. I had a beautiful pond, with a fire pit off to the side.  I spent hours and hours each day from spring to fall adding more and more perennials, looking after my fish and wondering at the giant bullfrogs, who incedentally ate some of my fish! The goldfish were breeding which was wonderful to see these tiny brown fish grow into golden shiny gems hiding underneath the huge waterlilies which bloomed in yellow then turned pink! I had little white lights in the bushes and torches to light the pathways to the pond and fire pit.

Once a saweet owl (tiny) landed in front of me with a mouse in its talons and I sat quietly in the dark and watched as he had his dinner within feet of me. Amazing!

Since I've been ill, the "garden" is no longer and is now a wild yard, which is sad, but also I've noticed that the wilder it becomes the more we are visited by nature. Hence the bee nests, of which I'm sure there are many more than the one I found. If you read my apple tree post you'll hear why I think that.
Bees are facinating little insects, and so cute and round. Apparently they burrow underground using old rodent holes to overwinter although some die off. So my greatest thing I miss is my pond but the increase in birds and  butterflies chipmunks helps to ease the pain!

Sitting under the Apple Tree

Yesterday I was in awe of the beautiful blossoms covering my crabapple tree.  I was drawn to it. It's branches are low ( I had a pic for you but having trouble uploading it!) and when you sit under it, it envelops you like a delicate teepee made entirely of flowers. I was sitting there soaking in its glory when I realized I could hear this strange but loud humming, almost like hydro wires. At first I got up to see if my neighbours were using some new fangled gardening equipment but nothing! I sat down again and the beauty surrounded me once more.  I closed my eyes and when I did this, I could sense that the sound was moving...louder then softer, then louder for a second with a background of harmonizing tones.  When I opened my eyes and just stared upwards through the tree I saw them...maybe 50-60 or more wonderfully fat little bumblebees, floating from blossom to blossom over every inch of the tree! It was incredible...it was a symphony and I was the only ticket holder! What a blessing! I stayed and marvelled at these little creatures who technically can't fly under the laws of science, but I guess no one told them that, and here they are, up in the air anyway...how cool is that!
Finally I was driven away after multiple mosquitos drained my blood supply and then started on making a meal of my face.
I just wish you all could have been there to enjoy this magical moment with me.
Wishing you all magical moments from God's YouTube channel!
Good night.

Dog love

I have yet to see the movie "A dogs Purpose" but I know I'll love it if there are dogs in it, which I assume there are!
My history with dogs has always been profound and more stable than those with people! Their love is unconditional and they are always so happy to see you even if you've only been gone for a few minutes! I am ill so I'm at home most of the time. I suffer physical and emotionally painful periods
of time and my dogs are ALWAYS there to comfort me. We are the three Musketeers cuddled up on the love seat ( small but we all fit kind of!) keeping each other warm in winter and sweaty in summer!

Every move I make I am shadowed by my terrier Zimos...get coffee he's there...go to have a bath
( very small bathroom) he's there, go to the toilet he's there! I am part of the pack but not sure if I'm the pack leader according to the dog bibles of Cesar Milan but what the hell...it works.

A number of years ago I had decided that it was unfair to keep such a high energy dog with me being unable to run him everyday, resulting in him getting fat like me, and a little stressed out, also like me!
The answer was to rehome him somewhere he could have everything he needed.


Reluctantly I began the process to find a family for him and a lovely couple came into the picture.  After sharing conversations and getting the answers I felt were conclusive, Zimos went to Westport to live by the water and be walked everyday etc. When they left with him I cried and cried but felt I had done the right thing.

That night I imagined the new life he was living and convinced myself that he was much better off. Later the next day I got a phone call to say that Zim had cried and howled the entire time they had him...he was miserable and they didn't feel he would be happy there...could they bring him back? BRING HIM BACK? YES YES BRING HIM BACK!
The reunion was joyful and according to this couple began the moment they turned onto our street escalating in intensity the closer they came to our house!

I love him, he loves me and we'll just have to get fat together!

Chihuahua Love!

How a body so small can fill a heart with love!
I have loved many dogs, most large but a few small, and I must be honest in saying that I had never seen myself as a Chihuahua owner!  Big dogs seemed to fit my lifestyle better. Firstly, I loved to be outside hiking or skiing on the trails that are right behind my house.  If I had lived here as a child, I think I would have gone out on the first day of spring, and not returned until late fall!  I would ride my nospeed bicycle quite a distance in the blazing summer heat, to chase butterflies in the fields next to the rail lines.  My dog in my childhood was first a cocker spaniel, Simon, who was lovely as long as you didn't move your feet during dinner and risk losing a toe!  He died suddenly at 1 year old, leaving me devastated for more weeks than even my parents could tolerate, and finally gave in to aquiring a beagel/labrador mix called "Pickles".  ( actually my parents euthanized Simon, but I didn't know that until last year at age 57!) But I digress...the point is that I have had Labs; Pit Bulls; Golden Retriver and retriever mixes; poodle mixes; schnoodle mixes...but the smallest dog I have ever loved is Ollie! All 6 to 10 lbs of him! He is full of character and bosses me around all the time, even now, at 17, he lives to play "bark and scruff" with me...he barks...I bark back...he scruffs his back leg at me...and I scruff my hand at him! We keep going until he gives up and comes close to me for a good scratching of all those bits he can no longer reach...he's fat now!
Thanks Darlene for forcing him on me ( she kept asking and asking for me to take him until I finally gave in ! ) I love him more than I could have ever known I would!💓