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Waiting for the Birds

Tick-tock

Tick-tock…the waiting game

I’m tracking my various nesting materials in the garden, but no discernible visitors just yet.  At first I was hoping to spot a bird swooping by.  Now I’d be happy with any sign that they’ve found the super-soft bits of wool, laundry lint and yarn. I hung the wreath in the Magnolia tree outside my home office window. The bag of laundry lint is hanging from the Pittosporum out back.  I even added a third, large plastic bag, weighted down with a garden table for the squirrels. It’s directly in their path. No takers.

Nesting Wreath

Nesting Wreath

After our last big storm I found remnants of what may have been a nest from last year under the pine tree. The bits of blue lint were unmistakably the color of our flannel sheets. So…I remain hopeful.

On the subject of birds, I signed up for tweets (I crack myself up) about Phoebe the Allen Hummingbird.  I learned today that she’s already laid the first egg of her next brood. These hummers generally lay a pair at a time, the size of tiny breath mints.

Phoebe's nest. First egg, February 10th

Phoebe’s nest. First egg, February 10th

Here is the link to the live webcam in case you missed it. Warning: watching the nest all day is habit-forming. That said, it’s a habit worth forming.  Enjoy!

12 thoughts on “Waiting for the Birds”

  1. Do you think it’s still early for nest building? It’s funny to see you post this because I cleaned up my winter pots today and took apart the door wreath. It was an evergreen wreath with the greens wired to a 10″ double wire hoop. I saved the pine cones from it to make a hill in my fairy garden and I saved the hoop for my very own laundry lint wreath….Alys you are part of my day in so many good ways xoK. Oh, BTW I got your beautiful kitty emblazoned envelope in the mail today!!!!! and spotted your note….so it’s perched on my mantel….I’ll be at the flower shop until noon of the 14th and can’t wait to open it.. xo giant, pterodactyl sized hugs my friend (they’d use up your lint)

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    • Weeeeee I never had a pterodactyl hug before. Thanks for that. We’re a pair, aren’t we?

      I love that you’re saving the wreath and laundry lint. You’ve go me back into the habit of paper crafting. I love your style. You inspire me in so many ways.

      Pine cone hill. That sounds like a housing development. Oh, right…it is. For fairies. [head-slap]

      Off to dine with my 12 year old. We split up on Wednesday’s Mike and C go out for Sushi M and I for Indian. C actually just eats inari and M eats rice and naan. Meet the carb boys and the mother who chases after them with green food.

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    • PS We have crows and hummingbirds, squirrels and some as yet unidentified bird whistling in the tree. Since Phoebe is building nests in SoCal, I figured they might be building nests up here too. It may be too early, though for most.

      Then again, the watched pot never boils…;-)

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      • Oh ya, I’m such a ding dong…of course all the critters think it’s spring in California. Your ‘animals in the yard’ list made me pictured you as Snow White out there…with a bird on your finger and all these cute critters surrounding you lovingly. 😀

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        • LOL! I loved that scene from Snow White, but I was mostly afraid of that movie when I was small.

          You are not a ding dong. I insist you take that back. xx00

          On the subject of Snow White, several years ago I worked with a costume designer who actually worked as one of many Snow Whites at Disneyland when she was in her early twenties. They eventually had a reunion of all the former Snow Whites. I loved that story.

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          • Oh wouldn’t that be magical fun……I’m wishing…..for the one I love…..to find me…..today. I just loved when the wishing well echo sang with Snow White. I just heard the other day that Walt Disney won more Oscars than anyone else ever…..what an amazing legacy.

            OK, “I’m not a ding-dong”, maybe just absent minded…LOL

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  2. Birds…..big hugs…..big birds…oh ya pterodactyl….LOL The Boomdee thought process is one hot mess. LOL
    Separate suppers, wonderfully democratic. I love that. I’m with M & C….bring on the carbs 😀 I didn’t like many vegetables at their age either. I only started to love green peppers in my 30’s, now I put them in everything. If you had told me I’d like brussels sprouts one day I would have said “nah-hun” Phoebe doesn’t take long to lay more eggs, exciting to watch again. I missed the baby birds leaving the nest last time.

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