Nesting

I started out my day yesterday with the best intentions (see Sunday's post)... I even had a "to do" list.  But every time I stepped outside to work on the garden, it would start pouring. 

During those brief periods when the rain stopped, I would walk around my garden to inspect what's growing, what was damaged during the winter and needs to be pulled out (didn't lose any roses!  yay!)...  I discovered many things, including several birds' nests in my birdhouses...

 
... I sat still for a bit, trying to see if the mommy birds were visiting their nests.

 

....  my patience was rewarded!  There was a cardinal flying repeatedly into one of my evergreen shrubs (right by my front door!)...  No birdhouse there?!?  I carefully inspected the shrub during one of her absences...

 

At first, all I saw was the carefully contructed nest, well hidden at the center of the shrub.  But after a more thorough inspection, I saw the eggs...  three maybe?

 

 
No!  Four!  Four lovely, blue speckled eggs!  I quickly took my photos and recovered the nest before the mommy bird returned.

And then, when I walked around to the back of my garden and onto my deck (which is off my screened porch and attached to my dining room/kitchen via a sliding glass door), I noticed that one of my fall wreaths was still hanging by the back door.  Yikes!  It looked terrible, all dirty and faded; it was ready for the trash.  I quickly grabbed it, yanked it (literally) off the wall peg and PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!  I heard these strange little noises.  

As I was turning around to take the wreath to the garbage, I looked down and saw four little ovalish "things" on the deck floor.  They were pinkish/yellowish and I couldn't quite distinguish what they were as they were very odd, but moving!  I bent down to take a closer look and... YIKES!  They were FOUR little newborn birdies!  Their beaks were opening and closing very rapidly, they were on their sides or their backs, with poop coming out of their tiny rears...  YEP!  There had been a bird's nest in the darn wreath and when I yanked it, the birdies went flying across the air (and not in a good way) and fell 5+ feet to the ground!  I felt terrible.  I wanted to cry.  

I quickly and gently picked up each one (still warm and wriggly) and placed in back in its nest (I had already put the wretched Fall wreath back on the wall).  I heard chirping behind me and saw another cardinal (who I could only guess was the mommy of the unfortunate birdies) "walking" along the deck railing.

I walked back into the house and kept a close watch out of my kitchen window to see if the mommy would visit her nest.  She did - but only once and briefly.  So now, dear friends, I am worried.  Worried that the mommy won't take care of her babies because they've been touched by me and have my scent...  that she won't feed them and they will die.  Can that happen?  Does anyone out there know?  I'd love to hear any advice you have.

I learned a lesson today...  slow down, Mercedes. 

Why are you always in such a rush?  I hope the birdies are okay.

I'm linking to Blue Monday at Smiling Sally's. 

 
 

Comments

[Tee]

A Beautiful Post & Pictures! Hugs

[Sally]

Aw, Mercedes, I'm so sorry you went through this. I haven't a clue, but perhaps your local humane society or a veterinarian will know what to do. Thanks for sharing your blues.

Happy Blue Monday.

[AJ]

Mercedes, I am glad your roses were safe. Love the birdhouses (so cute) and the little eggs in the nest are precious. Hope you have a wonderful week.
AJ

[Christine]

The bird eggs are so cute. I hope the mommy bird continues to feed them. Is that true about the bird not wanting to do anything with the babies after they are touched by human hands?....Christine