Tragedies?

Every day I've been peeking out the bedroom window to track the progress of the catbird nest. Mrs. C is usually sitting on it quietly, only occasionally taking a break. But yesterday morning when I peeked out, I found it obviously assaulted. The next is askew and only three eggs are left, with the mama nowhere to be seen. I'm holding out hope that the catbirds will rally, but it's looking grim. I blame the neighbor's many cats, one of whom was headed this way when I left for work the other day.

Here's a picture through the window screen:

 

Spring fever

The first day of spring brought everyone outside, but because I have a habit of leaving the back door open on nice days - no screen door - I sometimes have unexpected visitors. This afternoon it was a Carolina wren who flew in and landed on the window screen at the other end of the sitting room.

 

 

The wrens are usually very bossy and vocal, but this one just froze there. At one point it made some sad little mewing sounds, but that was all. Eventually, with a little encouragement from me that it probably ignored, the wren flew to a picture frame, then perched above the door frame, and finally flew back out again. Wish I knew what it told its mate about this little adventure.

Bird feeder

After many years of famine, the birds are finding the new feeder Mom gave me for Christmas. It took about a week for the word to spread, but this afternoon I had quite a crowd. None of these is unusual, but what a treat to sit at the dining room table and watch them eat.

So far I've recorded Carolina wrens, cardinals, house finches, tufted titmice, song sparrows (eating from the ground), juncos (ditto), black-capped chickadees, and, most elegant of all, a white-breasted nuthatch.

These titmice were visiting during a mid-afternoon lull:

 

 

 

Oddities

Two odd things appeared on the lawn this last week. First, an abandoned bird's nest:

that rested gently on the ground in the back yard. I can only think that the babies had flown away and it was no longer needed.

Next, despite our ongoing drought, an enormous fungus appeared in the side lawn:

This fungus pops up from time to time during the summer. I really need to look it up and figure out what's going on.

Wildlife encounter

I left the front door open this morning when I went outside to get one more picture of the Corps de Ballet tulips in bloom, and when I came inside there was a hummingbird in the dining room! It must have been enjoying the tulips and darted inside when I disturbed it. The poor thing was buzzing and clicking angrily as it flung itself against the window. I loved hearing its sounds and seeing it up close, but decided to do the right thing.



I didn't stop to take its picture, just took the screen off the window and shepherded it outside.


This is someone else's amazing picture of a female ruby-throat.