The Mockingbird Babies

During my spring Open Garden on Memorial Day, one of the guests found a bird nest tucked into the top of 'Firefall', a miniature climbing rose.

At the time, the nest had one egg in it.  A couple of days later, I remembered to grab my phone and photograph it.  By then, it contained three eggs.  The parents added a fourth egg the next day.

Two weeks later, there were four baby birds.  Instagram followed along as I posted a photo of the babies every day.  For you, I will put them all here.

Day One:

Day Two:

Day Three:

Day Four:

One of the parents, keeping a close eye on me.

Day Five:

Day Six:

Day Seven:

Day Eight:

Day Nine:

Day Ten:

Today is Day Eleven.  I went out after breakfast to check on the babies and found that the nest was empty. 

My neighbor next door at the winery told me that he saw young Mockingbirds in his garden earlier this morning.  I'm certain that they were my babies.

It's amazing how quickly this process happens.  Four weeks exactly, from the time the first egg was laid till the babies fledged.  Mama and Papa Mockingbird were very attentive parents, swooping down on me whenever I was near their nest.  I have no doubt that their babies are in good hands, or wings, as they learn to live in the great big world.

Sextuplets, and More on the Way

Mr. and Mrs. Mockingbird have been tirelessly making trip after trip to their nest in 'Schoener's Nutkana' in my front rose garden, feeding their six babies ... who have grown so large that they now barely fit into the nest.

By next week, these babies should be big enough to fledge ... and Mama and Papa won't have to worry about guarding their nest and will let me work in my front yard in peace. 

In other news, there will soon be more baby birds here to coo and squeal about ... Carolina Wrens have made a nest in a pot in the greenhouse, and there are three eggs in it so far! 

 

I love wrens!!

 

The Week That Was

This was a really good week!  I'm getting back into my normal groove, and it feels great.

1.  Ruby is becoming more comfortable as the only dog in the house.  She and I are doing a lot more off-leash work in the yard, and she is actually beginning to develop an appreciable attention span!  Of course, she never has any difficulty concentrating on bunnies or groundhogs in the yard, as she watches from her perch on the church pew at the dining room window.

 

 

2.  The roses are still blooming their little heads off.  The hot weather last week accelerated some of them, and it still a glorious show in the garden.  This is one I eagerly anticipate every year, "Arcata Pink Globe".  This rose grows in the right angle where two parts of the fence connect, and it spans 16+ feet in each direction ... and it's about ten feet high ... totally COVERED in light pink, fragrant flowers.  (Hey, Karen, how is yours doing?)

 

 

3.  Here is another photo from the park the other day.  Each of these holes on the path into the nature trail were made by a cicada nymph as it dug its way out of the ground after its 17-year nap.  Gives you an idea of just how many cicadas there can be in a particular area.  Fortunately, they don't eat roses (or much of anything else, I understand) or do much damage to anything besides the tips of tree limbs where the females lay their eggs (they like oaks, especially). 

Cicada holes, and goose poop.

 

 

4.  Dorothy had a follow-up visit to the veterinarian yesterday afternoon.  She's been having urinary issues.  Yesterday's appointment was to check her urine to make sure that the special food and medicine is making a difference.  I'm happy to report that all is well ... her pH came down from 8.5 to 6.5, no more crystals, and no infection!  (This is her safe place in the exam room, on the corner of the counter behind the computer monitor.)

 

 

5.  While Ruby was playing the other day, throwing and shaking the crap out of her toy chicken, one of its legs fell off.  This reminded me that I have completely forgotten to tell you that my friend Kim's dog TJ is nominated again in the Therapy Dog category of the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards. 

It reminds me of TJ because he and the toy chicken only have three legs.

 

 

This portion of the process is more of a popularity contest endurance event.  The dog in each category with the most votes at the end of the voting on July 31 moves on to the finals.  Please click HERE to vote for TJ.  One vote per day per email address. 

 

 

 

TJ was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in July 2010, and he had his left front leg amputated the next day.  Osteosarcoma is an aggressive disease, and the average survival time for a dog in his situation is less than 12 months ... TJ has just celebrated 35 months cancer free!  I love this dog as if he were my own ... since I just lost my Daniel to a different type of cancer, this is a cause that's very close to my heart.

 

Spread the word, share the link on FB, put it your blog, pin it on Pinterest, tweet it to the world.  Let's do what we can to put TJ into the finals so he can meet Betty White at the awards ceremony in October.

 

 

 

6.  The Mockingbird eggs in the rose in our front yard hatched this week.  I had a perfect opportunity to take a gorgeous photo of the little darlings, but I couldn't do it without someone to watch my back.  Mama and Papa Mockingbird were showing no mercy, as dive-bombed my head whenever I went near the nest.  As soon as the rain stops, I will ask The Husband to give me a hand.

 

 

 

Speaking of rain ... it is supposed to rain here all day.  Sounds like a perfect day to spend some quality time with my sewing machine.  I have martingale collars to make for our Greyhounds Rock booth at the Ashland Strawberry Festival tomorrow.  (This is typical for me ... leaving things to the last minute.  I'll get it done, though.)

 

Happy Friday, Everyone!

 

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Mockingbird, 2013

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Mockingbird,

I am flattered that you find my roses to be a favorable place to set up housekeeping and raise your family.  The 'Schoener's Nutkana' you chose this year is strong and dense, and should provide good protection for you and your babies. 

 

 

It is natural for you to assume that your eggs were in danger while I was checking on them and taking their picture the other day.  I guess I should thank you for your restraint, since you only swooped down on me and flapped the back of my head with your wings.  Once would have been sufficient to get your message across ... doing it twice was not necessary.

 

 

 

I am expecting a lot of visitors in the garden this afternoon.  There will certainly be some of them who stop to admire your rose bush, since it is such a lovely, unusual thing.  They will be warned in advance of your nest and it is perfectly acceptable for you to watch them and issue warning cries from your perch on the power line overhead. Remember, though, that it is the roses that my guests are interested in, not your eggs, and please do not flap any of them in the head.

 

Sincerely,

Connie