Thursday, May 19, 2011

A Tumbledown Nursery

View from my bedroom window.
Just days ago I walked into the bedroom and noticed that the books and clutter on my headboard had been all pushed around. Some things had even been knocked to the floor. Obviously Boo had been up there, perched precariously while watching the finch, when something BIG happened. I could only imagine what. I looked at the window and the mother finch wasn't on her nest....
 
In a panic, I stood on the pillows and looked over the edge of the window moulding. From the bowl of the nest a tiny bird's head was stretching up and up on a threadlike stalk of a neck, its mouth gaping wide. And surrounding it were little dime-sized balls of fluff. All the eggs had hatched.
 
I know nothing about purple finches save for the fact that they sing like angels. (But don't take my word for it; I think starlings sing like angels, too.) For all I knew, Boo had frightened the mother away and the nestlings were now abandoned. I replaced everything on the headboard and pointed my finger at Boo, who sat on a pillow at my feet, and for the rest of the day I monitored the window activity as best I could.
 
I needn't have worried. All in the finch world is running like a well-oiled machine. And now this morning I'm happy to report that a handful of hungry nestlings woke me at dawn.
 
 Just as I anticipated, no alarm clock was necessary. :)
...
 

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