for the love of birds

One Male Wren Seeking Home for Love of His Life.

Wren perched in hydrangea tree outside my studio

Allowing nature to take its course can take patience. This is how I’ve felt with this dear little wren who has stopped by a few times in the last week scouting out potential bird houses suitable for his female wren companion.

A few years ago I was giddy with excitement as I was able to observe on a daily basis a set of wrens who decided to raise a family right outside my Joyful Pause Cottage studio.

I delighted in their daily song. Admired the male’s protectiveness of the nest. Smiled at their persistence in building a nest working together to get tiny sticks they’d gathered inside the bird house opening. But then how often the stick would be crosswise over the hole and try as they might it would eventually fall to the ground. Though there were a few times they’d figure it out, manage to turn the stick around, and I’d silently be cheering them on. While I also got quite the chuckle out of how determined they are as I watched the male wren swoop down and strike the back of a chipmunk nearby as a warning to move along.

It is the male who seeks out not only one location, but several for an appropriate nesting area. It is only then that he brings his female mate to these potential sites. She has the final say of what feels like home to raise their little brood.

I can certainly relate to this as home means so much to me too! And it got me to thinking about some patience that is in order for me also around some things I’ve been pondering. So thank you, Wren, for the reminder.

So, fingers crossed, we will have a wren family in the neighborhood later this spring! And hopefully by then my patience will have paid off too!

UPDATE: Tuesday morning at 10:30 am –  Wren was hanging out and singing away on top this birdhouse!

XO

Barb

Bird Haven Expansion

It wasn’t what I thought the noise was all about Sunday morning. The saw was buzzing and John was in full work mode. I thought for sure he was cutting something for the new home he is building for a client. A part of me let out a sigh.

Spring, summer, and fall is the busiest season for anyone in construction. Sometimes I can feel lonely with John’s schedule so full. While at the same time I feel blessed that he has work and that he loves what he does. 

So I kept busy in the kitchen cooking up the meal for dinner, which I often like to have prepped ahead of time on the weekends so we can enjoy time out on the deck come early evening.

Just as I finished making the casserole John popped up outside the screen door with a big grin and holding a birdhouse. My thought had been wrong. Here he was making another birdhouse for our bird haven that continues to expand each year.

Seems someone besides me has caught bird fever.  🙂

As I write this post he is whipping out yet another birdhouse. He had asked me where we might have room for another one. I said I wasn’t sure, but that we could walk around the yard to check it out. But he opted for just going ahead and making another one. I’m sure we will find somewhere to put it. No doubt.

Lucky birds. Lucky me. Blessed us. Suddenly I no longer feel so lonely.

XO

Barb