Thoughts on nesting and families returning

Hanging ivy geranium basket with hidden junco nest

nest in basket

Last week, with the warmer weather, I moved the wintered over ivy geranium hanging basket from the greenhouse and placed it undercover on a hook by the back door. By the end of the day there was a junco nest in it.

I can see now that the junco had a sense of urgency since their usual nesting ground in the long border was disrupted this year in order to battle the bindweed.  It made me realize once more how much we need to be stewards of the earth. Where we take away habitat, we need to provide another spot so all can “be fruitful and multiply.”*  I didn't do this intentionally but see it was God's intention.

The nest boxes for the swallows and wrens were cleaned out last week just in time for the violet-green swallows return. How fun to see them return from the far south to our meadow for the first time since thy left last August landing right at the nest box entrances.

Our minds have been focussed on babies and families flying north. Our daughter and two babies flew north this week, returning to the area for a short visit. So we rushed down to see her and and spend time with grandkids and rest of family. So you can see why the blog focus is around families returning and nesting and babies.

Where and how have you provided important habitat for your family to grow and perhaps return?
How are you taking dominion over the land where you are placed including creatures on it?  Is it with love?

*God said,” Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:2

Back Home Again

The Tree Swallows are back
Tachycineta bicolor L 5 ¾” (15 cm)

The day I posted my last blog, I walked out the cottage door to the patio and looked across the field toward the water. As if upon command, the sky opened up and in the distance I saw dots heading this way at great speed. I gazed amazed at the blue angel precision flying through the carved out of the woods opening at the water, a right turn glide to sweep the length of the homesteaded field and back. Quick turns and excited chatter announce the arrival of the swallow’s fresh arrival from South America or perhaps the West Indies and a focused feeding, a feast of mosquitoes waiting. I am overjoyed that they survived one more year to follow God’s command on their life to be fruitful and multiply. Although only six this year, I hear them chattering and then one heads right to the nest box on the post and my heart welcomes the tree swallow family back. We put up the nest box about ten years ago, after seeing what we thought were violet green swallows to entice the cavity nesters to stay. Since then we’ve been privileged to see 10 years of successful tree swallow broods.

I guess the excitement of the swallows reminds me of summers returning to Nova Scotia, my parent’s birthplace, traveling the 800 miles north by car. As we crossed the Nova Scotia border and heard the piper playing my mother and I would start crying that we were going home, and then landed at our grandparent’s home which never seemed to change. We would get together with relatives, cousins and sing, feast and have fun and have the freedom in the fields to roam.

and the House Wrens
Troglodytes aedon L 4 ¾ (12cm)

I have been trying to figure out what bird this was that claimed the old tree swallow nest box this week and concluded it was a house wren, tail not raised, returning from S. California or Mexico. The female busied herself all week gathering twigs and grass for the nest while the male sang and stood fast, protecting the territory.

A few days later, perhaps the same pair of House Wrens moved here when the flicker started drumming at 8 a.m. on the top of their box!

“In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:10