What a pleasure!
Watching a little bird busily building her nest in our little nesting box.
To be honest, we were surprised.
The box was many years old and the wood had begun to rot.
The bluetits had long since decided it was too draughty for their home.
But this tiny bird had decided she was happy there.
I sent a rather blurred photo to my bird-watcher friend to see if he could identify it.
His reply was, “Could be a golden eagle!”
LOL! Thanks, Trev.
Serves me right for taking the photo from a distance through the kitchen window’s venetian blinds!
Bird Watching
Watching the bird was fascinating.
In. Out. In. Out.
I was exhausted by just watching her.
Bird Gone Missing
Unfortunately, a week later, there was no sign of the bird.
We thought she might be sitting happily within her nest, singing happily to her soon-to-be-born chicks.
But, alas, that wasn’t the case.
She’d laid her eggs. But had abandoned the nest.
Why?
I don’t know.
Perhaps frightened away.
Or maybe caught by the cat which regularly uses our garden for its morning rituals.
New Box: Interesting Discovery
Weeks passed.
Cobwebs formed over the entrance to the box.
So, yesterday, I removed the nesting box, and replaced it with a new non-draughty one.
I could see the old box was packed with moss.
And sitting on the top was a beautifully formed nest containing three eggs.
The eggs were stone cold.
Lifeless.
But then I noticed something unusual.
The eggs had a slightly different coloured shade on top.
Guess The Bird
So I asked my bird-watching friends again.
One friend thinks they may be goldfinch eggs. Another thinks robin or long-tailed tit.
I reckon they’re a bit too small to be a golden eagle. Sorry, Trev!
What do you reckon?
Do you recognise the eggs (or the bird in my blurred photo)?
It’s a shame to bin the nest and the eggs. Would a natural history museum appreciate them perhaps?
Or should I pop them back into the new box in case their mother got a bit distracted for several weeks and comes back to check on her nest?
Nature is Beautiful
Isn’t it amazing how a bird will work so hard to create a safe, warm and cosy environment for her young.
Even our old rotting box hadn’t put her off. Lots of moss filled in the draughty gaps.
And she’d formed a lovely round shape in which to lay her eggs.
Wonderfully and beautifully made.
The wonder of creation is incredible, isn’t it.
So sad to see the nest abandoned.
But it still filled me with a sense of awe and wonder.
The majesty of it all.
Roll on next spring.
A new nesting box awaits.
I can’t wait to see who claims it.
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