all about the birds and rain on Earth Day

I ended up not doing much of anything besides reading on Sunday. Ms cardinal however was very busy. Here’s Sunday’s progress on the her nest. I went out Monday morning when I got up to see if I could get a picture before she started work. 

She did all that in one day while her mate hung around visiting the bird feeder off and on. Sunday it was all little twigs, Monday she brought dried out leaves. But while I was gazing out the window this morning, a new bird came to the bird feeder, one I had never seen before. Google image search says it’s an indigo bunting. Not a great picture, shooting through the glass of the back door on high magnification which focused on the foliage behind but good enough I hope.

We wanted rain, we really needed rain, we begged for rain and finally we are getting more than a five minute shower. It started raining Saturday evening and rained gently for a long time during the night. I actually don’t remember if it rained Sunday, maybe a light shower or two but yesterday it started sprinkling late afternoon and it’s still raining. Last night was long and sleepless for me (neurotic panting shivering dog who cannot be still or consoled) because of a thunderstorm and lightning lighting up the room and I guess bouts of heavy rain. That finally passed before dawn so I got a few hours sleep before and after. Currently a steady gently rain, the kind that soaks in instead of running off. Just in time as the corn field across the road was on the verge of suffering. 

Before it started up again this morning (and rained lightly off and on all day) I took another picture of the cardinal nest, two days progress. Now that the rain has stopped, she’s back at work.

The mockingbird nest has another egg, so three now. It’s so different from the cardinal nest which is composed of tiny twigs and leaves. This one is much bigger and composed of small sticks with a little grassy lining. there’s even a scattering of them on the ground underneath.

Tuesday was grocery shop for the week day and all I wanted to do was go back to bed. Tai chi class last night. Only one more class and then Jo is gone for the summer. Costco run today but no yoga, I’ve already done my routine for the day. One more picture of the cardinal nest after Tuesday’s work, no eggs yet as far as I can tell. But the wren nest on the shelves in the garage is still active. She flew past me out of the nest when I peered too closely this morning. She sits so deeply in the nest and blends in so perfectly that it’s hard to tell if she’s in there but I did get a chance to see she has eggs.

Happy Earth Day! Do something to nurture our poor suffering planet. Pick up some trash, plant something, put out a dish of water for birds, bees, and other creatures, any small or large gesture to show our Mother she is loved.