When we recently moved into our new home here, I was madly in love with the huge growth of Jasmine that was enveloping our patio cover. It was in full bloom and was almost too fragrant with its thick romantic scent.
Within a couple weeks, though, the full bloom of little Jasmine flowers succumbed to a heatwave and browned, much of it falling to the patio. It's not so pretty anymore, and I am waiting eagerly for the next bloom.
But new life has come to the Jasmine!
Up in the corners of the trellis, where it meets the neighbor's wall, the Jasmine grows in thick, dense bushes. It seems that a pair of birds comes back each spring and burrows into one of the bushes and builds a new nest beside last year's abandoned one. There are now four nests that I can see, and in the latest one are a gaggle of not-quite-so-little baby birds.
We see the parents come by on a regular basis, both bringing little morsels of food for the hungry mouths, and the chirping commotion when it's feeding time always brings me to the window to watch.
The parents used to fly around and scream at us when the kids would come out and play under the nest in the shade of the patio cover, but I think, while wary, they have come to trust that we will not harm their babies. Ethan will point to any bird that comes near our yard and yell out "Daddy!" and "Mommy!", his best guess on which is which.
Up in the corners of the trellis, where it meets the neighbor's wall, the Jasmine grows in thick, dense bushes. It seems that a pair of birds comes back each spring and burrows into one of the bushes and builds a new nest beside last year's abandoned one. There are now four nests that I can see, and in the latest one are a gaggle of not-quite-so-little baby birds.
We see the parents come by on a regular basis, both bringing little morsels of food for the hungry mouths, and the chirping commotion when it's feeding time always brings me to the window to watch.
The parents used to fly around and scream at us when the kids would come out and play under the nest in the shade of the patio cover, but I think, while wary, they have come to trust that we will not harm their babies. Ethan will point to any bird that comes near our yard and yell out "Daddy!" and "Mommy!", his best guess on which is which.
In the last few days the babies have begun to come out and sit on the "front porch" of their nest and peer out into the big wide world and I am surprised at how big they have grown, almost as big as their tiny parents.
I think it's almost time to learn to fly.
Because there is nothing but concrete below them, I have moved my coveted new patio furniture underneath them, covered the sofa with an old bed sheet to keep it clean, and made a soft landing for the babies should they decide to make the great leap and need to try, try again.
I assume with four nests there, the babies likely survived in the past, but when you venture out in the world for the first time, its always nice to make a soft landing.
2 comments:
Oh how neat. Of course you know that I LOVE baby birds. Smart girl to put something under them. When they fledge and try to fly, if they don't get very far, you can pick them up and put them back in the nest. Mom and Dad will take care of them. I couldn't really tell what kind of bird it is. Do you know? Keep us posted.
You so sweet, so much youre mother's daughter. I would have never thought to put a platform -- clever (and generous)
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