Play Book Tag discussion

In my review of Barbara Kingsolver's Small Wonder I mentioned the robin's nest in my back yard.

When I wrote the review (Friday July 15) there were four little blue eggs in it.

Saturday morning we had two baby birds ... by Sunday there were three baby birds.

This morning I posted this on my review thread:
And we have three chicks now! They are hungry little devils!

I had a gathering at my house a week ago and my F2F book club is coming tomorrow. For both gatherings we put up barriers so that people can't walk on the back sidewalk. The honeysuckle in which mama robin build her nest is right next to that sidewalk and we don't want them disturbed, even inadvertently. Our gardener is coming today and there are a couple of things that need attention in that garden (mostly dead-heading), so she'll have to watch for mama to fly off to get more provisions before she starts clipping away near that honeysuckle. (And, in a year without a nest, I would have had the gardener cut that honeysuckle all the way back to the trellis two weeks ago, so I'd get a second full blooming to feed the hummingbirds on their way back south later in the year. We'll have to wait another 2-3 weeks, until the fledglings leave the nest to trim it back.)

===========================================

Just back from "Wild Birds Unlimited" with $30 worth of live meal worms to help Momma Robin feed her hungry family.

Not getting much reading done, as I am mesmerized by this little miracle of life happening outside the window.

I would be thrilled.

I have a hummingbird feeder in front of the window where my computer is located, so enjoy watching them.

It is awesome to watch. I remember that from the farm.

A friend had a nest in the wreath on the front door of their vacation home on a reservoir and nature preserve - not a robin but can't remember what. My friend has video footage from their Ring doorbell and security system, that was inset in the door, of the entire thing, from nest building, to mama sitting on eggs and papa bringing food for mama during that, then the hatching and feeding. Finally the fledging and nest abandonment.

They did visit the house during the bird occupancy but stayed away from the frontdoor, front porch, and front foyer so as to leave little family alone. I think they had 3 little ones.

I love hearing about your baby birds. Robins do seem to build nests that are not so hidden. I've seen one nest right in the middle of a busy college campus.

I just came back from a walk in a nearby park. To my delight, I saw a mother wood duck and three tiny ducklings in a pond there. The ducklings look like they are newly born. My husband and I have already been watching families of geese and another wood duck with 9 little ones grow up on a different lake. We love it!

Well about two weeks ago a turkey hen and her dozen or so teeny tiny little poults were in our backyard. Hard to count as the little ones were hidden in the vegetation ... even small enough to hide in the grass (which needed mowing at the time).

==================================

As for the meal worms. Didn't take Momma long to discover them. The guy at the store said to put them a little aways from her nest, but where she could see them. I put them by the bird bath with is about 6-feet from the honeysuckle. It's also a bit shady there ... it's a scorcher today and I wasn't sure how long they'd survive in that heat. Certainly long enough to capture Mom's attention!

Per his instructions we're putting out only about a tablespoon of worms per day.

We have lots of turkeys in our part of the Sacramento Valley. Every year when I was working a mama turkey and her babies would cruise around the campus.

One morning at home, I heard a turkey gobbling above me, I looked up and he was sitting on top of the street light .

Glad to hear the little birdies have arrived! It is awesome to watch nature-and you are such a great hostess!

I bet it is wonderful to watch them.

Oooooh, I'm jealous! Enjoy watching them grow! (Needless to say, I'm sure.)

This a very special thing to experience. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

How exciting! Keep us posted!

Book Concierge wrote: "In my review of Barbara Kingsolver's Small Wonder I mentioned the robin's nest in my back yard.

When I wrote the review (Friday July 15) there were four little blue eggs in it.

Sat..."

Wow! We have a robin's nest in a tall shrub next to our bedroom window, but you can't see the nest or the chicks so it might as well not even be there. I have spotted the broken eggs on the ground, though.

Let us know how they grow :)!