Springtime Nesting

We are still waiting 
for the last remaining

piles of shoveled or plowed snow 
to melt.

It's almost gone, 

though we did have 

snow flurries on Monday ---

 just in time for April Fool's Day
but they did not stick.

I went out last evening 
to pull and pack up
 evergreens left over
from our Christmas decor ---
OMG!!! So late!
(Don't judge!)

Normally, I would have had

my holiday pine garland 

around the front door taken down in

 January  

but this year I was unable to do so.

Why? You ask?

Close-up of garland in December

When I tried to remove it this year,

 I was dive-bombed 
by a couple of  little birds.

They had built a nest

in the greens 
and they DID not 

want me to get near it.

Each time someone would come to the front door,
during the last two months ...

I would quickly apologize 
for the "lovely"  
orange/brown dead greens
surrounding the entry door

and would explain why it was still there.

They would say
 " now I know why I was
 reliving a scene 
from an Alfred Hitchcock movie!"

So I decided to leave it hanging
to allow the little 

 house finches 

to have their babies.

Aren't they cuties?

  

So here were are in April,

 and there hasn't been

 much movement around the door
 for the last few days.

Trust me, I know this.

We have a faithful sentinal at the door
who has been keeping an eye on the situation.

Note to self, clean window!  

Max has left his post.
No longer watching their 
every little finchy move.

We're having a couple days 
of warm weather this week -- 

a balmy 55 degrees --  LOL.

Grabbed my ladder 
to see the nest for the first time. 

It was there but seemed to be abandoned.

Only one little unhatched

egg remained. Oh! How sad. 

No birds in sight.
Was safe on the ladder.

The other eggs must have hatched
 while we were gone last week 

for spring break. Missed all the tiny chirping and the

constant attention of mama and papa finch.

I am sure Max and Simba did not miss it!

   

I tucked the nest and lone egg into the closest pine just in case this little baby
"didn't get the memo" and just hasn't popped out yet! I know it won't happen, but just in case?

Forgot to share with you another nest
that we found in our Christmas tree this year.
When the tree was delivered,
the farmer showed us an added bonus
that was still tightly attached 
to the trunk and a branch!

I saved it. No eggs left in this one. It is BIG.

It is still very gray and dead

in the yard. Cannot wait to see that

gorgeous glorious green

that will start emerging from the earth

and the dark brown branches

in a matter of days.

The sun was going down as I took these last evening.

Early signs. Hostas.

Daffodils.

What's happening 
in your yard?

Got green?