Birds and Nests!

Back in February our beloved dog Keilere passed away. She was 14 years old and had lived a long and fun life! We miss her a lot and hope to one day get another dog.




Since her passing I have noticed an increase in bird activity in our yard, specifically nests. We were lucky enough to have one nest built in the Holly bushes adjacent to our back porch. by a pair of beautiful Cardinals. We watched through the screen in late March and early April as three small Cardinals hatched, fed, and were guided into flying by their parents. It was amazing to watch this part of their life cycle. During a flying lesson, the boys and I got too close to the screen and the mother fluttered wildly at us. We backed away respectfully. Again in late May, Mike found another nest in the Silverthorn bush on the west side of the house that hides the trash barrels. Apparently once the chicks fly, the nests are abandoned as the nests are still there but remain empty.

With the onset of Spring in March, it's been amazing not just seeing the nests and chicks, but hearing the birdsongs! Our neighborhood has many wonderful trees for birds to spend time in. While out on walks, the boys and I will stop and listen to the sounds of the birds and try to identify where they are and if we can spot them in the trees. Today we were able to spot a few.

Spending time listening to the birds and attempting to identify them reminds me that we have a wonderful book to read in our home studies. The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess is a wonderful story about birds in their communities. We also have field guides to birds as well as a wonderful book with audio recordings of birdsongs to help us identify birds by their calls.