It's for the Birds...

The old nursery rhyme goes: "A birdie with a yellow bill, hopped upon my windowshill, Cocked his shiny eye and said, 'Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepy head?'" This little finch and his wife are very curious - they love the bush that grows outside our "office" window, and we often have more fun watching them as they check us out. All of the pictures are taken through the screen on the window, as you can see from the first picture. Holding the camera at an angle gives me a clear picture, eliminating the screen effect. After this little fellow paraded for us, he obliged us with a song, and then went back to the nest. This is the first day his mate has not come, so she must be sitting on the nest.

And this persistent robin pair insisted on making a nest on the brick ledge above the patio door. In years past, we have managed to block them, but this year we were too slow, so there she is, guarding her nest very jealously, and dripping straws and dried grass on my planters of impatiens below her. At least this nest will be safe from the marauding magpies - and we may get to see some babies.