(re-run)
A mama bird built a nest over my front porch three plus weeks ago. I was away, and when I came back, I startled her. I am now using my side gate to come and go.
It’s not easy doing it this way for a couple of reasons.
- I have to weave my way through my laundry room to use the side door. It has a keyed entry, but I’ve never used it and don’t know where the key is.
- The gate latch is failing, so I’ve been known to shut the gate without really shutting it.
The dogs are confused. When it’s time for a walk, they still run to the front door. When we get back from the walk, they go to the front porch and wait for me to let them in.
Old habits die hard.
If I get a package it’s always on my front porch, only today it was out on the sidewalk. I think the UPS guy has been dive-bombed by Mama Bird one too many times. I know my neighbor collecting my newspapers was also dive-bombed when she tried to put them in the usual hiding place.
Last night I carefully opened the front door to look for a package. Mama Bird didn’t budge from her nest. It must be getting close to hatching time.
The horizontal roof beam that runs the width of my house is a perfect place upon which to build a nest. There is so much activity going on out there, I think there might be more than one.
I need to water the plants under the eaves to my roof, but the hose bib is there in the front, and the birds don’t like me to get so close.
I am a prisoner in my own home for two reasons — the pandemic, and the birds’ eggs above the porch.
I don’t know the incubation time for bird eggs. It’s a smaller bird, brown, of course. Mama birds are camouflaged for protection. Daddy bird comes around. He is a black and blue blur of activity.
I’d love to set up a camera to record the goings on, but I can’t without disturbing them. Maybe I’ll crack open my office window so that I can hear their chatter and singing as the day goes on.
Last night in a Zoom girlfriend meeting, one of the participants asked me what I do all day. She goes off to golf. I told her about my deep cleaning and purging that I am doing, but in no great hurry, since I don’t see the lockdown coming to an end anytime soon. The pile of donation bags is getting unruly but there’s nowhere to take it yet.
Yesterday I cleaned out the cleaning supplies closet and discovered that most of the cleaning products had been leaking onto the plastic placemat under them. I found spray paint, batteries, which are no good anymore, and shoe polish. I stopped to polish my leather shoes. It doesn’t take much to get me sidetracked.
Between walking the dogs, cleaning, eating all my solid-food calories by six and purging the storage tubs in the garage, I can fill up a day like nobody’s business.
I got one Zoom girlfriend to take me up on the free mirror that I took out of the hall bathroom.
All in a day’s work. Don’t worry. I saved some for tomorrow. And for the day after that.
And the day after that.
2021
One year later, the birds returned, and one built her nest in the wreath on the front door I can peek through the glass and see two hungry mouths, open and pointing upward.
We’ve been using the side door for almost two months. It’s so fun to see nature in action.
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 