We have had a camping excursion scheduled for many weeks, and we have been looking forward to connecting with old friends again. However, a pair of robins set up housekeeping in the well which holds the power cord for 120 AC when we are docked. Last Friday, I peeked inside, saw no birds and breathed a sigh of "oh, good; they have flown the nest." I grabbed a handful of straw and threw it to the ground and pulled the cord out. Then I spied five teeny birds in the back of the box. So I reset the nest, announced to Ma and Pa, who were watching from the ash tree, that they had a week to get the youngsters raised and out of the nest. They returned to their task, and I waited patiently for the kids to grow up and get lost.
Now, in the meantime, the gas prices at the local pump went down twenty-seven cents^ from the week-end gou--, er, ah, pricing. So, I thought, I must get to the station before Thursday, else the price will rise again for the next weekend. I went to check on the birds. Still there. But I had made a watertight nest container with access hole for the parents, and for the kidlets when thrown from the nest.
I reached in, nestled a chick in my hand and dropped it into the container. Next one, same thing, but it immediately flew out the top and hopped away under the RV. Third bird, same as the second. Net result: three birds gone, two in the bucket. So I hung the contraption in the tree and went about the chore of cleaning up bird mess, a process the description of which I will spare you.
As I drove off to the filling station, I saw one of the birdlets with both parents running around the yard together. I later saw one fly to a rooftop!
I am an old softy, but not soft enough to allow a bird family to deter me from camping. I wish them well, but will not hold my breath. Judge me if you must.*
^$3.889
*As of Thursday afternoon, all had flown the nest.
4 comments:
Have a great camping trip! You old softie, how nice of you to make an alternate nest. I had barn swallows on my porch in Elburn. They were dirty things, but I could not bring down the nest until they flew south for the winter. They are protected by law. At least that was my excuse. When they came back the following summer, their nest was gone. They proceeded to try to rebuild, but I went out every day and yelled at them. I told them I was trying to sell my house and they couldn't build there. They went somewhere else.
Ilene, me, too. We had barn swallows above the entry door at the lake. We went around the house to enter that summer. I know how mean they can be when one walks too close to the nest; and they call all their neighbors to help, too.
Ah yes, life goes on. Have fun.
Chuck: And it was fun! Hot, sticky, windy, rainy, wet fun, fun fun. Seriously, we enjoyed it. Mostly.
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