Summertime at the farm is one of my favorite seasons. Everyone here is grateful that the cold temperatures are long past, the sun is shining, and everything is green and growing. Our baby goats have reached what I refer to as their mischievous adolescent age. They are more independent, and their mamas have weaned many. However, baby goats are not the only babies on the farm. Our Canadian friends, who return to us every spring, successfully hatched a gosling. The baby goose no longer looks like a little ball of fluff but a teenager with feathers. I am also fortunate to have a red house finch make a nest in one of my hanging baskets. This lovely tiny bird made a lovely tiny nest and laid six lovely tiny eggs. It has been a wonder to watch them.
Those lovely tiny eggs have now hatched, and six baby birds are living in my hanging basket. The nest is in the center of the basket, so I can care for my flowers while not disturbing the nest. I love that the little birds chose our porch to build their little family. The mama bird is with them almost all the time. When she does fly away, the beautiful red male comes to sit on the nest and keep watch over his brood. Surprisingly, the little birds are not shy or afraid of us. We all sit on the porch together, watching each other.
I wonder if birds find us as fascinating as I find them. Do they see me give my bean a kiss or a hug and say to each other, “Aww, look how nurturing the mama is with her little one!” And do they watch Eric sit and tease us and think, “It’s a good thing he’s handsome because he’s noisy.” It’s funny to contemplate what animals think of our antics.
This year, I have noticed various bird life around our home. We have red finches, yellow finches, Northern bluebirds, red-headed woodpeckers, and even an oriole. I have not seen my little hummingbirds, but I don’t have my feeder out yet. I keep telling The Bibbed Wonder and The Bean I should keep a bird journal to document the birds I see. They laugh at me and call me a bird nerd. Sigh.
It’s amazing what one sees when one sits quietly with nature. If I had the stamina, I would sit outside after dark to see what comes into our yard. We have seen a baby opossum, a raccoon, and deer. I wonder if my fox friend comes in? Do coyotes come in once the sun goes down and the dogs are in bed? Do we have a bear who visits when everything is dark and quiet? I’m unsure I want to meet these creatures alone in the dark. Perhaps a trail cam would suffice…
Stay safe, be smart, enjoy observing nature, and keep washing your hands on this cloudy Friday eve.
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