Empty Nest

Jul 24, 2009
Categories: life, photography

Two days ago i went out to check on the babies a little before noon, and there was only one left in the nest. I saw two sitting up on the firehouse roof chirping and looking a little bewildered. Fearing the worst, i looked down into the alley below, but thankfully could not make out any splatted baby birds. I saw the daddy come over to the babies on the firehouse and then fly away again. I let Nathan know of the developments, and by the time he came home for lunch there was just one sitting there across the way, still peeping, and the nest was empty.

Last Baby 2

After a while we realized that the last baby was still sitting under the lettuce just beside the nest, looking up at his sibling and contemplating his first flight. I took one last photo of him, inadvertently encouraging him to join the others in leaving home forever. He flew directly to the firehouse rooftop with no trouble at all.

Last Baby

That was the last we saw of them. It’s been two days now, and we’re officially empty-nesters. Looking out at the garden box gives me a little pang of sadness every time. Nathan and i have been spending more time with each other now that there are no little ones around. Their nest is the same way they left it so far, but we’re contemplating converting the space into a bed for another basil plant. We’ve talked about taking up golf, and i plan to begin scrapbooking the memories as soon as we return from vacation in August.

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The Little Bird Family

Jul 21, 2009
Categories: life, photography

I couldn’t pick just one favorite, so here are several shots i took yesterday when the parents came to feed their babies:

Beatrice & the Babies 2

Papa & Babies

Papa & Babies 3

Papa & Babies 4

They finally got cute. :) They’re about 2/3 the size of the adults already. When the parents are away they get up and hop just outside of the nest and flap their wings. If they see us coming, though, they pack themselves into the nest and become quiet and still. They’re so big that usually one is stuck directly underneath another one so that they can all fit in the nest.

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Baby Birdies

Jul 07, 2009
Categories: photography

Three ugly little fuzzballs today

I took this photo of our new hatchlings over the weekend. By now all five have hatched and are growing fuzzier every day, but they don’t have a lot of energy so i haven’t been able to get a good photo of all five yet. Aren’t they so ugly??

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Urban Garden Birdhouse

Jun 17, 2009
Categories: life, photography

Urban Birdhouse

Two little sparrows decided to build their home in our garden box yesterday! I just can’t evict them, i think it’s so cute how they’re using our lettuce as a roof and everything. I even gave them some hair from my hairbrush and they used it in the nest!

That’s my pathetic little parsley plant next to it, by the way. I don’t actually have a green thumb, it’s all just a front.

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Urban Garden

Jun 15, 2009
Categories: apartments, life, photography

Baby Maters

This is the first real fruit from our little window box garden, although we’ve already taken a few leaves from the lettuce and basil plants for various meals. We’re pretty proud—we call the plants our babies.

Urban GardenCherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, thyme, parsley, oregano and basil.

Nathan built the window box and i chose the paint color. We planted the babies together and water them on days that nature doesn’t do so for us. We don’t have a proper watering can, so we use our cups instead.

Basil Blossoms 2

I noticed today that our basil plant is blossoming. So pretty.

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