Today, I noticed that they were building the nest right in the tumbleweed:
It's really not a very good location at all. Every time we go in and out of the house, they get disturbed. How do they expect to raise a family this way?
I thought about a Nest Relocation Program, moving the entire Tumbleweed Development to the other side of the deck. They can still see it easily, but they wouldn't be right by the front door. But I'm not sure that they'll be able to find it.
Then I thought, hmm, if they can't figure out how to locate a nest, maybe they shouldn't be passing on their genes anyhow! My neighbors thought that was perhaps a bit judgmental on my part.
In the mean time, I remembered to get some photos of the garden. These are the Blueberry Hill and Coronation (in back) roses. What you can't see is the Lawrence of Arabia, which is a deep burgundy red and in between these two. The poor plant has been moved 3 times and spent the entire spring under a supposedly miniature something-or-other that grew to be 6 feet wide. (You can see the offending plant at the foot of the Coronation, having just been hacked back to 3 feet, it's "maximum" size.)
So here's a part of the yard that has been neglected for a couple of years. This pine has really grown, the lower branches long and droopy. There is/was a path in front of this pine, to the left of the picture frame, but it fell out of use because the pine branches hung so low, and also a 3-feet tall carpet of rose campions had pretty much taken over.
So here, the droopy branches had been pruned. And this evening, I removed most of the rose campions. You can almost see the path again!
The peony! I haven't had a lot of luck with my peonies. Mostly they set bud but never bloom. But this year, they're cooperating. At least 2 of the 3 peonies are. The white one is blooming too. The pink one, no luck.
I just like the geums behind my little homemade Japanese lantern.
A mullein! They're pretty dramatic volunteers. They do much better in Eastern Oregon, but I get one occasionally, and this one landed in a particularly sunny spot.
Posts
5 comments:
i love reading about other people's gardens. the geums are adorable!
i'm guessing the issue is not that the birds will be disturbed, but that they'll make a mess when they have kids. you could try moving the nest a little each day...
gl -- how funny, my neighbor mentioned the mess too. I hadn't particularly cared about the mess, but hmm, perhaps I should?!
Moving the Tumbleweed Development little by little would require that there are hooks all along the way; and actually, where I'd like to move it would be on the other side of the front door (but further away), which would mean it would have to get closer to the door before it can get further away again.
I saw them just once today, so maybe they're changing their minds. I hope.
You know, most mammalian megafauna would just EAT a bird that offered itself up like that. So, I'm sure none of us would think less of you if you just cooked that sucker up in an omlette.
Your garden looks fab.
OK, M5K, the next time you and the missus come over, I'll serve them right up in an omelette for you!
Beautiful garden pictures.
You definitely don't want a bird nest near your front door. I had one and when they multiplied, the parents were so protective they dive-bombed my head every time I went in and out of the house.
In fact, I called the Audubon Society for advice and finally wondered aloud, "They won't hurt me, will they?" And the woman there said, "Well, they ARE pretty aggressive."
Good luck. I suggest a relocation as soon as possible.
Post a Comment