Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Nature Comes Knocking on the Door



Nature came knocking on the door in the form of a house finch that has built its nest on the very top of a seasonal wreath we keep on the front door of our house. The fact that the wreath is fake does not seem to matter in the slightest, nor do the night lights in the front yard, or the fact that the door is opened and closed at least four or five times a day (we use the garage door more often).

The picture below was taken this morning, and shows four perfect eggs in the nest. Momma bird is dutifully sitting on them, and I suppose we can hope for chicks soon enough (never count your chicks before they hatch).

The location is actually not too bad -- there are several bird feeders in the front yard, and the smooth door should keep cats, fox, raccoon and possum away, while the overhang should keep everything nice and dry and shaded from hawks and direct sun. A southern exposure, on the other hand, should keep everything warm.

For those interested in the natural history of the house finch, see "Sparrows with Wine-colored Heads" -- it's a pretty interesting history of two of our most common birds.


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