Wet,wet and more wet…

Okay, enough with the rain already!  Seventy some odd millimetres is more than enough to water the garden!  I was ready to get the kayak out.  We have a lovely, big sunroom but with all that rain, the skylights sprung a couple of leaks so Murray was up on the roof, hard at work sealing them as soon as the rain stopped.  Hopefully, good as new, well maybe not new… Anyway, we’ve had enough moisture for awhile.  Now just waiting for the humidity to lift. 

This place is for the birds!  Last week we heard a scratching in the living room stovepipe so assumed it was a bird.  Well, it would have to make it’s own way out, right?  It did, about three days later.  The latch wasn’t on the door, so it managed to push the door open, unbeknownst to me.  I heard a thudding sound, like a bird hitting the outside of a window, only much louder.  It must have knocked itself out because it was lying on the floor in the sunroom.  I picked it up and proceeded to go outside and try to find a place to put it.  Of course, the dogs wanted to “help”.  Not happening, so I secured them in the house.  I went down into the maze and found a secluded corner with a bench.  It was starting to rain, which I thought was a good thing because that would help revive the poor thing.  I set it down and it was able to lift it’s head, but was still dazed.  I found out later that it was an immature starling - we have a couple of families nesting in the eaves of our house.  When I checked back the next day, it wasn’t there so I’m thinking good thoughts and hoping it flew away.  Yes, that’s it!  Now for the chickadees.  We seldom see them, they spend most of their time in the woods near the property.  So it was quite unusual to see one nesting in a birdhouse near the cottage clothesline.  Every time I go out to hang laundry, the mom flits around, chick-a-deeing at me.  They are SO cute!  Anyway, a few days ago I was going to hang laundry as usual when I noticed something in the grass.  There was one of the babies, no bigger than the size of a chicken’s egg, and with few feathers.  I don’t even think it’s eyes were open!  I got some latex gloves and a ladder and carefully picked the little guy up.  He struggled a bit and I hoped that I wasn’t holding him too tight.  Gingerly I moved him into the birdhouse hole and nudged him through.  Success!  Then a couple of days later I decided to start checking regularly to make sure everything was okay.  Well, sure enough, another one!  This one was a little bigger and had more feathers.  I can imagine how hot it must be in there so they were probably moving towards the cooler air.  Anyway, same process only I had left the ladder there just in case.  This fellow was a little stonger and struggled a bit more but I managed to get him back in.  I checked again today, but no little birdies.  They must have heard me because all of a sudden the babies started squawking.  Mom must be out hunting for food.  Can’t wait until they start to leave the nest!  With any luck I’ll get a chance to see it.  As a footnote, the same house last year housed a squirrel family and I had to put one of the babies back in there too.  It was pretty young, eyes closed and little fur.  I don’t know if it made it but hopefully I’ll have more luck with the chickadees!  Until next time, stay cool and dry.