I love Springtime in our yard. It has been an especially cool one (until now, at least). We've had rain about once a week, which has caused things to grow like crazy. The season brought some friends back to our house that we've seen for a couple of years now. The hummingbird couple showed up on Easter Sunday. I had been hanging the feeders for two weeks, and Gabriel was the one who spotted them. We added a third tiny feeder in our Chinese pistachio, and they LOVE it because it's farther away from the hubbub of the house. I know it's the same couple not only because of their markings, but because within a week of arriving they didn't pay much attention to any of us, and now just feed whether we're out there or not. Along with the nectar from the feeders, they enjoy salvia and honeysuckle during this time of year. I know their tiny chirps and can usually find them sitting in the trees. I have lots of questions about this couple, though. Are they the same species? Do differing species ever mate if they can't find one of their own? I looked up nesting patterns of hummingbirds, and the female is the one who does all the work making the nest, even testing it by flying into it and jumping on it to make sure it is strong enough. One upsetting thing I read was that the inside of the nest cannot reach a temperature of more that 96 degrees F or the eggs will not hatch. That is why many hummingbirds nest farther north than Texas. It's been cooler, but we've also had some pretty hot days. I hope they can have some babies this year.
We also had a return visit for about the fourth year in a row from our crow couple. We weren't sure if it's the same couple coming back year after year, or their offspring. We always call the large one Charlie and the slightly smaller one Charlie's wife. Charlie is at least two feet tall. He's the crow that scared away a hawk from their coveted bird bath earlier in the Spring. We have heard the babies through the years. They "caw", but the sound is more high-pitched than the adult calls. But this is the first year that we've actually witnessed the offspring. They have two "babies" that are now almost as big as their parents, following them around and doing their little mini-caws. The parents offer them worms and other tidbits still, and they still have their little beaks open waiting for a treat most of the time. Both kids were drinking from the bird bath one night last week, with either Momma or Daddy watching from the nearby tree. In all these years we didn't realize that the babies get that big so quickly. The picture on the left is one of the offspring at the prized birdbath. The other is the Mama, the Daddy (Charlie, the big guy on the far side of the street) and other baby. These were taken at the same time, and that is the farthest away I have seen one of the babies get away from their parents
Then I looked up how long crow fledgelings stay with their parents and learned a fascinating thing: Crow chicks stay with their parents for an entire year or sometimes longer, and actually help raise the next year's fledgelings! Fascinating. At least to this bird nerd. I used to think they were a nuisance, always hogging the bird bath and dunking all kinds of disgusting stuff in it that I have to dump out. But now I think their presence has become part of our life cycle as much as theirs. They tolerated Jav and I spending several Sundays out putting in a new flower bed (a post on that later), and would just patiently wait in one of the trees until we went to the garage or inside for a few minutes. We could barely walk away before one of them was standing on the bird bath again, dunking something or getting a drink.
We also have had a fun time watching a Screech Owl couple named Hoot N Annie by the people whose yard they reside in. The couple decided to build an owl box, and when they realized a couple had found it and laid eggs inside, before the next Spring they installed a camera inside the box, and one outside to watch the door. Since then Hoot N Annie have successfully hatched and raised 25 owlets! Pretty good parents, if you ask me. They had four this year, and I cannot begin to explain how nice it has been to watch this event unfold, especially during the tragedies of the Boston bombings, the West, Texas explosion, and the recent horrible tornado destruction. Watching these babies hatch, get bigger, and finally fly the nest has been a breath of fresh, happy air. Above is a picture of two of the new hatchlings. Look how CUTE they are. Here is the link to see video of them leaving the nest for the first time.
We were also proud to have more bees, this time on the honeysuckle and our giant photinia that's outside our master bedroom windows. One evening when I was putting off cooking dinner, the boys and I just planted ourselves on some chairs and watched them feeding for about 20 minutes. They loved being able to get that close to them with no fear of a bee sting. Even though I tell them all the time that the bees are too busy doing their pollination thang to be too worried about them walking by.
But the coolest thing that happened this Spring had to be our caterpillars. We were invaded by these black, burgandy and blue spiky caterpillars. Jav and I don't remember ever seeing them before. They were all over our front porch, hanging from the eaves and attic vents, when I guessed that they might be preparing to make a chrysalis around themselves. We started checking daily, and sure enough suddenly counted six. There were other caterpillars still hanging around, but something ate them or happened to them before they had a chance to make a chrysalis.
I didn't check on them every day, because I read that the chrysalis period could take anywhere from one week up to two years! Then one day Joel and I got home from preschool, and noticed something on the garage floor. It was a butterfly! And it was so beautiful. It must have fallen off the garage door when I opened it up. I found a big leaf and led it to (hopefully) safety under a bush in the yard. The others hung next to their chrysalis for 24 or so hours, I'm assuming to dry their wings out? Or work their courage up? There was one left and Joel and I checked it one morning, and the chrysalis had turned black. I KNEW it was about to come out, but we had a lunch date with my cousin and couldn't stay and watch. Sure enough, when we returned there was the butterfly hanging there, proud as a peacock.
I finally looked it up a few nights ago and found out it's called a Mourning Cloak. It's a brush-footed butterfly, which means their front two legs are characteristically shorter than their 4 remaining legs, and therefore impossible to aid in walking. The article says they overwinter as adults, which I guess means they are supposed to live all the way to the following Spring? That would be a long time. I have since seen one flitting around our driveway and realized what it must feel like when a child returns from college for that first weekend back at home - giddy parental joy. Even though I had nothing to do with these beauties being born, I feel somehow responsible for them, and I'm afraid there is no way they're going to make it until next Spring. Maybe that is why we've never seen them before in the 8-1/2 years we've been here.
It was just so cool to actually witness something I've only read about or seen on TV. It really, really happens! Makes me want to break into the chorus of, "The Circle of Life" from the Lion King. Thank goodness this blog has no sound!
No comments:
Post a Comment