After a few weeks’ of careful watching, I’ve figured out that our little House Finch Family has, as they say in the bird world, flown the coop. The parents and babies have moved on to greener trees.
We are getting ready for a graduation party around here (Go Logan) and so I decided that with the birds out of the nest, it was finally time to take down our Christmas wreath (and the sign warning people to BE QUIET!!!!)
It turns out the birds’ home is a feat of architectural wonder. I’m not sure what I expected to see (a perfectly round nest at the top of a wreath?), but I sure didn’t expect to see one that used our porch wall as the back wall of the nest.
Of course I called all the kids over to see (hey, I’m a teacher *everything* is a teaching moment, I don’t care how old they are.) Take a look at this, I told them, look at how incredibly clever these tiny birds are. By using the porch wall, they saved all of that construction energy for the babies.
Use what you already have to your benefit – such a simple way to live.
Of course, I couldn’t help but think of my grandparents who always taught me “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” Save that wrapping paper to reuse. The baby food jars to store nails. The tin foil that could be used again and again. It’s a way to reuse what you already have. It’s a way to save money and energy.
Such a simple way to live.
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Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at [email protected]
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