Poor little birdies

The weather here finally warmed enough that I would get out and clean up the yard. It was beginning to look pretty haggard after this winter and all the rain lately has everything sprouting mach 10.

I started out by mowing the 6in high grass. About 70% through and I ran out of gas...well the mower not me. Surprisingly because after a long winter hibernation, I can be known to need a kick start myself.

No problemo- just have to grab the gas can....nowhere to be found. Then I recall my daughter loaning it last summer to a friend, and 'I'll bring it right back mommy'. Didn't happen.

Next I moved on to the trimming... I have an electric trimmer as the fumes from gas powered models makes me sick. (and we were out of gas anyway. Approx as far into the yard as I had worked the lawn cutting, the blasted thing makes a whirring noise, squeals, 'poof' catches fire near the twine carriage and dies on me....

So it seems they last about 2 years.

I pulled out the clippers and went to town baring down some evergreens and some limbs off some of the overgrown trees. I made so much progress that I was left with a large pile of evergreen boughs. So large, I am still at a loss as to what to do with them. I really wish I had a shredder they would make wonderful mulch.

Then I moved on to my clematis vine. When in full bloom it has large violet blossoms much like this photo. (right)


However, after a long winter it looks more like this. (left)

So I dug in and started to break off the dead, dry leaves and some of the dead vines. Some of which met their fate when I was clearing brush near the bottom and accidentally whacked off with the aforementioned weed trimmer.



While I was breaking the vines, I heard a light thud and looked down to see this tiny baby bird fluttering in the grass below... what? where did you come from little guy?

Here is a closer shot- see the little guy?

Buried under the leaves.

I took a closer look and saw a nest in the depths of the vine. And saw a nest.

The baby bird ran across the ground and hid visibly scared, under some garden hand tools.

My dogs began to sniff near the little guy but didn't hurt him.

Then he ran under the evergreen boughs I had piled near the house.. So far under I s\could not retrieve the little guy.
Then I heard another one fall.
This one was running so quickly around my feet I had to hold still not to step on him. No hope of catching him either. Boy for babies, they had some get-up-and-go!
He flapped his little wings and ran like the wind across my yard.
About the size of a golf ball but fast as a bullet. This little guy ran across my yard and into this busy street.
Moving so fast I couldn't catch him.

I cringed as I watched cars driving past. But he made it all the way and into the ditch on the opposite side of the street.

Then I saw a slightly larger bird fly down into the ditch and when I got to the other side of the street, he was gone.. I certainly hope to another nest..



I didn't clear my clematis bush any more, and i didn't touch the nest. However one more baby fell, (jumped?) out of the nest and ran into the boughs with the first one. Then this mama showed up.

She was chirping and crying out.. she would sit in this tree when she saw me, then swoop into the nest...then back to the top.

She was obviously distressed. I could feel for her.

But the baby birds seem to have survived. They were large enough to flap their wings really hard, they had the strength and stamina to run under the brush and across the street. I think they will be ok. Mama is still out there this morning chirping and my daughter and I heard the chirping of a chorus of birds outside her window, which is just above this plant.

I had an unexpected overnight guest. My ex's sister needed a bed for the night and we had 2 open. I have not been able to sit for an extended amount of time and catch up on the years past in so long. We chatted for nearly eight hours this morning.


However, my to-do list is lengthy and nothing is checked.
Better get busy. And check on those babies