Huh? Life From the Porch is Always an Adventure.

It's a cool, overcast, somewhat gloomy day as I sit inside my house and watch outside.   Sparrows continuously are flying onto the porch and then getting inside the abandoned swallows nest in the corner of the porch.  They get in it, flit around and then they fly out and their friend, who was watching from just a foot over, flies in.  They are singing and carrying on.  What in the world are they thinking?  They are flying in and out from under the porch.  I think they are adding to the nest.  They are bringing stuff in and tucking it into the mud nest.  There are three of them out there now, flitting about and checking it out.  What in the world are they doing?  Then two fly off and one sits, happy as a clam (how happy is a clam anyway?), chirping away.  Then he will move some stuff around, like he's tucking and shifting something.  What's going on out there?  I NEED my camera, but as I'm sitting int he chair, Ikey is tucked away under a throw on my lap, sacked out, so I can't get up.  Should I Google "do Sparrows upcycle Swallow's nests"?
OK, well after a long Google search, I didn't find any clear evidence that the English Sparrow will reside in a barn Swallow's nest.  I did find out however, that Swallows will upcycle their nests and reuse them every year.  I'm not sure if it is the same pair or a different pair, but I hope the ones that come this year are more successful than the sad state of affairs that occurred last year, when 5 were born and they all disappeared after a day or two.  Anyway, it was in the mid teens here temperature wise just a few days ago, so nesting and raising babies of any kind would be a bit, well, premature I believe.
Guess I'll just have to watch and see.
Well, as I close, one Sparrow is still there, sitting and chirping.  You know what it looks like...looks like he's out there watching me in here?  Big Brother!
Huh?  Life from the porch is always an adventure.

1. Proverbs 8:34
   Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
   Proverbs 8:33-35 (in Context) Proverbs 8 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
2. Jeremiah 1:12
   The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoxo, happy trails.

Sometimes Mother Nature Really Makes Me Mad

Starting in early June I was fighting off some Swallows who wanted to build a nest on top of my porch lights right on top of my porch steps.  They are so messy.  I knocked their initial "mud building nest" down for weeks.  Then they started building a nest on the porch, up in the corner, not over the steps.  I decided it would be cool to watch the babies grow up right there so I left them along.  It's pretty amazing how they carry that mud and build that nest.  She sat on it a while then I saw her peering in.  I gave her a day or so then started taking photos of them on July 4th.  For about a week I have been photographing every to every other day.  They were adorable.  I let them build so Baby Gray and I could watch them grow up.  When they were a day or so old any noise would have them opening their mouths, searching for food, chirping, etc.  When mom would fly up there to feed them I could always tell because there was so much noise.  Today I was going to photograph them then download all the photos onto the computer and post this post.  I got the ladder set up and looked up to call them.  I called to them which always sent them chirping.  I didn't see their little heads peeping over the top.  When I got on the ladder I still didn't see them.  When I climbed higher and looked into the nest...it was empty.  I'm just sick about it.  I googled something about "the baby Swallows were there then they weren't) and it didn't give much info except "predators"...unnamed, "just how nature works" .  I cannot imagine what would have crawled up the wall or flown onto and under my porch to get ALL of them out.  The parents are flying around and looking for them in the nest.  I really want to cry.  I'm not going to post the photos.  Maybe I'll just delete them (unless you ask to see them).  The end.

Genesis 3:19

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoxo.