Heat, hawks, a nest I can’t stop watching, and the most beautiful spring garden I’ve seen in years
By 9:30 Sunday morning, the front yard had turned into a congressional hearing. Not the quiet kind — the kind with everyone talking at once and nobody listening. I had been out earlier on the front porch in the peace of early morning, birds doing their usual morning business at the bath, the air cool enough to be enjoyable. But somewhere between my second cup of drinking chocolate and ironing my dress, something happened out there.
Upon closer inspection — and there was quite a bit of inspection, me standing on the front porch in my PJs with my cup — it was blackbirds or crows going after a hawk. Absolute chaos. Dive-bombing, shrieking, carrying on like they had all been personally wronged. Which, if the hawk had its eye on anyone’s nest, they had been. Nature has its own C-SPAN, and I had a front-row seat.
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What a Weekend
Saturday it was ninety-three degrees. Ninety-three in April. The flowers felt it — some of them were lying down, flat out on the ground, which I completely understood, I was overheated myself. We have not had any real rain in some time, and I have not yet figured out the timing of irrigating the beds with all of the new plantings. I am always a little early or a little late, a little too much or not enough. So far things look good and nothing has died.Â
There were cocktails, which helped. And golf for Bill. We skipped the pool, no-one feels like sitting outside when it feels like a sauna. Sunday was cloudy, cold — yes, I said cold — as in 50! From 93 overnight. This morning 43. The kind of day where you stay inside and catch up on things you’ve been meaning to do, and maybe spend a little time in the kitchen baking.
Speaking of Nests
The nest situation continues to puzzle me. A couple of weeks ago there were eggs in the nest on the wreath — and then nothing. No activity. The last few days, two wrens have been coming and going, which is encouraging, except that I cannot see any baby birds. I don’t know if they abandoned it, or if the eggs didn’t hatch, or if the babies are simply too small and too hidden for me to see from my angle. I am trying not to hover or to scare the birds or myself. I am a little afraid the parents might attack me. But it’s hard when you’ve been watching the nest and the wreath for the last three years and have seen many families started and then fly the nest from that wreath.
Nesting season is dramatic in ways I never appreciated before I started paying attention. And now I have two to keep track of — there is another nest in my holly tree and yesterday when I checked, mom was in it sitting and giving me the eye as I took a picture.
What I Read This Week
I finished The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo this weekend. It is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved The Light We Lost, picking up nearly ten years after. Lucy is navigating grief, rediscovering love, and wrestling with whether to tell her son Samuel the truth about his father — and it is a lot to carry. It is emotional without being heavy, and I won’t say more than that because I don’t want to give anything away. Just put it on your list or add it to your beach bag.
What I Watched This Week
I came across a garden tour from Melbourne, Australia — the spring garden of florist and gardener Petrina Burrill. Wow! Thousands of tulips and ranunculus, wisteria, blossoming trees at every turn. The garden is laid out in rooms, each one connected to somewhere she has traveled — Holland tulip fields, the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is a garden built from a life well-lived and it shows. You can watch it here.
Outfit of the Week
With the weather all over the place, again, I am back to layers. Today I am pairing this classic stripe sweater with a t-shirt, pants, and espadrilles. It is a comfortable, casual outfit that you can wear at home and out. You can find all of my outfits and home decor on ShopMy.
Before You Go
The birds have settled down since Sunday’s drama. The hawk moved on and the wrens are back at the nest doing something but I am not exactly sure what. The garden is still waiting for rain. I am keeping a close eye on my peonies — I think by Friday the first will be open.
Are you a nest-watcher? The kind who checks every morning and tries very hard not to disturb anything? I am in that camp, but not doing a very good job. Tell me what’s happening in your garden — or your backyard, your window box, wherever spring has shown up for you.
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On My Radar
Hi Elizabeth,
Such a beautiful garden Petrina has. Gives me hope for my garden, since I’m in Melbourne.
Your bird next watching reminded me, many years ago we arrived home and on our step there was the tiniest little bird, my daughter became distraught and insisted we take it to the vet. I gently picked it up and off we went to the vet. I did not have the heart to tell her the poor bird was not alive.