One Reason I Love Winter!

I adore birds. In the Spring, when it's nice outside, I love to sit on my deck and watch all of their goings-on. They fascinate me. As with most bird lovers, I also LOVE their nests. I find them so amazing. They're always so perfect and you can tell they're made with such care. In the winter, when all of the leaves are gone from the trees, suddenly these sweet little nests are visible to everyone and I feel like we're given a glimpse inside of the private lives of birds.

I took the above photo while sitting at a stoplight. In the Spring & Summer, one might sit at this same light and have no idea that a family of birds is residing in this tree, that little baby birds are chirping for their parents' attention, that the parents are searching for food right around this area to feed their brood. In a couple of months, you best believe I'll be watching this tree when I'm waiting at the light. I can't wait to see who might be flittering in and out of the tree....

On the subject of birds and nests, I've been collecting small bits of yarn, dryer lint, dog fur (from Hubbell), feathers (from Scout & Atticus), etc so that we can leave it out for the birds to assist them in their nest-building this Spring. It will be so fun to see what materials they take and use....and next winter we'll study the nests to see if we can find those recycled bits.....