Somewhere between the roofers and the gutter hangers, dear dove claimed the safest spot in the garden.

And no, I didn't let the gutter guys mess with her. Hence, I still have one unattached downspout.

Maggie, you get the best bird shots!

Today while eating lunch at our favorite Mex place, I got a ring side seat next to the window to watch the Robin feed her babies They must be about ready to leave the nest - it seemed to be overflowing. I could see the new little red feathers on his breast.

Explain the pink cloth please Maggie.

Robins and doves both, are the most inventive engineers in this garden too MK. Both have made eyelevel homes in the strangest places like hanging baskets, plant pots and such, allowing us great views like yours today. Isn't it marvelous to be so privilaged. I hung out of a window to get that one so close. She watched me carefully, but didn't flit away. They tolerate me in their garden quite nicely.

One of our robins seems to have miscalculated her expectancy - delivering in mid air before getting home in time.


Good question Terry, about the pink cloth sticking out of a second story downspout. When it was disconnected from the gutter for roofing, sparrows kept trying to nest build on top of it. After having to disconnect it from the wall to shake out a trapped sparrow TWICE, we plugged it up with cloth to avoid a third incident. Dear dove took right to it and had to fight off the sparrows for days before they finally left her alone.

Terry, didn't you know Maggie gives her birds the best accomadations, complete with pink linens

Yep, and I had to have a new downspout attached elsewhere to the gutter to spare her eviction! But it is not as extravagant as it may seem. I had the new one directed onto patio rainbarrel. The slightest rain fills it up, so I could always add another downspout at the other end of the gutter and reconnect doves pipe to fill a second barrel. But knowing my doves, she will want to nest there again next year. Oh dear. I'm such a mush for lickle tings.

No she won't nest there Maggie, she will nest in the one connected to the barrel.

That is a very large egg or a very small hand.

It is a very large egg Terry. The North Amer robins are a much larger species than the little English ones seen on Christmas cards, like in your garden, and as seen in the Secret Garden movie. But ours still have red breast and robin's egg blue eggs. Maybe they evolved bigger over here in defense of Texas-sized cats ;-)