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| Downed birds' nest |
by Peggy Robin
It’s war. And it’s happening right on my front porch.
It’s been waged in a stealth campaign, in secret raids that have happened under
the cover of dusk or dawn -- I’m not sure which…. I’ve only seen the aftermath.
I’m not even sure of the species of the combatants. They may all be birds, or
one side may be small mammals -- squirrels are always suspect. I can say for
sure only that one side is losing. Or may already have lost.
Just two weeks ago, there were no signs of the conflict
that would later leave devastation on my porch. There was domestic tranquility,
in the form of a well-constructed nest seated securely under the eaves of the
front porch roof. This year I did not actually see the nesting pair, but in
past years, we’ve had mourning doves. They make a melodious cooing sound
(listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oNljd7R1f8 – about 17
seconds in), but otherwise they are quiet, and do no harm. They lay their eggs,
incubate them, feed and nurture the chicks until they’re fledged, and then
they’re gone.
Perhaps the same pair came back to the same place. Or
perhaps there’s competition among birds for that nesting spot. Or it could be
the squirrels who control the pear tree in the front yard regard as a threat
any creature choosing to build a home within a certain number of feet. I can’t
say I understand the motive for the attack; I can only report the result. About a week ago, I came out to the front
porch to find about half the nest down on the porch floor – a scattering of
twigs and some kind of cotton-y stuffing. Above me, the other half of the nest
appeared to be holding together on the porch beam above. What had produced this
odd, semi-destruction? I surmised an attempt to take down the whole nest, that
had been, in the end, successfully fought off; the attackers having retreated
with the job half done. There was much damage to the nest but it was not
irreparable. That was proven within a few days, when I saw the nest restored to
its previous shape and size. Though I never saw the reconstruction going on,
the birds had made clear that they would do whatever it took to repair,
restore, and defend their home. I thought they had won.
Until this morning, that is. I went out to retrieve the
newspaper and found the entire nest upside-down on the porch floor. It seems
this time, they’d lost all. There’s barely a twig left in the space above.
There were no eggs in the mess on the ground – that’s one small mercy. But is
this the end of the war? Will they now give up and try to stake out a new
territory and build a new home in some other place? Or will they come back and
try to reclaim their place in the eaves? Could it be too late in the season for
them to do either one? And what determines their course of action? Do they
assess the situation? Or blindly follow their instincts? I will admit I know
little about these things. But I’m on their side and hope they can recover.
Just not here…..as I think they just can’t win. At least not this year.
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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.
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