Hmmmm. The Hummers nest in the American Red Cedar and in the quince. The Downy WPs and the Flickers nest in two huge Weeping Willows. The White-breasted Nuthatch and Creepers are in the Willow and an ancient pear tree. My dear little Black-capped Chickadees are in a natural cavity in a cluster of old crabapple trees. The Common Grackles made a nest in the Blue Atlas Cedar and a crabapple tree in the front yard. The Starlings nest in an old bird house my father made many years ago. The Robins nest in the bend of the gutter under the eaves of the house at the corner next to our bedroom. Red-Winged Blackbirds are off in a part of the garden we have not mowed on purpose. The House Wren was in a nest box in the Tri-coloured Beech tree. The Carolina Wrens nested in the holly bush in the front yard under the kitchen window, also in a nest box (or two in the back), under an over turned bucket on the patio and under a flower pot near the compost pile. We have 20-25 nest boxes of many varieties hanging everywhere too. White crowned Sparrows are in the honeysuckle vines. My little House Sparrows are in several of the nest boxes. The Cedar Waxwings are nesting in a Blue Spruce in the front yard. The Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows and Vespers Sparrows are in the Blue Spruce trees, Passionflower vines, clematis and honeysuckle vines. Chimney Swifts (2 nests) in our two chimneys. The House Finch and Purple Finch are in the wisteria and magnolia tree. The Goldfinch usually make their nests in the Red Bud tree and Willows. The Baltimore Orioles are in the Willows and Silver Maple Trees. The Mourning Doves put three sticks together in the American Red Cedar and called it a nest. LOL! The Blue Jay is in the Cottonwood tree and the Cardinals are in the Blue Atlas Cedar. The other guys ... the Turkey Vultures, the Herons, Common Mergansers, Mallards, Ring-billed Gulls, Egrets, Crows and Screech Owls are guests but not nesting on our property. LOL! They DO need to put a sign out. Caution Baby on Board! LOL! :-)

kitty, what a neat thing to happen; I always feel honored when a bird chooses a nest in my garden. I hope your epi can live through its ordeal. It's funny, I have the same situation in regard to the rain; I just noticed rust on one of my La France. I really hate rust! Carol, here are pictures of the roadrunners that you requested. They're such comical birds. Sometimes I can hear a cracking noise outside and will see it's one of the roadrunners breaking open a snail on the concrete. They often make a big mess in the garden and on the pathways when they're digging for snails and slugs. Mr. Meep Meep (males have the facial markings) A sunbath is a good thing I'm really rather gorgeous! Nice wheels! Just moving right along When it rains I look for snails and slugs (ignore the hairdo!) Ingrid

I haven't seen a parent on the nest in the last 2 or 3 days, but it may be that the parents are being extra careful not to reveal the location of the nest. Yesterday I was watching the tree from about 40-50 feet away, and I saw a mourning dove sitting at the top of my neighbor's roof not far from the nest. After about 10 minutes, I thought maybe the dove was waiting for me to go away. So I walked around the far side of my house, and from my back deck, I could see that same place on my neighbor's roof -- and no dove. I got down off the deck and started walking toward the nest on the near side, and I heard that flying-up sound that mourning doves make, from the direction of the nest. And this morning I saw a pair of mourning doves loitering in my driveway in front of the garage, about 35 feet from the nest. That's as close as I have been able to confirm that the parents are still visiting the nest. I would like better assurance, since mourning doves are commonly in the area to visit under my bird feeders. I cringe to think that they are abandoned, cold, hungry, and dehydrated. But I also hestitate to interfere. - Jim

We had a wild Turkey with avian pox this winter. I begged my DH to shoot him but being a licensed hunter he would not. I called DNR, they did not bother to show up at my door for 5 days, of course the Turkey was not there at the time. I asked for a special permit to shoot the bird and told them we would bring it in. They woud not let us. The poor thing died what Im sure was a terible death not far from the house. It could not eat either because the pox was in his mouth or he could no longer find his way to the food. From my understanding some forms of pox can be treated but need constant removal of the "warts". If it is in the mouth and throat there is no hope.