Each season here at the garden store brings something new and wonderful to witness (learn). Surrounded by big skies, trees and an abundance of birdlife, our days are often filled with chatter, chirps and mating pairs seeking a safe haven to nest.
Recently, something special has captured our attention daily. For reasons unknown to us, the ficus trees inside the greenhouse have become that safe haven. On three different occasions now, we have watched the devoted mates flying in and out, carrying all sorts of bedding material for their families-to-be……someone’s straw from lunch, jute twine from the tree lot, even a perfectly centered label advertising Rustiks’ ornamental twigs!
While cardinal mates ‘setting up nest’ in ficus trees may not be unheard of, what we are now witnessing next door, truly is. Less than ten feet away from the female cardinal in her nest, in yet another ficus tree ( this one variegated), sits a robin. Several times a day, both sit on their eggs at the same time, close to each other in proximity yet each completely absorbed in their own mission. No fighting, no interfering-just alert, vigilant and waiting.
Two days ago, we walked through the greenhouse to the sound of tiny peeps and saw downy, miniature Mohawks poking over the nests’ edge. Ten feet away sits the robin, still———-waiting, vigilant and ready to dive-bomb if we get too close. We are gently anxious for her four beautiful eggs to hatch as the cardinal parents fuss and feed and fly about. She sits and stares ahead waiting patiently. Hopefully, very soon we will be hearing more tiny peeps in our cross-species bird nursery.
While you’re shopping at Rosehill make sure to ask an associate to direct you to see the birds. It’s quite amazing to see nature co-existing with our society.