Tuesday, May 10, 2011

my house guests


For at least the last fifteen years,I have had a house wren swoop unto a ledge by my front door at 8:17 each evening to sleep.He tucks his beak under his wing and is motionless 'til sunrise.His spotted tail feathers are just so cute I want to grab and hug him.These nocturnal visit only happen in summer.

The record life expectancy for a wren is seven years, one month so this must be two different wrens.Did the first show the other the spot?How did the first find that perfect little ledge in the first place ?I am so charmed by my little birds that evening guests have to leave by another door so he will not be disturbed.Is that a little loony?

Every morning, the wren is gone and I can hear him calling in the bushes for his mate.Something happened after the last terrible thunderstorm that was very sad for me.I wrote a haiku about it:

After the big storm,
plaintively, the lone wren calls.
there is no answer.



This poem spoke to me of all the loss of life in the South,in the unanswered calls.I just knew the mate had been blown out of a tree and destroyed.But the next night,I was stunned to look at 8:32 and see what the attached picture shows.

Since that night, they have perched together.I sleep better.

3 comments:

Ryan said...

Sharon,

I had House Finches that nested in my hanging baskets 2 years in a row. Was always such joy when they re-appeared each spring and began to build their nest just outside the window. Watching the eggs hatch into little ones, and then the day that everyone flew away... such a connection to have God's creatures share their space with us.
Thank yo for this great piece.

Ry

kris spikes said...

So sweet! This almost made me cry...ALMOST! :)

Missy said...

So sweet. We feel the same about the birds in our little bird house-wait for them to show up every year.