Casualties of the Storm!

It seems many of us are experiencing out of season blooms this year. Our temperatures have risen drastically this week also. The daytime temperatures are reaching into the 90’s. I would expect that at the end of June, but this is too early. It is very hot and humid and now we are experiencing the kind of storms that come up big and blustery during summer heat. Last night was such a storm and one of the old branches that supports our oldest birdhouse broke and fell!  I got home from tending Dylan just awhile ago, and went out to survey the damage, and found it just lying there. Sparrows had nested in it but it appears the babies must have already fledged as no one was home when I found it.

Yes I know this birdhouse could use a coat of paint. It never seems to happen though, as even in the winter birds will find sanctuary in it. It is always occupied and fought over! LOL One time in a storm the whole roof blew off and I managed to cobble it back together, although the wood is getting a bit spongy. This is our garden birds very favorite house, so I must try to climb up the tree and find another branch to hang it from ASAP!!

Another big branch had fallen and wiped out one of my little garden lights. I was just thankful it had missed my pot I am trying to grow wild plums in!

So, I am walking around checking on everything and making my plans for what to do tomorrow, my last free day till next fall when school is back in session. And suddenly I see movement and find this….

A baby blue jay! This little beauty is so cute! I wish I had a better camera as this picture just doesn’t show how vibrant it’s blue is! I sure hope it fledged naturally, and wasn’t shook out of the tree, from it’s nest during the storm. I will be checking on it frequently today as there is no parent in sight, and that is very, very weird! When blue jay fledglings are in the yard, usually their parents are super protective, and will dive bomb me, to ensure I don’t harm their little one. I sure hope I see it’s parents soon, or I will be tempted, at night fall, to put it in one of the bird cages my husband has for his racing and show pigeons. My gardens are a busy place during the night, with many critters coming to the pond for a drink, or scavenging around for any left over bird or squirrel seeds I have put out during the day. There are several cats that come through, chasing the critters that are eating the seed and visiting the pond for a drink. I am afraid if there is no parent to protect this little beauty, it won’t make it through the night. If I do have to pen it for the night, I will let it loose tomorrow morning, first light. Kind of wish it would start making a ruckus so it’s folks will find it. On the other hand, if it makes a ruckus and it’s folks don’t show… I guess I will be trying to feed a baby blue jay! Here is a real good link to tell us all about the blue jay. There are several good search tabs at the top of that link with an overview page here. On that page you can listen to several different songs and calls it makes. It is real interesting how they can mimic a hawks call!

Luckily it looks like I can feed this little beauty fruit and nuts, if I need to. Don’t relish the thought of feeding it a mouse…:)

Update! Before I could even hit the publish button, there was a knock on my door. One of our friends was had came to visit and had seen the baby bird, which by now had got in with the flower bed out front and was hollering loudly! We walked up to it and it fly/hopped out to the road. We got it corralled and was going to at least carry it to the backed fenced garden until night, when suddenly we saw mom and dad come flying in above our heads! Yea! Now if I can keep from going out to make sure it isn’t in the road….