My Springtime Family

[Tuckahoe]

WB has always been rather kind to tolerate my non-AT posts about work and such, so I thought I would share this.

Never mind that I get to work as a smith, but I also feel so lucky to work everyday outside and see the passage of time in nature and life along the James River. Much of what I get to see each day our visitors hardly ever notice because their time here is so fleeting. I've previously posted about the bald eagles nesting within sight of my shop.

And this is my work shop--
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Its a dark and ash covered place to be. But for the last five years now each spring I have had a pair of lil wrens return to the shop and build a new nest in the same place as each of the previous years. Most folks miss them, but they are there busily coming and going without a care for the museum visitors standing around or for me mere feet from their home hammering away on hot bars of iron.
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They've come back to the same spot each year. Can you see it? It's on the shelf above my tools just to the right of the keg behind the tong making story board.
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I am always awed that these lil guys can make a home in such a place. Before I get started each morning I check on them. Friday morning the nest was empty. But I checked this morning... and what did I see?
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Yup there are now three lil eggs and I expect a forth one soon. Once they start sitting they hatch within a couple weeks.

I hope y'all enjoy and Happy Easter.



PS -- and once hatched all four babies will be named Christopher


Edit to add -- I took the pictures and posted them this morning with my iphone and now that i can see them on a monitor, I can see that there is actually a forth egg, obscured by the feather in the last photo.

[Damn Yankee]

That's an awesome place to work. I have a friend who is a Smithy and I am always in awe when I watch him make cut nails and such. I have a Carolina Wren nest at my house on my porch and as with yours, they are only feet from where we sit. I love to hear them in the morning. Thanks for sharing

[Sampson]

Beautiful description and pics of your little friends on Easter morning or any morning for that matter. Thanks for taking the time to share that with us.

[Pringles]

I took my nephew there during the holidays. We saw eagles down by the ships. Great place!

[Rocket Jones]

Awesome post.

[HikerMom58]

Where's the "like" button??

[Tuckahoe]

I took my nephew there during the holidays. We saw eagles down by the ships. Great place!

I'm happy that yall enjoyed yourselves. The eagles are now first time parents, and every once in a while we can get a glimps of the fledglings when they are being fed.

[Trish]

Love this post!

[Tuckahoe]

Thought I'd post a new photo now that mom is sitting on the nest while papa comes and goes with food.
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Inhad to stand up on my anvil and zoom in so as not to disturb her.

[Tuckahoe]

A quick check of the nest this morning revealed a 5th egg.
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[whiskeystick]

Thank you for the pictures!!!!!!


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[CELTIC BUCK]

Wonderful & thank you for the dedication to an ancient craft.

[Tuckahoe]

Made a quick check this morning...

And there are BABIES!!! looks like three so far just hatched in the last day or so. In another week they'll be making more noise than my hammer.
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[Sarcasm the elf]

Made a quick check this morning...

And there are BABIES!!! looks like three so far just hatched in the last day or so. In another week they'll be making more noise than my hammer.
babies.jpg

Sure beats the view from my cubicle

[Tuckahoe]

Took this photo a week ago about the 12th of May and the lil guys were starting to get active...
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And this brings me to the end if the story. Came back to work after my long weekend and expected to find the nest empty but instead I found five lil guys looking more like their parents...
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And then it happened. First one then two more then the rest began to leave the nest...
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And that was it. They flew, fluttered and bounced around the shop a bit getting their wings and becoming sure of themselves and then one by one made their was out of the shop with mom and dad bringing up the rear. They're still near by and I can hear them still. But the nest is empty now.

And that is my spring time family. It's rather humbling to see this play out each year, I feel pretty lucky to be so privileged.

[Tuckahoe]

Well it's been nearly a year since I started this thread. Things around here like many places has been cold and somewhat damp and it just does not seem like is spring. Then I walk into the forge this morning to start work and startle some wrens and once again I find they have returned to their spot and started a new nest. They had to be pretty busy as I left work with no nest nor any sign of a nest and now there it is.

[Marta]

The industry of wild animals absolutely puts us to shame sometimes. Around here squirrels make caches of nuts in tunnel in the snow. As the snow melts, the caches are revealed. It's staggering how many seeds--especially the ones peeled one by one from pine cones--a tiny squirrel can collect and transport.

Happy spring!