CHERRIO, MY FRIENDS!

When I was walking home from town on Sunday evening,  I witnessed something that brought tears to my eyes.  I would have completely missed it, if not for the fact that most of the time when I walk - my eyes are looking up.

Huge flocks of Robins were gathering in the sky right above my head, they were so quiet - not making a sound, as we all know they can.  I have seen this every fall for the past three years now, and each time I see it, I feel a huge lump in my throat, as I silently wish them a safe journey, and pray that I get to see them all back next spring.

It's no secret that of all the wild birds, Robins are my favourite - always have been, always will be.  In the spring they are my constant companions in the yard as they are busy building their nests from things they pick up in my yard.  Then they are robbing my worms, or truth be told - I am throwing them worms from my flower beds and garden if they are near by - and they are always right there close by, waiting as if they know I will make their work easier.

While their babies are growing they are constantly around the yard.  Singing me awake in the early morning, and blessing me with an almost nightly evensong outside my studio window every evening.

By mid July, they are seen less as they get on with rearing their young.  In August, they fly by but seldom come to visit in the garden - except in the evening when I am watering my plants - then they appear for a drink, but are gone again.

By mid August, my yard is so quiet, that for me it's no longer as comforting to sit outside on the park bench and watch and listen.

And then, like Sunday evening, they are gathering - and then they are gone.

 - - -

Yesterday I decided to start removing the Plums from my tree in hopes of getting one more batch of jam before we have the tree removed this fall.

The tree is diseased - and after looking at the Plums I decided they weren't really something I wanted to make jam from, so I started cutting the branches that held plums, putting them in garbage cans.  Before I knew it, I had taken most of the branches off the tree

 

But then, I found these...

There is one in the plum tree every year, I usually find it when the leaves are off the tree.

So I changed my mind.  I'm not cutting the plum tree down.  It's staying - I am going to make sure it doesn't produce plums, but instead it is going to be a condo for the Robins, and maybe even the Cat birds, because I do believe the larger nest is a Cat bird's nest.

I am going to have feeders in the trees, plants all around it, and make it a nice place for them to grow their families.

It will be waiting for them in Spring - 

And so will I.