Thursday, November 25, 2010

"The Tale of Two Willy Wagtails"

This is the house that we live in

This is the garden at the back of the house that we live in

These are the dogs that play in the garden at the back of the house that we live in

Here are the Ficus Topiary pots just outside the back door in the garden at the back of the house that we live in

Here is the "Wiggy Wagtail" (as called by our daughter) Willy Wagtail who is building a nest in the Ficus Topiary pots just outside the back door in the garden at the back of the house that we live in

...and building....

...and building.....

...and building for three days.

Here is the nest so delicately woven with twigs and spiders web that was built by the Willy Wagtails in the Ficus Topiary pots just outside the back door of the house that we live in

Here are three eggs in the Willy Wagtails nest in the Ficus Topiary pots just outside the back door of the house that we live in

Here is the father Willy Wagtail patroling the garden at the back of the house that we live in

....and here....

....and here....

...and HERE is the very ANGRY mother Willy Wagtail who swoops and pecks the dogs....

....as they try to go outside the backdoor to play in the garden at the back of the house that we live in (you can just see the back of Jaspers ear on the right before he heads out the doggy door to someone waiting)


....and here...
 
....and here....

Here is Jasper who is NOT afraid of the Willy Wagtail who swoops and pecks him as he plays in the garden at the back of the house that we live in (he just stood there and stared her out!)

....and here....

BUT....here is Little Marley....ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED!!! of the Willy Wagtail who swoops and pecks him as he tries to go outside to play in the garden at the back of the house that we live in

....and this is Marley who jumped the 7ft high metal fence (we still don't know how) and ran across the busy street in peak hour traffic unharmed (amazingly), who followed Mummy to the gym at the college and got lost for four hours as he sniffed and searched for her until she got a phone call from two lovely students to say they had found a very shivering frightened little Cavalier and kindly looked after him afraid he would be hit by a car until Mummy came to fetch him after she finished galavanting all over town at the gym....at the hairdresser...at the school and then home to find one little dog missing and another - Jasper - besides himself yapping and whining trying to tell Mummy that Marley was missing and had jumped the fence in fear of the Willy Wagtail who swoops and pecks him as he plays in the garden at the back of the house that we live in...Phew!

Here is the Ficus Topiary pot which holds the nest with the three eggs being moved very slowly every 30 minutes to the front garden away from the back of the house that we live in...

...and here...

...and here...

Here is the Mother Willy Wag Tail guarding her nest as we slowly move her out to the front of the house that we live in...

...and here she is checking her eggs to make sure they are still in tact...

...and here is the Mother Willy Wagtail nestling in for the night after tyrading around to make sure her eggs were okay...

So now here are the dogs who play in the garden at the back of the house that we live in. Marley still too unsure to venture outside on his own needs Mummy to walk him onto the lawn - big baby!

Fingers crossed that father Willy Wagtail doesn't come back to peck at the dogs that play in the garden at the back of the house that we live in!!!

- Willy Wag Tails have the most beautiful bird song and we all in the family have felt so blessed that they chose our tree to build their nest. It's been such an interesting lesson for the children to observe their behaviour, their instinct, their protectiveness.

The father Willy Wagtail patrols the front yard and attacks the other birds who come to bathe in our bird bath....even the big black crows.

Yesterday we even saw them attack a blue heron in the back yard.

We were very worried about moving their nest in case the mother bird rejected her eggs. When we first shifted it the mother bird couldn't reorient herself to find the nest and she kept hovering over where the pot used to be. Both birds went bezerk!!! They swooped Daddy as he tried to shift the pot until he had to wear a welding mask and safety helmet to protect his head.

Slowly, slowly...the mother bird has reoriented herself to find the nest.

"What's all the fuss about?"

"I think those birds are funny!"

"But I DON'T!!! So Let me in."

....stay tuned for some baby bird photos to come hopefully....

11 comments:

  1. Hi boys, what a story - again with so great pics and this wonderful words. Congratulation - so I wait to see the little babybirds in a few days - perhaps???
    Wuff and how great to have now downunder summer!!!Oh - it´s cold - to cold outside....
    LG
    Aiko

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  2. That story is print worthy! I loved it. The poor dogs, mine would have been freaked out too. Great job moving them and wonderful photos!

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  3. OH......
    We don't have that kind of bird here, we have seagulls who are just as bad. Lucky for us they love vistors and their ice cream more.
    Ah poor lad... LET HIM IN QUICK.
    How often do your darling birds nest a year ?
    He is going to have to go for some doggie therapy, I know a really good one... they live a way away, but she is really good.. :-) Let's hope the birds learn some mannors for next time. If not maybe get the dogs to carry a water pistol :-) x x x x x x x x

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  4. WHEW! What an adventure you had! And poor Marley, soo scared! I would have been too! Isn't it interesting how Jasper was just fine, no problems and Marley hated it? Maizey is my scaredy girl and Magnus my brave boy. But each one is so different! Very awesome post, and so great that you got pics of it all!

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  5. Wow what a story! Sounds like you had an interesting time! I don't know what I would have done.

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  6. Oh! I loved this post. Thanks so much for bringing a smile to me tonight.

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  7. wow, you live on a beautiful place :)
    The cavaliers are very beautiful a well, I have two poodles.

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  8. Hi Marley and Jasper, we're glad everything is ok. The pictures of birdies are great and they remind us of the nest that one family built on our balcony a year ago.


    Momo & Pinot

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  9. Marley and Jasper! We never get tired of looking at your cute faces... :) :) You said it's been very hot over there? Wow, it's hard for us to imagine! Stay cool and eat well, ok?

    Happy Holidays!

    Momo & Pinot

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  10. oh my gosh that was such a fun tale to read. I felt like I was reading Dr. Suess book. You do have a way with words. I am glad that everyting is all ok now and both of you can run and play freely in the back yard.

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  11. I loved this post and all of your beautiful pictures! Your precious Marley reminds me a lot of our Tucker. I can't even believe he escaped your yard and followed you to the gym - yikes! Cavaliers don't have a lot of street smarts usually, but it sounds like Marley may be a bit more savvy. So, so glad some students found him and kept him safe until you could retrieve him and bring him home.

    Happy New Year! Hope you stay dry and out of the way of floodwaters.

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