Farewell Flycatchers

It all started when the Flycatchers arrived near our house around the end of May. My breakfasts on the deck included Shyla at my feet and the flycatcher couple calling back and forth to each other.

They rapidly decided to make their nest in a tray that we have built for the flycatchers who raise their families under our deck every summer. They built the nest in days after making their decision. Then, eggs started to appear, one per day, for four days in a row. This was on Day 2 of egg-laying with my limited view peeking between the cracks of the deck at the nest below the deck.

The female didn't start incubating the eggs until all four were laid. After that, she was incredibly dedicated to sitting on the nest. And, I was dedicated to chasing away all predators! I get very protective of them every year.

Exactly two weeks after the female started incubating the eggs, they hatched! The naked little nestlings barely looked like birds. I didn't get any photos of them but I did get many photos of the flycatchers tending to them. They liked to land on a particular branch by the deck before going under the deck.

They worked as a team, constantly calling back and forth as they both hunted flies and then delivered the flies to their young ones.

I adored watching them every morning.

I was very worried for them when we evacuated, scared that they'd get burned up in the fire. Thank goodness that they didn't!

Just before the nestlings finally left the nest, one of the parents did something I've never seen before. He caught a butterfly and brought it to the nestlings. Sadly, it appeared that the babies rejected it because I found it fluttering on the ground below the nest later in the day.

Finally, a few days ago, the babies took their first flights. The family is still in the area around our house, and I can hear the parents calling to each other. I know, however, that they will start moving further away soon. I miss them after they're gone every single year.

This morning, one of the parents perched where he usually did when tending the nest. He looked straight at me, gave a chirp, and flew off. I believe that was his farewell.

I hope that they have a safe migration and come back next year.

Sweetness

We've been at our lookout point during the sunset light most evenings recently. I love taking photos a of certain chocolate labrador in that light.

You can see the unique yellow background in these photos. The yellow flowers covering the bushes all over our area are blooming, making the entire world smell sweet.

As the sun fell below the mountains, I captured Shyla's image at an instant when she was looking adoringly at the Runner and R. You can see the love in her sweet eyes.

Another wonderful thing is that has happened recently is that a pair of Cordilleran Flycatchers have chosen to make a nest under our deck. I love watching the pair hard at work raising the next generation. Now, they are just about at egg-laying time... so they have a long haul ahead of them.

I'll be watching over their nest for the next four weeks or so!

Changes - and Heart Dogs

When I went away to Bear Land, a couple of things changed at home. First, the Flycatchers, who nest under our deck every summer, had at least one nestling when I departed - and things seemed to be going smoothly for them. When I returned home, they had no babies in the nest (which was still intact), and they were building a new nest in a different spot under our deck. I assumed that their original nestling(s) died or were plucked from the nest by a predator. I felt very sad for them.

Mr. Flycatcher stared at me imploringly during breakfast one morning recently.

Believe it or not, within about 48 hours, they put together an exquisite new nest under our deck, and very soon thereafter, the female was incubating eggs. But then, another unknown tragedy struck, and they abandoned the nest.

I haven't dared peek in the nest to see what happened to their eggs because the pair is still hanging around our deck, acting as if they plan to try again. Both of the pair are sleeping in the trees near the deck. They chirp back and forth well into the night. They fly under the deck frequently to keep an eye on the nest.

I wonder what will happen. It's getting very late in the summer to start a family, especially with the very long migration awaiting them this fall. I'd adore to see them successfully raise a brood but I'm starting to wonder if it might be smarter for them to start preparing for migration. Mr. Flycatcher seems to disagree, as he guarded the nest this morning with all the enthusiasm that he did when they made their first nest.

I said that there were changes (plural) while I was gone. The other one was with Miss Shyla. She has become even more snuggly and attached to me than before. Where ever I am, she's next to me, just like K used to be. When I go out on the deck for breakfast, I pull a bed out for her, and she always joins me. I adore having her by my side.

She wants to snuggle whenever I lie down, and she lets out long contented sighs whenever I hug her. Her affection is infectious! I always had the feeling that we'd grow a super strong bond with time, and now I feel that the time for that bond is now.

I am getting an inkling that I may be one of those unbelievably lucky people to have more than one heart dog in a lifetime. K expanded my heart, making it big enough for ShyBear too.

Forever part of my heart

This is the time of year that I wish that I didn't need to sleep. It's so beautiful outside that I want to live every instant wide awake and enjoying it. Like most years, I'm already starting to get tired, from my binge of outdoor fun!

In that spirit, Shyla and I were up early, getting ready for our mountain bike ride. She stood in the basement, looking at me with big eyes as I readied my bike.

As you can see, her eye infection is improving. When the infection started, I flushed her eye with saline several times with no improvement. By Sunday, the yucky green goobers were getting huge, and the white of her eye was blood red. I had a dog eye antibiotic at home so I decided to try it. It worked - very fast! I called my vet today, who was not at all upset with me for "playing vet". After how many dogs we've had and the innumerable vet visits we've made, I have a decent idea of what's an emergency and what's not.

We had an amazing bike ride this morning. It was still cool, and so many new flowers were blooming!

Shyla is an incredible athlete. The heat can slow her down but that seems to be the only thing that slows her. In our mountain world, anything over about 60°F feels like heat (I'm sure that you're all laughing at our wimpiness now - but remember those snow photos from just a month ago...). Aside from the "heat", it seems like Shyla could run forever. She's a great match for me.

We meandered around our trails, specifically avoiding an area where I am certain that a mountain lion has stashed a "kill", either a deer or elk that he is eating. I have trail camera photos, that I'll share later, of the mountain lion walking the same route at the same time each day with a huge bulging belly. It's best to stay away from that area and let him finish his feast.

Boulder Raspberries are blooming everywhere. I love how they reach for the deep blue sky!

And, not only are the pink "Shooting Stars" blooming, but the Irises are too, as you can see in the background of the next photo.

I managed to completely exhaust myself on the bike, between my ride with Shyla and then a solo ride. After that, we settled in for an afternoon on the deck. Being able to sit on the deck is not an everyday thing up here in the mountains. Even in the summer, it's too cold some days.

Under our deck, we have a pair of Cordilleran Flycatchers who have built a nest on a little "nest tray". I think that they are now waiting for the female to lay eggs because they are just hanging around. One of them seemed to find me to be fascinating, cocking her head like a dog!

Every year, the Flycatchers sit on the same perches to hunt insects and guard their nest. I adore watching them. This year, one of them seems very comfortable with me... not flying away as soon as I pick up my camera (most years, they are much more shy).

As I watched this Flycatcher today, she suddenly swooped up against our house siding and came back with what looked like a wasp.

In an instant, the bug was "down the hatch".

She returned to her perch, watching the world of insects swirl around her. This year should be better than last year for the Flycatchers. Most years, they have four chicks in their nest under our deck. However, we had almost no insects last year due to the drought, and they had only one living chick by fledging time.

Their one chick fledged on the day that K died. As I sat with K's head on my lap under the pine trees in the last hours of her life, I could tell that the parents were shepherding their chick away from our deck and toward the forest.

Everything on Earth still feels like it's related to K for me. I am healing but I still think of her every single day. I now truly understand what it means when someone is part of you forever. Perhaps this Flycatcher, who seems so comfortable with me, is the youngster who fledged on the day that K's spirit took flight. That's a heart-warming thought.