Standing Into Danger: Prime Real Estate

Last Friday I was sitting at the kitchen counter working on my computer,
when suddenly I heard an unusual bird cry I'd never heard before.

I swiveled around on my chair and looked out on our deck.

A swallow was perched in a cranny above our outdoor table,

and I didn't need a translator to know what that cry meant!

"Honey, come quick! I've found the perfect location for our new nest!"

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica rustica)

by Charles J. Sharp

Wikimedia Commons ~ License

"Oh, no you don't!" I roared, jumping off my chair and bursting onto the desk

with my biggest and baddest King Kong imitation.

Terry and I have been through too much bird drama and trauma

with nesting birds on our deck and front porch in the past decade.

They can nest anywhere they want,

except on the deck area we use or on top of the front door light.

We have a little house finch mama sitting on a nest under the floor of our high deck right now. Of course, she was awol when I tried to get the shot.

I went back to work at the kitchen counter, confident Mr. Swallow wouldn't be back.

Two years ago, when a Cooper's hawk killed a mother dove, leaving broken eggs

in a smear of her blood on the deck floor, I was done!

While a distraught Terry cleaned up the mess,

I summoned my inner Newfoundlander

and began to erect some bird nest blockers.

Forget things like a fake owl sitting on your deck to discourage birds.

I've seen pigeons and doves sitting on them in the neighborhood and laughing.

No More Sneaking a Nest on Top of This Speaker

When We're Not Looking!

It took some experimenting with different materials

to find a mix of objects that stopped the urgent nest builders.

Forget to block one side, in squeezes a robin.

Leave a small space, in wiggles a house finch.

A Goldfinch Pair Scouting Locations from the Tree by Our Deck!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

May 23, 2022

You Don't Fool Me! I Know You're looking Sideways!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

May 23, 2022

Busted!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

May 23, 2022

The birds don't like fluttery things, so I stuck up dangles of painter tape.

This has been very effective for the past two years,

I haven't had to replace the streamers

come heat, blizzards, hail, downpours, or strong winds.

No More Sneaking a Nest on Top of This Speaker

When We're Not Looking!

Bird Defenses!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

May 21, 2022

Even more than constructing a nest on a musical rest,

the pesky birds like a spot with a good roof and sheltering walls.

Primo Location!

I quickly learned two years ago that they don't like chopsticks, emery boards,

bamboo florist twigs, or humpy, lumpy metamorphic rocks,

particularly in tight spaces.

I had to figure out what worked in each nook and cranny.

Open Clip Art

Yes, I was foolishly resting on my laurels when I heard that strange cry again:

"Look, Honey! An Open House! Let's check it out!"

And there was the swallow nestling down in the left corner above the table again.

King Kong charges out the door roaring!

That damn swallow wouldn't give up!

He'd fly away and soon circle back, encouraging his mate with his excited cries.

"Honey! Location, location, location!"

King Kong!

"Honey! If we don't get moving, someone else is going to nab this!"

King Kong!

"Honey! We've got to get an offer in, before this one gets away!"

King Kong!

Okay. Time for action!

Obviously King Kong was sliding into the definition of insanity.

I dragged the ladder from the garage, through the house, and onto the deck.

Then I stuffed a plastic container into the cranny

to block the direction the swallow was flying in from.

Wow, those swallows have impressive flying skills!

Mr. Swallow went into a full hovering reverse when he neared the plastic.

I didn't know they could do that.

Open Clip Art

Things went quiet, and I went back to work.

I looked out a while later, and that wily swallow had silently slipped in

from the opposite direction and was snuggled into a tiny, tiny spot.

And optimistic me had returned the ladder to the garage.

Out to the garage, grab the ladder, drag it through the house, and onto the deck.

Back to the garage, dig through the recycling,

find the perfectly-sized, no-sodium-added, petite-diced tomato can,

and stuff it into the remaining hole.

Duct tape it all in place with white duct tape, because I couldn't find the gray.

Take that Mr. Swallow! You can't squeeze a beak into that cranny!

Take That, Mr. Swallow!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

June 6, 2022

The swallow retreated in defeat, and no bird has so much

as stuffed a twig in the four prime locations on our deck since then.

But what, made this last spot the perfect location of all? I wondered.

I went out on the deck and looked around at each corner.

Oh, that festive front door upgrade!

A splash of indestructible yellow ribbon that has been gracing

the front of the cranny for over two years.

There's nothing like a grand entrance for curb appeal.

Curb Appeal

Aurora, Colorado, USA

June 6, 2022

This week, my friend Rain's Thursday Art Date theme is

Colourful June: Yellow for June 9, 2022.

There is still time to join in the fun and creativity!

Next week's theme is Colourful June: Red for June 16, 2022.

People in different time zones around the world participate,

so the link gadget where you can join in is open for a number of days.

And since we all need to laugh during these challenging times,

here are a some bird funnies:

Stay colorful and creative!

Rocking the Park Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 7, 2020

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be on

Friday, June 17, 2022.

I was planning to use this video for next Friday's post,

for reasons that will become apparent.

But when I watched it for the first time this morning,

I realized it was full of yellow, deadpan funny, and even featured some birds.

"I get high like Colorado."

Some things are just meant to be!

Milky Chance - Colorado (Official Video)

8,288,349 views Premiered Jun 17, 2021

YouTube

Lyrics for Colorado (Google)

I get high like Colorado

We had it all but what do I know?

I try to push away the sorrow

But today, it's too late, I try tomorrow

(Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah)

I think that you were kind of mean (kind of mean, kind of mean)

You just replaced me in the scene (in the scene, in the scene)

I thought that we were evergreen (evergreen, evergreen)

Like a never-ending dream

Never been on the TV

Scratched me off of your CV

Out of your mind

Never been so uneasy

Jealousy got me freaky

Out of my mind

So I get high like Colorado

We had it all but what do I know?

I try to push away the sorrow

But today, it's too late, I try tomorrow

(Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah)

I'm losing sleep all by myself

I'm wide awake and I just wonder how

You put my heart back on the shelf (back on the shelf)

Well, I'ma be a loner now

Never been on the TV

Scratched me off of your CV

Out of your mind

Never been so uneasy

Jealousy got me freaky

Out of my mind

So I get high like Colorado

We had it all but what do I know?

I try to push away the sorrow

But today, it's too late, I try tomorrow

(Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah)

Drownin' in my sofa with my blood shot red eyes (ooh)

Ridin' rollercoaster 'til I see the sunrise

I get high like Colorado (I get high, I get high)

We had it all but what do I know?

I try to push away the sorrow (I get high, I get high)

But today, it's too late, I try tomorrow

(Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah)

I get high like Colorado

Colorado (yeah), Colorado (yeah), Colorado

I get high like Colorado

Colorado (yeah), Colorado (yeah), Colorado

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Joacim Bo Persson / Clemens Rehbein / Sebastian Arman / Philipp Maximilian Dausch

Colorado lyrics © Edition Rehbein, Edition Dausch, Wasted Talent Publishing Gmbh, Hippo Legend Publishing, Favorite Song Publishing Ug

Standing Into Danger

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Friday, June 10, 2022

Rain's Thursday Art Date: Location, Location, Location~ June 10, 2022

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