My dear readers, today I want to tell you a story of what I interpret as a an admirer….who happens to love My Secret Garden!
I have mixed feelings about this admirer or at least… who I think is admiring me but I could be wrong.
There might be another explanation but so far, I have not figured it out. It started out with little “gifts”…being left in the Secret Garden on the 3 tiered water fountain.
You see, a couple weeks ago, as I sat at my desk… which looks out into My Secret Garden, I heard the loudest ruckus just outside my slider patio doors.
The sound was more like a very loud shriek which made me jump as I was deep in thought editing pictures for my Blog.
I recognized the sound as that of a large black crow (apparently Florida does not have Ravens) and when I got my birding book out, I learned this particular crow was a Fish Crow.
The very loud CAW was really a bit annoying so I stepped outside to see a flurry of smaller mockingbirds and one very large black crow disappearing over the roof of my home.
Before I went back into the house…something caught my eye and as I looked in that direction, I saw what appeared to be a paper towel draped on the top of the water fountain.
I noticed there was no wind to speak of…that would perhaps have blown the bit of “trash” onto the fountain…but I thought it odd because I had never had anything but a few leaves float into that fountain. I took a picture of it with my IPhone…mainly to show the Captain, and removed it and went back inside.
A few days later, I again heard the very loud cawing and looked over towards the fountain and saw a large black crow sitting on top of the third tier. I tried to snap a pic..again with my IPhone and though it is a bit blurry….you can see the bird.
In my defense, had I known that I would be taking pictures of birds in flight, I could have set up my tripod, adjusted my lens shutter speed and shown you a great pic.
But come on people…I usually take still pictures of food! 😉
But I digress.
The next day….after hearing that familiar screeching and cawing…I looked at the fountain (see, I am catching on here) and there was a stick laying on top.
hmmmmmmm. Was this crow leaving me gifts?
Or was he trying to feather his nest and dropped his stick and it fell on the fountain or did he stop for a drink and forget to pick his stick back up before flying over the tree tops?
I snapped a pic and removed the stick from the fountain.
Then this morning….the signal came again!
The loud cawing and screeching. I am not sure if the screeching was at me because I removed his “gifts” or if he was trying to get my attention, because…well, because he likes me!
Hey! it can happen! Birds can get attached to people especially if they feed them, only I had not fed this large, black, very noisy bird.
The gift this time…..I know this seems impossible, but the gift this time was a flower! A red Hibiscus….probably one from my own Secret Garden! And perched right beside the flower was the large crow.
I lifted my hands to take his picture but the movement evidently scared him and he flew away and I have chided myself (several times) on not getting a picture of him sitting on the top of the third tier of the fountain beside the red flower.
OK, folks…I do have tall red Hibiscus flowers just a short distance from the fountain and perhaps one blew onto the fountain.
I do know that the bird bath on the other side of the Secret Garden often has orange hibiscus from those bushes floating on top… and I remove them when I clean and fill the bird bath.
I guess anything is possible.
I will try to be more diligent in observing this bird and his intentions.
Gee, you don’t suppose he is like many of the male species and he is bringing me the nesting material and expecting me to build the nest for him?
I will keep you posted and in the meantime…have a great start to your week.
Blessings and Hugs Always!
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