Sunday, May 17, 2009

Oh, Hang Me

Now that all the baby birds have hatched, grown up and flown away, I finally started on replacing the potted plants I lost to a late frost. On the front porch I always keep hanging baskets of sweet potato vines. They're not the usual hanging plant, but they grow like crazy, and I love the way they look when they cascade down about six or seven feet.

After two weeks one plant was doing great, but the other started looking a little wilted and over-watered:



Since I water both pots every day, and I use the same amount for both, I thought I might have gotten a bad plant. So I took it down to have a look, and saw something had dug a hole in the center of the new plant:



I'll give you three guesses what was in the hole.



Has someone been feeding Viagra or fertility drugs to the birds ion my neighborhood? I'd really like to know now.

28 comments:

  1. So, I'm assuming the poor plant will continue to wilt because you don't want to flood out the new tenants? Or do you?

    Did you at least get rid of the mourning dove nest before someone new moved in?

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  2. In all fairness, it looks like we shoulda been given four guesses, lol.
    Must be something in the atmosphere that's conducive to birdy smexing. Darkyn smexing too :P

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  3. LMAO!

    They've spread the word.

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  4. Haha. Cute. Spring is definitely in the air :)

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  5. what a sweet find! i like the idea of sweet potato vines! im always on the lookout for something that trails!!

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  6. Mitch wrote: So, I'm assuming the poor plant will continue to wilt because you don't want to flood out the new tenants? Or do you?

    No, I wouldn't do that. As much as I love my plants, this one will have to sacrifice itself for the babies.


    Did you at least get rid of the mourning dove nest before someone new moved in?

    Yep, as soon as Desmond and Nelson flew off. That's one nursery that is permanently closed for business. :)

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  7. Emmy wrote: In all fairness, it looks like we shoulda been given four guesses, lol.

    Ha. I haven't seen the mother yet, but from the color and size of the eggs I think it's another wren.

    Must be something in the atmosphere that's conducive to birdy smexing.

    My guy grumbles that it's because I feed them. Maybe the pet store is putting something in their wild bird seed.

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  8. Raine wrote: They've spread the word.

    (deadpan) Maybe they're on Twitter.

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  9. applejacks0711 wrote: Haha. Cute. Spring is definitely in the air

    And it's using my house as a hotel.

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  10. annie wrote: what a sweet find! i like the idea of sweet potato vines! im always on the lookout for something that trails!!

    Aside from the fact that they make excellent nesting material, sweet potato vines are really pretty, and grow super fast -- in some climates, about a foot a week.

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  11. You'll never have empty nest syndrome. *cackles* Very good to know about sweet potato vines! I like fast-growing greenery.

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  12. Anonymous8:17 AM

    That is too funny!

    I love sweet potato vines too. I have a large planter for my front porch and one of my favorite combinations is coral begonias and purple sweet potato vines.

    JulieB

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  13. Lynn's Maternity Ward and Bird Nursery is open for business? Sounds like you took out a full page ad in the critter classifieds. It's probably right next to the one for my critter restaurant. Who knew starlings and robins ate catfood. :shrug:

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  14. Charlene wrote: You'll never have empty nest syndrome.

    Cute, Charlene. Very cute. I think I'll leave directions to your house in the bird feeders.

    Very good to know about sweet potato vines! I like fast-growing greenery.

    Me, too. They're great, although they can be water hogs (best to water them a little every day) and I've found they thrive best in indirect sunlight, like a hanging pot that remains shaded most of the day. All bets are off if they become a baby bird sanctuary, of course.

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  15. JulieB wrote: I have a large planter for my front porch and one of my favorite combinations is coral begonias and purple sweet potato vines.

    I bet that's pretty. I was thinking about trying them in a window box planter with some of my pansies. I have slow-growing English ivy in them now, but I'd like a little more color. Maybe on the side of the house that gets more shade . . .

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  16. B.E. wrote: Lynn's Maternity Ward and Bird Nursery is open for business?

    It never closed! Ha.

    Sounds like you took out a full page ad in the critter classifieds.

    Maybe the cats did. Sounds like something the evil ones would do.

    It's probably right next to the one for my critter restaurant. Who knew starlings and robins ate catfood.

    Neither did I. I never knew how much raccoons love cat food, either, until I saw one one night raiding the neighbor's outdoor feeder (they let their kitty roam around outside at night.)

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  17. I had the same problem last year. Ice cubes work wonders. You can put them on the edge of the basket so they melt into the soil without endangering or disturbing the birds.

    Good luck!

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  18. Anonymous10:14 AM

    yay another avian adventure!

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  19. Anonymous12:27 PM

    I have a nest of Chimney sweeps, in my chimney of course but at night we can hear the birds when they nest in, they chirp and twitter.
    My cat has taken up a post on the roof. But the birds come back every season.

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  20. Anonymous12:43 PM

    :rofl:

    I don't think I've laughed so much all week. thanks for making my day :D

    Suelder

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  21. Liana wrote: I had the same problem last year. Ice cubes work wonders. You can put them on the edge of the basket so they melt into the soil without endangering or disturbing the birds.

    Oh, that's brilliant. Thank you, Liana, I think you just saved my plant.

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  22. morphine-moniza wrote: yay another avian adventure!

    Yeah, and it's getting even more interesting. This morning two birds flew in and out of the garage until I realized they were carrying into twigs and grass and leaving without them. I discovered they had started building a nest in a coil of extension cords I keep hung on the wall.

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  23. Anonymous wrote: I have a nest of Chimney sweeps, in my chimney of course but at night we can hear the birds when they nest in, they chirp and twitter.

    You're brave, Anon. I'd be scared they'd fly in the house and become a kitty or puppy snack.


    My cat has taken up a post on the roof. But the birds come back every season.

    Our neighborhood birds seem pretty fearless, too. We have a family of foxes living on our land, and a couple nights ago I saw one of the youngsters trotting past my front room window. But we always have birds hanging out in our trees as well as nesting here every year.

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  24. Suelder wrote: I don't think I've laughed so much all week. thanks for making my day :D

    Sure, laugh now. I'm leaving your address along with Charlene's in the bird houses. "For a great nesting spot, fly to . . . "

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  25. I just love it. I have put poinsettia plants in plant holders for Christmas and have had doves choose that spot for nesting, even though they're right in front of a window. Apparently, being behind the poinsettia gave them a feeling of safety until one of us looked out the window.

    Also apparently, I live in a warm climate.

    Marilynne

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  26. I have the same problem. There was a turtle dove hanging out in one of my newly-planted hanging baskets (of course, the one closest to the front door, to which I had added extra plantings for a bit more drama). I'd given the whole planter a little shake a couple of times to discourage her to settle there (only 2-3 times...she just appeared a week or so ago). But the last time I did it, I saw eggs under where she had been sitting.

    Drat. Now I feel guilty and am hoping that the temperature fluctuation caused by her leaving the eggs on a chilly spring morning hasn't just killed her babies....

    And I'm still pissed that she picked one of my baskets!

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  27. I love it! I'm sorry, but I thinks that's funny. They must really love the atmosphere to put up with all the 'rain' in the basket. :)

    I let the dogs out this morning (the puppy won't go by herself. If you're not standing at the door watching her, she'll stand there, staring into the garage the entire time she's outside.) and as I'm walking down the driveway, I hear all this chattering and it's very close. I look up and low and behold, a pair of sparrows are (is it 'are' or 'is'?) making a nest in the gutter under the leaf screen they must have managed to force up just enough to sneak under. *sigh* Tonight the DH will try to rip their home out and fix the screen, but I doubt it will help. If they're willing to nest in the frame under my van, only to have their nest come and go several times a day, they'll figure out a way to nest anywhere.

    And wow, I didn't mean to make such a long post.

    theo

    word verification: spocker
    I was never a spoker, I was a kirker :P

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