Nesting

Perhaps it is rather symbolic that around our 6 month anniversary of being married, and our 6 year anniversary of being together, we would discover that we are hosting another little family just starting out. When I first heard the noisy birds flying to and from the ledge above our living room window, my instinctive thought was "Great, pigeons." I hate pigeons. For 2 years, in my former apartment, I witnessed several mating, laying, hatching and growing cycles of these birds. They had a nest on a ledge outside my bedroom window, about 2 feet away from my pillow. I'm not exaggerating. Between their obnoxious squawking and 4-inch pile of poop, it was difficult to develop a healthy relationship. I don't miss them at all. So, it would only seem natural that my first reaction to our new inhabitants would be one of dread. But both Andrew and I have been pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise. Instead, we are hosting an American Kestrel family, also known as the American Sparrow-Hawk. The Audubon Society has some great information about these birds:

When spring returns to enliven the earth each male bird seeks for its mate, whose coyness is not less innocent than that of the gentle dove. Pursued from place to place, the female at length yields to the importunity of her dear tormentor, when side by side they sail, screaming aloud their love notes, which, if not musical, are doubtless at least delightful to the parties concerned. With tremulous wings they search for a place in which to deposit their eggs secure from danger, and now they have found it.

They've found it alright. And while I might debate the idea that their love notes are always "delightful", they beat any noise a pigeon makes, hands down. So we welcome our little family and look forward to the life it will bring.