Birding with Kenn and Kimberly

From Homebase in Oak Harbor, OH, Kimberly Writes: If you haven't read my last post, please do. It explains how Eastern Meadowlarks came to nest in our "yard gone wild!" They're shockingly close to the house, allowing for wonderful observations of behavior. They seem to be most active in the early morning hours, the female bringing nest material...  ...while the male takes to a high perch some distance away to sing and chatter. The nest is built on the ground, in areas with dense grass and other low cover, in a small depression in the soil. The nest is a domed structure with the entrance on the side, made of grass stems interwoven with surrounding growth. There are typically narrow trails or runways in the grass leading to the nest. The grass is tall enough that I can't see the actual nest site yet, but the female lands some distance away a nd I can see the grass moving as she follows these trails to the general area!

From Homebase in Oak Harbor, OH, Kimberly Writes:  After two weeks of neglect, our lawn, as viewed through the lens of conventional wisdom, was officially out of control. I mean, mowing your grass is what you're supposed to do, right? Yes, indeed, grass is meant for mowing, and a yard must be kept neat and tidy to conform with the ideal of what a perfect lawn is supposed to be. Our wild and unruly lawn Tell that to a Meadowlark! For here in our little three acre patch of paradise, a pair of Eastern Meadowlarks is actively building a nest. Unexpected guests to our unconventional lawn. Female with a mouthful of nest material  Leave it to the birds to remind us of the benefits of letting go. To remind us that wild and unruly could represent perfection. That conventional wisdom should be challenged now and then. And that the reward might be a bird with the sun on its breast and a song as sweet as the summer breeze.