A Vancouver rooftop drama playing out before our eyes for the last 2 months. Usually this nesting pair of Glaucous-winged Gulls, directly across the street from our condo, would be waiting for their clutch of 3 eggs to hatch in about 4 weeks but, so far, they have not been able to produce even one egg! So sad:-(

"Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

How uncanny is this?! I just started this book earlier this week and went out in my backyard, literally, at about 3:00pm this afternoon, wondering what I was going to shoot for this week's theme, "Portray a book title." As I was walking around the yard and doing a bit of gardening, on the grass right in front of me was an empty and abandoned nest! Voila! I found my subject to shoot! By the way, very positive book and I am enjoying it...been an empty nester for quite awhile but need an uplifting boost once in awhile!

Smile on Saturday - "Egg-celent". HSoS!

Surely Autumn/Winter garden fences without their plants must suffer from "empty nest syndrome" the same way that parents do when their children grow up and leave?

Late for Fence Friday again, so a Happy Belated Fence Friday to you all. :)

"There are two gifts we should give our children; one is roots, and the other is wings!" But, darn, I miss them!

While shooting a Real Estate home today, I ran across this sweet little birds nest. It sure brought back memories. Two little homes are now vacant.

心情的故事..

空⋯

Empty....

重組: 將2015年所拍的兩幅圖重疊,當年拍照只注重主題忘了構圖. 如今覺得疊圖才會賦予原圖新生命~~2021年的看法.

Thank you everyone for your visit, favorites and comments.

2015-11-08 @ Hsinchu City & 2015-11-08 @ Hsinchu City, Taiwan, Rep. of China© copyright by May Lee 廖藹淳

of beliefs, ideas and ways of being.

All the eggs have hatched and the fledglings have flown

“Loving people who live far away is one of the quiet heartbreaks of adulthood. But what a gift it is to have people worth missing this much.” - unknown.

We have been empty nesters for a long time. There was that silent break in the rhythm in our routines when the next generation “fledged” and that was tough to endure. Now we have our own retirement rhythm in our home. Luckily we are able to travel to see our families. But there are times I wish it could just be a little more often. Happy Window Wednesday.

May passion be the wind

That leads you through your days

And may conviction keep you strong

Guide you on your way

May there be many moments

That make your life so sweet

Oh, but more than memories

~from Find Your Wings by Mark Harris~

If you have time, listen to the whole song HERE.

Our youngest recently left home .. this is for him and our daughter, who is busy tending her own nest! Do well, and make us proud - love you both!!

--

I know this image isn't pretty. But this piece isn't about pretty ... it's just something I needed to do for me ... and for my kids.

And I, tiny being,

drunk with the great starry

void,

likeness, image of

mystery,

felt myself a pure part

of the abyss.

I wheeled with the stars.

My heart broke loose with the wind.

- Pablo Neruda

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is one of a large collection of bird's nests I have gathered

over the years. Most of them have fallen out of an old

blackwood tree at the bottom of my garden. I would not, of course,

disturb a nest that mother-bird hadn't finished with :-)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Texture by Andrea Rusky

I walked out, and the nest

was already there by the step. Woven basket

of a saint

sent back to life as a bird

who proceeded to make

a mess of things. Wind

right through it, and any eggs

long vanished. But in my hand it was

intricate pleasure, even the thorny reeds

softened in the weave. And the fading

leaf mold, hardly

itself anymore, merely a trick

of light, if light

can be tricked. Deep in a life

is another life. I walked out, the nest

already by the step.

- Marianne Boruch

This photo was taken less than a week ago. The nest is now empty, as the four nestlings quickly became fledglings that have flown away on their own. Oh, well...it was fun while it lasted.

.

sorry... let me indulge a bit... the pair of mute swans made a small nest close to where I live, they had six eggs... slowly all the eggs disappeared… I learned that a conservation group, decided there were too many mute swans and oiled the eggs… all six of them… it was heart breaking to see the pair not leaving the nest… today, a few days later, they were back and she was sitting on an empty nest… I want to dedicate this shot to all the poor animals that suffer because of humanity…

Explored 2/19/207

As a parent, there are days you feel "how will I get through this?" "I am so tired" or "I can't wait till their grown"

But as my youngest's wedding nears closer and closer, I realize I am beginning to become sad. My heart will have an emptiness, I know.

I will miss him but on the same note, very happy for the new roads yet to come for him.

Just being a MOM -- I guess.

To Danny, My Son,

Rascal Flatts My Wish Lyrics

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,

and each road leads you where you want to go,

and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

And if one door opens to another door closed,

I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,

if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but you never forget,

all the ones who love you, in the place you left,

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,

and you help somebody every chance you get,

Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,

and always give more than you take.

But More than anything, Yeah, more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish. Yeah.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

6.365

My daughter Allyson came home for a visit from college this weekend. I love having her home...listening to her joke around with her brothers... hearing her play the piano... hanging out putting together puzzles or playing cards... baking cookies together... going out for lunch or coffee to catch up on how things are going for her...talking about God, politics and gas prices.

But at some point after she leaves again, the let down always comes. Today is one of those days. This morning I went into her room to straighten it up and strip her sheets for laundering. I didn't get that far. Instead I ended up grabbing her pillow and holding it tightly, breathing in her scent that still faintly lingered there.

You would think after two years of her being "on her own" I would deal with her going back to school a bit better, but I just can't help it, dang it! I miss her like crazy when she's gone.

Another image found while hunting for "the top ten".

Nest for sale.

Well constructed nest for sale, newly renovated and move in ready, prime location with great water views, large garden nicely decorated with old man's beard, Sitka Sound, Alaska. Price: one freshly caught salmon.

Sold!

The nest sold the same day at double the asking price (two salmon) to a family of two and the siblings were moved in and enjoying their new home courtesy of generative AI in Photoshop Beta. Sitka Sound, Alaska.

16/07/2023 www.allenfotowild.com

This story sounds familiar.

A robin's nest fallen during a storm. A natural accident that has become our mirror. This is us: poor, isolated, busy killing each other as we drift away from the earth. We have lost all our roots, it is true.

This is what we are: lifeless shells, scattered, without any meaning left.

It is not that nothing remains: the trace is there, but it is an imprint of ruin. A heavy legacy. Like this fallen, lifeless egg in a desolate place, what we leave behind is the mark of failure—a future defined by decay instead of hope.

A trip out to Elk Island National Park this past Saturday revealed some beautiful fall colours and other treasures as we walk along the Moss Lake Trail

.

my videos . www.youtube.com/user/sofarsogut/videos

Unfortunately this monogamous Black Oystercatcher pair lost their chick from yesterday. Two other eggs from this second clutch this season did not survive as well as the 3 eggs from the 1st clutch. Last year this site did not produce any fledged young either. I wonder, but Nature knows, why they continue to use this site with gulls, terns, starlings, and ground squirrels nearby. Note the small feather in bttom bill of upper adult; Black Oystercatcher; Haematopus bachmani

Moving through my fifties

Tending my empty nest

Thankful

On being a mother

About being a daughter

Before, during, and after

Part 2 of the series "Empty Nest," a tribute to my grandma.

Facebook Page | tumblr | instagram

Texture: pareeerica

View On Black

This year’s Grey Heron chicks have now left the nests from what is now becoming a small Heronry on one of the islands in Locke Park

Dreams can come true- and my Kenner dream has- thanks to one very good friend who has my eternal gratitude... emptynest/Marilyn.

I've loved Blythe since 2004, and finally, unexpectedly, luckily- Hedwig has come into my life. Her body is coming from @nai.

…… The Climbing Hydrangea up the Garage is loosing leaves fast now and I see its revealed about 6 nests! This one was quite small so I’m not sure who or how many fledged from it! We certainly had at least two Blackbird nests in it!! Always amazes me what they find to make them with - a proper mixed soup!! So thats my #326 shot of the day today. Spent the day editing the 773 pictures I took of the play last night - now whittled down to 84 - the new Lightroom editing tools proved very useful….. Alan:-)

For the interested I’m growing my Shutterstock catalogue regularly here, now sold 133 images :- www.shutterstock.com/g/Alan+Foster?rid=223484589&utm_...

©Alan Foster.

©Alan Foster. All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.……

Nest for sale.

Well constructed nest for sale, newly renovated and move in ready, prime location with great water views, large garden nicely decorated with old man's beard, Sitka Sound, Alaska. Price: one freshly caught salmon.

Sold!

The nest sold the same day at double the asking price (two salmon) to a family of two and the siblings were moved in and enjoying their new home courtesy of generative AI in Photoshop Beta. Sitka Sound, Alaska.

16/07/2023 www.allenfotowild.com

www.nuaphotography.com

I'm not sure if it's amazing, sad, melancholy, bittersweet, or some combination of them all. But somehow, 16 years seemed to get packed up almost overnight. What seemed to take forever to accumulate took mere moments to discard, give away, or store for later reminiscing.

Two days earlier I spied this nest occupied by a young hawk and parent. Now it stands empty as both parent and child explore their new FREEDOM - for Flickr Friday

Baya weavers are best known for the elaborately woven nests constructed by the males. These pendulous nests are retort-shaped, with a central nesting chamber and a long vertical tube that leads to a side entrance to the chamber. The nests are woven with long strips of paddy leaves, rough grasses and long strips torn from palm fronds. Each strip can be between 20 and 60 cm in length. A male bird is known to make up to 500 trips to complete a nest. The birds use their strong beaks to strip and collect the strands, and to weave and knot them while building their nests.

Source: Wikipedia

An empty nest. Was it the wind? Or a lizard?

hackberry / mohave county / arizona

So I checked the nest today and this is what I saw- an empty nest! Just 12 hours earlier (yesterday evening), the three Cardinal chicks were sweetly nestled here.

I was hoping a Crow or Blue Jay had not discovered the nest and devoured the chicks :( Happily I heard the Mom and Dad Cardinal flitting about and it was obvious that the chicks were nearby and hiding.

Then I heard one of the chicks peeping nearby, begging for food. I looked all around and heard the sound coming from a woodpile that is six feet away from this nest. I looked and looked but could not find the little one, which was probably hiding instinctually behind and between the wood pieces.

Finally at days end, I looked again and found one chick perfectly camouflaged among the wood chunks. I will post a picture of it tomorrow, and that will be the last of this Cardinal Nest series.

The birds have all gone away till spring. Empty nest syndrome in my front yard. For Rent. Husband says "Motivated Seller" 365/16

An emotional time. Phoebe is entrenched in Oxford student life and Abbey goes back to Bath this weekend. We shall be alone for the first time since the girls were born.......

I see thee clearer for the Grave

That took thy face between

No mirror could illumine thee

Like that impassive stone -

I know thee better for the act

That made thee first unknown

The stature of the empty nest

Attests the Bird that's gone

Emily Dickinson

(Explored)