I didn’t watch the takeover. I’d read the stories. Sad, brutal stories about the ruthless realities of hostile takeovers of chickadee nests by bluebirds. While acutely aware of mother nature’s oftentimes harsh truth there are days when my sensitive self just can’t deal. I chose to wait patiently until the coup d'état was a fait accompli. And so it was.

Not sure where the chickadees eventually landed. They visited but did not take up residence in any of the four homegrown gourd houses that I hung on the guide-wire that supports the patio cafe lights. The gourds may be too swingy in the breeze for comfort, perhaps the lights on till 2 am don’t allow for enough night or maybe it was just the crappy paint job that began to fail the moment they were left to the elements.

Early last week, while out scouting the wild wisteria whose irresistible bouquet had been floating on the wind, I decided to take a peek in the nest box. I found evidence that the bluebird pair had taken over and were in the early stages of their own build. Atop the three inches or so of moss, bark, leaves, animal hair and other ephemera the chickadees had incorporated was the beginning of a rounded nest of rusty colored pine needles. I gently shut the lid and went back to my wisteria hunt, spotting a few flower racemes twenty feet up.

We had severe storms this past week and I was pleased that the birdhouse had sustained itself. It had not succumbed one iota to the turbulent winds and torrential downpours. It was flagpole steady and I self-congratulated for my earnest efforts.

Yesterday, I peeked again. This beautiful little nest, round and deep, ready and waiting. No eggs yet. I try not to wonder if the pairing couple might be off schedule. Then when I download my photos I see that this beauty of a nest is being lovingly and dutifully watched over by a double rainbow orb and that rates right up there with ‘outlook good’ on the Magic 8 Ball.

Rainbows Before Eggs © Ann Richardson • Apr 23, 2019