Well, Duchess won out...My vote was for Brunhilda, but how can you argue with the argument that we already have a 'Duke,' so why not a 'Duchess?' I'm sorry William and Kate...this one is not for you...it is merely a coincidence that we have now been blessed with a Duke and Duchess...the Duke and Duchess of Russian Sage, that is...
Duchess entered our lives early Friday morning. 'The Duke' was eager to look out the storm door on the unusually bright and sunny morning. When I opened the door, I noticed that my clematis had again fallen forward, hanging merely by a stem. It has clearly become too heavy for my trellis, but I am unsure as to how to switch the clematis from one trellis to another, so it will stay. I opened the storm door to adjust the trellis once again only to be spooked by a large bird flying up towards me then out to the yard. I immediately realized the situation as she lay by our tree pretending to be dead...I calmly told her not to worry and that I would not disturb her or her nest.
Yes, it is true...the Duchess of Russian Sage is expecting...expecting at least six little ones. We have been through this before. Not at our current home, but at our previous home. Unfortunately, it has never ended well for us (Feral Cats...Oh, how I despise you!) , so I have been keeping a close eye on the Duchess and her growing brood. I know that there is not much I can do and that I must let nature take its course, but, nonetheless, my maternal instinct has taken over and I feel a need to protect them. Unfortunately, for me, it simply just means checking on them through the window in the door multiple times a day.
In this short time span, I have quickly learned the patterns and maternal instincts of the Duchess. These realizations have occurred through careful observation, calls to wildlife bird officials, and, of course, the wonderful, worldwide web. The Duchess primarily only seems to sit on her nest overnight and in the early morning. She seems to like to 'camouflage' her nest with garbage. The Duchess is literally in search of 'decorations' to tuck into the mulch around her eggs. And, she carefully attends to the nest and switches positions every so often to make sure that each and every egg is getting proper coverage and warmth.
Our family has about another four weeks to hopefully witness a wonderful miracle. We'll continue to keep you posted on the progress of the Duchess and her growing family. Hopefully, all will end well and we'll soon see Duchess guiding her ducklings into the world!
Duchess' nest...Complete with her 'decorations!'
Duchess entered our lives early Friday morning. 'The Duke' was eager to look out the storm door on the unusually bright and sunny morning. When I opened the door, I noticed that my clematis had again fallen forward, hanging merely by a stem. It has clearly become too heavy for my trellis, but I am unsure as to how to switch the clematis from one trellis to another, so it will stay. I opened the storm door to adjust the trellis once again only to be spooked by a large bird flying up towards me then out to the yard. I immediately realized the situation as she lay by our tree pretending to be dead...I calmly told her not to worry and that I would not disturb her or her nest.
Yes, it is true...the Duchess of Russian Sage is expecting...expecting at least six little ones. We have been through this before. Not at our current home, but at our previous home. Unfortunately, it has never ended well for us (Feral Cats...Oh, how I despise you!) , so I have been keeping a close eye on the Duchess and her growing brood. I know that there is not much I can do and that I must let nature take its course, but, nonetheless, my maternal instinct has taken over and I feel a need to protect them. Unfortunately, for me, it simply just means checking on them through the window in the door multiple times a day.
In this short time span, I have quickly learned the patterns and maternal instincts of the Duchess. These realizations have occurred through careful observation, calls to wildlife bird officials, and, of course, the wonderful, worldwide web. The Duchess primarily only seems to sit on her nest overnight and in the early morning. She seems to like to 'camouflage' her nest with garbage. The Duchess is literally in search of 'decorations' to tuck into the mulch around her eggs. And, she carefully attends to the nest and switches positions every so often to make sure that each and every egg is getting proper coverage and warmth.
Our family has about another four weeks to hopefully witness a wonderful miracle. We'll continue to keep you posted on the progress of the Duchess and her growing family. Hopefully, all will end well and we'll soon see Duchess guiding her ducklings into the world!
Duchess' nest...Complete with her 'decorations!'
Duchess attending to her nest early this morning!
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