by Becky MacPherson

I thought of you this morning [April 2] and your stories about the Mama Hummingbird building her nest purposefully in a high-traffic area, as we have a finch couple that has built a nest in the wreath on our front door!

A few weeks ago, we started hearing a male finch that would sit in our wreath (that I still had up from Christmas) and sing his little heart out. I could see him in there from a side window. I saw his lady finch in the tree nearby. He would sing there every morning!

Then, after we got home from out of town this week, I noticed the sounds were different—more chirping. I couldn’t see any birds in the wreath, but the sounds were very close to the door. I was looking out the window and saw the female fly out of the wreath.

Today, when my daughter was leaving for school (the door opens inward), I got a chair and carefully peeked over the top. There was a tiny nest nestled deep in the top of the wreath against the door.

We go in and out several times a day, but it doesn’t seem to bother them. I’m kind of shocked they are cool with the location, but clearly the male thought it was a prime spot since he did a very persistent job of singing its praises each morning for a couple of weeks, and morning is when we sometimes open the door at least three times as my daughter, son, and then I leave the house.

I was worried after I looked in this morning (although I was fast and didn’t touch anything) that I had scared them, but about 10 minutes later, I saw them in the plum tree out front, and soon heard the little chirps on the other side of the door.

When I left the house, I told them that I was very honored that they felt safe on our porch and that, although we go in and out a few times a day, we would do our best to keep it a safe spot for their nest.

I also apologized for using the chair to peek in, but I needed to see if they had built a nest, so I would know to leave the wreath there, since I usually take it down by now. I was planning to switch it out with my spring wreath.

So I guess my dried and somewhat brown Christmas wreath will be up through Spring, haha!

Update: Five eggs were laid, hatched, and eventually the fledglings successfully made their way out into the larger world. Becky learned that House Finches can raise up to three broods of babies, and it looks like the door wreath is still favored for round two of housekeeping, so she is now prepared to keep the Christmas wreath up until September.

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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic energy healer, and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism and Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails. Her classes, sessions, and ceremonial work are inspired by wild and domestic animals who have issued a call to action for personal and global healing.