Here I sit typing at the computer with Rosie lying nearby who is enjoying a warm sunbath as the sunbeams stream through the office window. Jack rests in front of the sliding glass door leading to the farmer porch, hopeful and attentive as he listens to hear the sound of his masters returning footsteps. All windows are open wide and the scent and sounds of this beautiful summer morning permeate the air. ATB is quite content and mellow this morning as they survey their surroundings. A few are apparently sleeping in. A few moments ago I quietly called each dog by name and greeted them, striving to keep their energy very low this early in the day so they are less likely to vocalize their joy at seeing me until much later. There are however, no guarantees this will be the case.
The most notable sound at 8:00 a.m. on this summer morning unfortunately comes from the road we live on. The 'recycling facility' (we used to call them dumps)is located a few miles further down the lane. Our road is also the connecting road for the many summer residents who own beautiful waterfront property. Saturday morning is a busy road for traffic even way out here in the boonies, with several cars passing by every five minutes. I can hear the distant cawing of a crow who sounds quite distraught about something. A few songbirds make themselves known including the annoying Bluejay darting from branch to branch in the tall pines.
Speaking of birds, a family of Robins have taken up residence in the Forsythia bush in front of our living room window. A certain finished gundog who shall remain anonymous is responsible for reconstruction of their nest a few days ago. When the rest of the dogs were enjoying a swim and a romp this particular dog disappeared from view. I caught up with him just in time to rescue three young baby Robins that had fallen out of the nest he had retrieved. He looked quite foolish actually but of course my reaction to what I was witnessing drew the attention of the rest of ATB who decided to get in on the act.
Fortunately, John and I had already surrounded the bush with two exercise pens so the baby birds who had fallen on the ground were not easily accessible. That is with the exception of one fledgling I discovered only because of Rosies comendable ability to hold a point. Lying helplessly on the ground between Rosies front legs and just inches from her curious nose was the tiniest little bird with the biggest mouth and beak. I called Rose off of the bird and scooped it up into my hands. All of this was happening at lightning speed and I was trying to control the other excited Brittanys (yah right) while holding the baby Robin safely in my hands. John had already sized up the situation and quickly came to the rescue with an intact, bird nest leftover from another year. We knew for sure that there were three baby Robins but could only count two. The mother and father Robins were frantic as they flew back and forth watching the drama unfold.
When John spotted the third Robin I handed the one I had been protecting over to him and headed (herded?) the entire ATB crew back to the kennel. NOT the way any of us had hoped to end an otherwise fun filled afternoon. There was one dog in particular who literally was in the dog house as far as I was concerned and no daddy was going to bail him out this time. In that instance in my eyes he was the most pigheaded, independent, stubborn Brittany I'd ever known and I know he read my thoughts for there was no protest from the boy. True and Piper had escaped the experience simply due to their preoccupation with each other and were playing like the pups they still are in another part of the yard. Treasure was standing off at a distance sizing things up, knowing full well she was counted among the juvenille delinquents. She just hadn't managed to get herself caught. Wish, Scooby, Molly, Pippin and Rose are always so obedient and compliant to the command "KENNEL UP" so I had no problem relocating and redirecting ATB. Rose was the hero of the day for sure.
Returning back to the scene of the crime I discovered John had reinforced the anchors of the X-Pen surrounding the Forsythia bush where the new nest had been placed. I looked inside and saw all three babies were safe inside. Now to wait and see if the mother and father Robins would return. John and I went back inside the house and watched from the front window. We had not been waiting for very long and sure enough, the parents returned to the babies in the new substitute nest. AWESOME!
All of this could have been avoided if we'd moved the nest to a safer location when it was still under construction. But life happens. We'll know better next time. For now, we will continue to keep a watchful eye out and hope that these three baby Robins will survive to the point where they safely leave the nest when it is time.
Jack and ATB were all readily forgiven of course. You're not supposed to go to bed upset with those that you love, and Brittanys are no exception. I do imagine that we may do some back to basics yard training with a few of our adults very very soon though.
Take care and God Bless you and yours, John, Ann and All Things Brittanys
No comments:
Post a Comment
We'd love to hear from you!