Carol's Corner

Strawberry Bed Reveals Surprise Nest

My garden sheltered a thief. First the beet seedlings disappeared. Then the carrot sprouts went missing. When I noticed the strawberries nibbled, I took action to protect the precious crop.

Armed with a strip of chicken wire, I knelt to affix the wire. Suddenly, an avian missile exploded with a “whoosh” from the strawberry bed—barely missing my head. I reared back on my heels and screamed. Yep, that’s right. I screamed. I’m embarrassed to admit that a 6 ounce ball of feathers could scare the wits out of me—but it did. When I recovered, I realized I had flushed a nesting California Quail!

I peeked under the lush, green leaves to find a perfect nest tucked among the berries. The nest cradled 14 creamy-white eggs mottled with brown specks, looking remarkably like unripe strawberries.

Needless to say, I’ve abandoned my “Save the Strawberry” campaign and fully embraced my nesting quail family. I can’t wait to see the chicks emerge from the nest in the next couple of weeks. Guess I will have to plant a bigger garden to feed the new brood.

And finally, after two years of waiting, a pair of mountain bluebirds adopted one of my nest boxes. Their young fledged last week and I couldn’t be happier.

Have a Bluebird Day!

Carol