Wildlife never ceases to amaze me - the species don't seem to question their purpose - they exist with driven instinct and just go on about their business without mid-life or identity crisis. Our first spring here at the farm, gray and black fly-catchers designed the most beautiful moss and mud nest underneath our back screened porch. Both mother and father fly-catchers worked daily to complete their home and, upon hatching, raise their young.

We are collectors of nature (among other things) and had planned to collect the fly-catchers' nest after their young had left the nest.......all things considered - time passed rapidly and we did not remove the nest. Spring 2005 arrived and who returned but the fly-catchers and not only to use the existing nest but to add to it! It was amazing, as you could see the new moss that they had added to the existing nest. They laid 5 eggs and hatched their brood again under our porch to our delite.

How do they know they can come back? Why do they come back?

Meanwhile, out on our telephone pole, bluebirds have already nested and raised a brood of bluebird babes. As I went out today to investigate the bird box, I discovered that a second pair of bluebirds had forgone my cleaning out the box and already laid 3 more eggs in the existing nest (this is a first for me.......).

No matter how many times I have put up bird boxes and collected nests w/my sons - I continue to be amazed and stand in awe of the tenacity of wildlife and all that they do so un-noticed. We (mankind) can learn alot from them and how they live by instinct........but can we put it to practice?