Feeding the birds on Christmas morning.

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21. Awww... That's a sweet tradition! Didn't knowabout it.

I've been feeding my birdies out front every year since last year - when we found this little nest tucked up under the roof overhang outside the front door. Late April noticed unusual activity, unusually close to the house. Birds flying across from the magnolia trees in toward the door.

Whaaaa? It was a pair of them taking turns feeding something up there in the - "OMG LOOK! There's a bird's nest!!!"coupla days later I heard little cheeping and chirping up there. One day later there was this little beak sticking up. Then the whole head with mouth wide open. Then next day two little heads! Then three!!!

By Mother's Day they were so big they were crowding each other out of the best and learning to perch on the rim of the nest. Then they started leaving.

But they hung around because I'd started leaving a little pile of seeds on the ground for the mama and daddy birds. It was fun to see the little ones come back because they too discovered the pile of seeds.

This past late April, sure enough, another of that same kind of bird came back and moved in on the nest and the cycle started all over again! When the nest emptied we had different sets of advice - should clear the nest away cuz they won't be back, and don't clear the nest away cuz they wil be back. Sure enough there soon was flapping and zooming across the front with parents bringing food, then one little head poking up, then two. Finally there wer FOUR this year! I named 'em after the boys in the band!

The boys liked it. When they'd come over to do band stuff they'd sit out front and watch and thought it was pretty cool! By then we had a couple of hungry squirrels that grew pretty bold and wouldn't scamper off so quickly when we'd come outside. And there were blue jays and mourning doves and the little birds of the nest. Don't know what kind of birds they are but they have little black hooded heads, black and gray backs and wings and tails, and creamy white tummies. I call 'em tuxedo birds.

I love feeding the birds and watching them. And the squirrels too. Hope we get another nesting next spring - cuz the nest is still up there!