As I looked out my kitchen window, yesterday afternoon, I observed new developments.  Dad Sparrow had been evicted days prior as I watched a male Northern Flicker move into town every morning for weeks.  In fact, now I realize that little Mrs. is the little girl that hit my window one night during a snow storm, having likely left the nest under duress at the time.  Mr. has been alone ever since, having determinedly defended the nest for about five days.  Finally, he abandoned the warm space for a place on my fence, barking unhappily ever since.

First nesters before the bad winter storms hit.  They had been collecting nesting materials for a week when this portrait was taken.

Early April storms and I gathered this wee lady into a warm towel and brought her into the house.  She had been sitting in the shelter of my bird feeder for two days and had hit my window in the night of the second day.  I found her, with beak buried in snow at the base of my fence.  By morning, she had passed.Mr. remained vigilant at the nest until you-know-who showed up and you’ve all been privy to my long winded blah blah about the eviction.

Well, yesterday, new developments.

First I noticed a male House Sparrow prior to heading for the river.  This was definitely our Mr. Perhaps the male Northern Flicker was gone and disinterested in the site.

When I returned home…this.

Was our fellow trying again?  Had he found another Mrs.?  For days he had been wailing on the fence wall.

Not long after…HE’S BACK!

Time passes….and on April 27, we have a new couple shopping for real estate…quite unaware that the villain has gone hunting for the ladies…again.  No nesting materials were brought in, but a lot of analysis was being made.  She is a pretty little thing.

New Mr. has quite a slicked back look compared to Mr. #1 who I have since photographed on the fence, while this insanely handsome young man decides that he is strong enough and determined enough to steal this place from the Flicker.

Poor sad sack…an older and more experienced fellow, but without a Mrs. and without the will to take the pecking of a Northern Flicker. 

Mr. and Mrs. work painstakingly at gathering nesting materials all morning of April 28, just to have this guy show up and tell the whole bunch of them that he’s got this property in hand.  (at the time of this photograph, New Mrs. is inside the vent…I’ll bet she’s shaking in her boots.  She flew out right behind him. As the Northern Flicker takes a place on my roof, the two of them make a statement about their intentions…and so, the plot continues. Oh!  The struggle for a place in the world!  The pain is real!