It’s nesting season and I’ve been following the birds’ instincts. . .
Feathering my nest and doing some spring cleaning, painting and window dressing around the Potting Shed.
I took some time out for a little tabletop nesting and dish fun!
There seems to be nesting going on everywhere I look. . .
More than one bird has taken up residence outside the window of my Potting Shed. . .
And birds of a feather have flocked together for among the birdhouses for a little tabletop dining and seed buffet.
Bluebirds are nesting in the dovecote by the lake again this spring.
And a cardinal made her nest in the rose bush by the back door of the Potting Shed.
I heard a lot of chirping a couple of weeks ago by the front door of my shed.
And discovered a bird had made a nest in the top watering can of the chain gang. . .
The watering can at the top of the chain has a smaller than normal opening. It stayed nice and dry hanging under the eave of the roof, despite all our rain recently.
After the birds had flown from the nest, I pulled it down to peek inside and found the can was more than half full of nesting material . . . watering cans are good for more than just watering it seems. ;)
Table Details:
Ceramic birdhouses, plates, mugs / Rae Dunn Artisan Collection and M Studios, HomeGoods, used here
Twig Flatware / Pier 1, this spring
Galvanized Metal Stand / Pottery Barn
Nest table runner and napkins / HomeGoods
Thank you for your visit!
Such a great post today! I always love to see just who in the bird kingdom has decided to nest in our yard and where they’ve decided to build. When they’re long gone I love collecting the nests to see what they were constructed of. This got my morning off to a great start!
Mary, what a delightful post this morning. I had a sweet bluebird nest on my pergola and every time I tried to sit on the patio she was upset with me. The babies left and I reclaimed my patio. Every year a mockingbird nests in my Lady Banks Rose arbor, and they like to swoop down at you. But, I love to watch their activity! Beautiful potting shed nesting tablesetting!
How sweet! I love all the activity and seeing them build their nest one twig, leaf, string at a time. The other day I saw a Chickadee pulling the rough, stiff, bristles out of my front door Welcome mat. Made me smile. I collect the abandon nests too and have them lined up on my shelves in the shed. I think they are just precious. Thanks for a sweet post. We love our birds!
I especially loved seeing the dovecote by the lake, and the activity going on there, Mary. How sweet that your top watering can was filled with nesting materials. The birdies must love being at your home, and how wonderful for you to see the comings and goings. Your birdie themed potting shed tablescape was a joy to see. Your path near the potting shed is looking so pretty, too. Hope you have a happy day!
Plz plz take pics of baby cardinals when u can!! I’ve tried every yr to find the nests around here with no luck and I know they’re everywhere…we have 10-15 cardinals at our feeder every day! 😍 I too collect old nests and use them in my potted plants in garden.
Can’t wait to see your babies!
I’ll give it my best shot Janey, pun intended ;) but Mama cardinal was none too happy about my leaning over just to snap some pics of her eggs!
Just love the bird theme! It gives me so much joy watching them in my garden. Love the runner! Same fabric as a tablecloth I got at HG this year for Easter.
What a delightful post to start the day!! Love the tabletop nesting in the Potting Shed. I, too would love to see Cardinal babies. I often stand at my kitchen sink window and just watch the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Robins, and Morning Doves at the feeders – and now my Grandson likes to sit in the sink so that he can watch with me. We are also entertained by the chipmunks and squirrels scampering about the yard. Thank-you for the bird watching tour and your always beautiful photos. P.S. The watering can nest was so amazing!
Love these pictures and all the bird art. We have a hummingbird who has made a nest on top of one of our hanging patio lights! Will be fun to watch. My table is currently set with a sweet bird egg tablecloth and bird plates I purchased at PotteryBarn a few years ago. Enjoy!
LOVE this post. I have a bit of a bird fetish and it shows in my décor. Thanks for putting a smile on my face.
Mary, I’m sitting on the sunporch with birds chirping as I read this delightful post. I’m in love with your dove cotes. I would like to add one to our garden. Not sure where I’d put it because we don’t have those wide open spaces. I love the darling Rae Dunn bird houses. I’m a fan of Rae Dunn pieces, but for some reason never see pieces here for sale. Your post is inspiring me to pull out my “nesting” dishes and set a table. I’ve recently brought all my boxes of dishes home from the storage unit and am eager to unpack all the boxes. I want to play with my dishes.
Love birds, bird nests, bird eggs…birds on anything! What a delightful post. The twig flatware is so attractive.
Love love loooovve your tablescape in the shed today! It’s perfect and I absolutely ADORE the “nest” ceramic birdhouse. I must keep looking for one, The Nest at Finch Rest needs that! ♥♥♥
Where did you get the dark blue bottle pictured in your yard? I love it and all your decorating! Wish I had a potting shed, so cute!
Thanks Debbie, the blue bottle is a recycled wine bottle. 🍷😀
Everything is so pretty. I love the table setting. It’s so soft and pretty. Currently we have a turtle dove sitting on a nest. To me it’s an odd place. Out of all the trees and safe places in our yard this bird made her nest right in the middle of my lily bed in a flower pot with just soil in it. The pot sits up about four feet off the ground in a wrought iron stand in the middle of the bed. I was surprised when I was weeding that bed to find her in there. I called my husband over to see it too. That was two weeks ago and she’s still sitting there. I really wanted to plant that pot but I think she’s taken up permanent residence so I guess I’ll just wait on her. Since we are talking birds, we were at our friend’s’home a week ago and counted 15 blue jays in their back yard. They said they are all there almost everyday. I’d never seen anything like it. It was so beautiful.
So enjoyed your beautiful post today Mary. I just love your posts with the birds, I too have set out my little collection of birds and nests. I think of you everytime I use the little white dishes with white birds attached that you shared with us, I believe last year, you sourced them for us and I was able to easily get them from Amazon. I so appreciate you always including that information for us, and of course your beautiful photos and talents. You made my day!
Mary, the UPS man just delivered my copy of “Beach Cocktails”!! I can’t wait to get into it! The photos are beautiful and I can see that there’s lots of good reading, also. It makes my mouth water as I thumb through it.
Again, thanks so much . . . still can’t believe I’m, the lucky winner!
Vicky
Mary I love this post. Your bird ornaments are cute. how special for you to be able to see all the birds and their nest.
Marilyn
How beautiful everything looks. You are a wonderful decorator Thank You for sharing the birds with us.
Joan
Thank You for the photos of the blue birds. I have never seen one. They are beautiful.
Marion
I am a bird enthusiast, too, Mary! We have recently had two spottings of the beautiful bluebird..hopefully a newcomer nesting nearby! Enjoy your post as we seem to have similar likes! Enjoy the “summertime weather”, a bit early for us here in NC, even in coastal Jacksonville! Always love your photos!
I love all the natural elements and cool finds you have in this post. Birds are my favorite, I talk with several every day we can get out here. Grins, thanks for posting, Sandi
Oh those little pastel eggs are so sweet Mary! You have been busy feathering your potting shed nest! As usual you have thought of so many wonderful details, surprises and delightful eye candy! I have a feathered friend nesting in the wreath on my front door. I purposely put a small watering can inside the wreath that takes up the whole middle and the top of the can is so small I never dreamed a bird would nest there. Now every time we open the door the poor little thing flies out!
Jenna
Oh my gosh, this is the sweetest thing. I get so excited when birds nest in my yard. I never saw it, but feel certain cardinals were nesting in my yard this year. And I always get the messy finches, often robins and chickadees. My elusive tenants are the bluebirds – how I wish they’d find our yard hospitable enough to accommodate them! I love hearing my sister tell of how hard they both work for their families, feathering the nests and feeding their young.
Your dishes and that ‘home’ are as sweet as all the goings on outside the shed. Thanks for sharing.
RIta
I almost forgot to mention the watering can full of nest – how cool was that??
Such joy to see your post and all the delightful discoveries you shared. All your thoughtful and diligent efforts thru the seasons, to feed, accommodate and celebrate your feathered friends has resulted in them feeling safe and welcomed into your world, and nesting there!!! Nesting and leaving their little gifts of nature behind-awe, their ultimate thank you! So happy you shared with us; all those precious discoveries also made my day.
Such beauty and renewal in nature. I have so enjoyed visiting your site through the seasons. Your creativity is such a gift to you and everyone around you, the posts have inspired me to attend more bountifully to my feathered friends and it has brought such delight in each and every season!! Thanks Mary, you are awesome
The table top nesting is so pretty! Love listening to the birds when I’m working in garden. I was watering my pots yesterday and a mama cardinal flew out and was not happy all day. It’s a hanging pot of hosta. Don’t know if I can water anymore…I looked and it’s babies. We have had a lot of bluebirds this year. I saw yesterday my first hummingbird. Nature is so beautiful!
Had to come back to tell you…this pm was checking our bluebird boxes. We live in the boonies(country) and have 6 boxes and I like to walk the acreage to check on them. The bluebirds are everywhere this season! And there are full nests in every box!!! I laughed at the architecture of one of them…it has 2 dryer sheets in it!!!! Hahaha. I would have loved seeing them fly to the nest with that in its mouth!!
I love watching all of our birds thru the sunroom windows…they give me such comfort and peace. Much needed in this world we live in today.
How wonderful your bluebird boxes were all filled with nests! Love that they found a way to recycle those dryer sheets as nest filler, lol :)
Mary, I liked the blue bottle too and it’s stem/leaf that it is balanced on. Did you get the stem at a garden store? I know in the south the bottle trees are very popular. I like this smaller version! ;)
Hi Cyndi, Yes, I found the single bottle tree at a local garden center this spring. I tried to find it online and didn’t have any luck. When I go back, I’ll peek at the tag for the manufacturer :)
Well, I have the place mats that match your runner but didn’t see the napkins, darnit! I was going to use them for my next table!!! It is amazing where a bird will make her nest. We have had several birds making nests in all our birdhouses too. Have a beautiful weekend, Mary!
Just love the bird post!! I was surprised at the cardinal building in a bush…around here they always head for the top of the tallest tree especially the fir trees..but I too would love to see pics of the babies. We have cardinals at our feeder and it’s truly a beautiful site to see a male feed the female.. Blue jays cannot crack the sunflower seeds with their bills, their bills are rounded with a rounded end so they fly over to a rock and pound the seed to crack it. They seem to fill their mouth the head for their nest..blue birds are abounding this year.we don’t have any but a farmer friend does..we had a big flock a couple years ago invaded our bird bath everyday for about a week then they disappeared!! I took enjoy bird watching in the morning on the porch with my coffee..BTW, our robins wait every morning for me to water to get to their worms..all very fun!! 🐦🦉🦋🌸🌺🌼
Mary, sorry I was so windy..
Beautiful! I love the dovecote and nesting house. Do you know where I could order them? Thanks! There were two baby robins who flew from their nest yesterday and four baby rabbits born under a Juniper Rug bush here at my home in Tennessee. Love your blog!
Oh I love this- so many cute details! I love the dovecote and that you have bluebirds nesting! We get a lot of songbirds here but not so much of the bluebirds. I think it’s our setting- too closed in. They seem to prefer an open space location.
I love the egg and nest table runner. Where did you get that? The egg and bird theme is perfect for a Spring/Easter decor as in rebirth and revival of mother nature. Great decor!