Dear Tweeters,

Thanks for all the kind words about our bigleaf maple. The good news for the Starlings--bad news, I suppose, for those who dislike them--is that at least one of the nestlings somehow survived the tremendous fall. Now the parents are bringing food to a nest cavity that is only about a foot off the ground. It had been way up in the tree, in one of the great, rotted trunks. Peeking in there, I cannot even see the baby or babies--the nest?must be way down in the dark recesses of the rotted bole. Have to give this species?credit for being one tough son-of-a-Sturnid.

Meanwhile, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers are busy foraging in the downed foliage. American Robins are perching on the branches, as they continue to carry nesting material into the barn, where they must have a nest tucked away somewhere. Black-capped Chickadees are acting confused, as the nest box that they had been eyeing is now on the ground, busted.

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch