The Empty Nest

Lucy, our resident sunbird in Dubai

I am an empty nester.  Actually, I am a no nester.

About a month ago, I was sitting outside working.  Lucy came by with her mate, and another sunbird. I thought she was introducing me to her new friend through her chatter.

After that visit I didn't see her for a few days.  I began to worry.  With two larger birds constantly bullying the area, I wondered if they chased her off.  Despite all the singing and chirping in this garden and the occasional sounds of traffic racing past Dubai Mall, our home suddenly became so quiet.

I checked outside every morning, but no Lucy.  Sadly her nest started to drop.  Even though it seemed to be hanging by a thin strand, it hung on for a long time.  She was back about a week later, but by then the nest was so low and twisted it was uninhabitable.  She tried to build it back up over a few days, but her attempts were unsuccessful.  Not wanting to interfere with nature and ruin any chances of the birds returning, it was heartbreaking to watch.

I never saw Lucy again, but I could still hear sunbirds nearby for some time.  They have since stopped, and I assume have migrated to a cooler place for the summer.

The nest eventually fell to the ground  Before we cleaned it up, my son said "let's explore it".  So we did.  We opened it, and looked through it.  It was amazing how strong those little pieces were intertwined in Lucy's labor of love.  Fortunately, there were no abandoned eggs.  It was empty.

The fallen sunbird nest

Ironically, after the nest fell, the pomegranate tree from which it hung began to flower again.  A sign that there is some kind of give and take balance in nature.  We have also had several visitors since then - including a peacock!  As I write this, I see a dove poking around in the trees.

With all these visitors, we are hopeful that maybe someday we will again be graced with the likes of Lucy.

A breakfast visitor

Lucy and Tom Cruise

A Sunbird in it's nest in Dubai

What do Lucy and Tom Cruise have in common?

They both survived the most epic sand storm ever in Dubai - only Lucy's was the real deal.  Tom's was cinema production.  He did his own stunt on the Burj Khalifa, so I guess we can forgive the fake sandstorm.

I have enjoyed having Lucy around, and she is now used to me.  She flies up across the table and checks me out as I work outside.  She is always cautious but I feel privileged that she goes on about her business as I am in close proximity tending to mine.  I like to think she appreciates that I open the door to greet her in the morning.  Or I could just be crazy bird lady.

I am pretty sure I saw Lucy settle in her nest and lay eggs last week.  I am only guessing this because I question a bird that sits in the nest and breathes deeply with its mouth open.  She doesn't strike me as a bird that snores.

We had a very strong storm in Dubai last week that included intense rain that even resulted in hail in some areas.  After a few windy days, the grande finale blew through before it could start, but it left an impression.  So much that I received an email from my father tonight informing me that some friends were inquiring about Lucy and wondering if she survived the storm.

I was going to hold off on Lucy posts until we had babies, but since there is global concern for her welfare, I am happy to report that Lucy is alive and well.  Hopefully if she has eggs they are not scrambled, but she is fine and the nest is in tact.

Her nest was swinging like an amusement park ride all weekend, but it held on.  I only lost all my little pomegranate buds from the tree.

If you want to see the local video that was taken of the storm, you can click here to watch it.  It is pretty impressive.  If you look carefully, you may see Tom Cruise trying to out run it.

Just Dad

A sunbird nest in Dubai

Since I discovered Lucy and her nest, she has been working on it diligently every day.  From sunrise to sunset she comes and goes in search of small pieces of branches, leaves and twigs.   For the last several days she has been filling the nest with feathers.

She has a mate.  He is a shiny purple and black.  His song is much louder than hers, but he doesn't stay long.  He seems to pop in and out.  He checks in on things, then leaves quickly.  I thought Lucy was quick, but he is faster.  I was lucky to get this picture of him last weekend before he sped off.  

I wanted to name him Ricardo - for obvious reasons - but my son says he doesn't have a name.  He is "Just Dad".  So Dad it is until further notice.

A male sunbird in Dubai

I Love Lucy

Meet Lucy.  Lucy, as my son has named her, is our resident sunbird.  On Friday she started making a nest in the pomegranate tree on my balcony.

We are incredibly excited that she has chose our balcony to nest.  The tree is right near the window, so we can watch her in action.

We are trying to keep our distance, and the cats indoors.  We do go chase away the random crow, aggressive bulbuls and other bullies of the hood that try to interfere.

Fingers crossed she will feel safe and we will get some babies to observe.  I am not a wildlife photographer, but be sure I'll take this opportunity to experiment.