Winds

The last couple of days have been challenging because of the winds. We were to be away from the city for a couple of days and during a rather wicked early Spring storm here which struck on Friday. The nest and it's builders weighed on my mind. Where were they? Would the nest hold up in 40-50 mph gusts? I did not see the birds at all before I left on Friday in the middle of the storm and, naturally, feared the worst. The ferry trip to the Peninsula was really rocking and rolling amid 5-7 ft swells. I don't think I'd ever taken a trip so choppy. That night, we were pounded by winds, cold, and torrents of rain until well into the evening.
The pictures I've posted are of the clouds which told the tale of the night before and it's weather and the days to come and their storms. The blues, grays, and whites seemed especially beautiful to me even though they foretold more drama and threat to the bushtits' nest.
So, with today's rains on the way, I can share that the birds are alive and well and working feverishly to repair their home! On arrival home, I dumped the bags inside and ran outside and back to see what was going on. Imagine my thrill as seeing both birds patching the holes the weather caused and weaving the ends around the thorns again. The wind and rain both buffeted the shrub enough that the "cover" for the nest is sparser. I worry for that and other preying birds and cats but will settle for seeing this pair working and near their new residence. Hooray!
Those clouds did their best to disrupt this microcosm but, alas, didn't succeed (this time anyway).