Menu
Every year, Spotted Flycatchers (muscicapa striata) migrate thousands of miles from sub-Saharan Africa to nest in this carving, called 'Green Man with Tongue', which hangs outside our front door.
I originally hollowed out the back of the carving to prevent it splitting and never supposed these lovely little birds would take such a fancy to it - lucky us!
This year (2015), Carrie set up her video camera and dextrously caught footage of the chicks being fed and the fledglings leaving the nest! And, as I write, the mother is sitting on a second brood...
| 06 April 2020 22:52
It's 2020 so I'm way behind many others taking pleasure in your video of Spotted flycatchers nesting in your green man. They have such good taste! It has quite inspired me to create something similar for our annual swallows who have rejected their previous nest for two years in a row.. We have various species of Flycatchers in Australia but none who live in the sub-tropics. Much appreciate Carrie's video.
Sue Walston
| 23 March 2019 13:42
Talk about perfection/harmony...thank you for sharing this!
| 18 August 2018 18:37
That is great! Love the sound of the birds. Here in Seattle we have an ever increasing number of Cedar waxwings having a feeding frenzy for a couple weeks in our Korean mountain ash eating the berries. Do you ever carve small birds?
| 12 September 2016 23:45
Amazing. I saw this video as I sat on my front porch enjoying about 15 hummingbirds dancing around me.
| 29 June 2016 23:12
what a wonderful "use" of a wonderful carving, wonderfully filmed. Thank You!!!
| 17 February 2016 15:40
I love it! Birds are my favorite subjects to carve. Thanks Carrie!
| 30 January 2016 16:11
ohhhhhh, how wonderful! I love watching birds!
| 11 October 2015 16:28
What a great and fun video! I am glad she took the time to film that event. Thanks Carrie!!
| 20 July 2015 13:43
I have a similar 'problem' Few several years now I have had Red Starts nesting in my workshop. This year I have three young two males and a female. They have spent many mornings sitting on my bench waiting for me to come in and spend most of the day flying around the shop no matter the noise or dust. However, I don't think they fly all the way from South Africa. Isn't Nature an amazing and mysterious miracle.
