The Bird Tree - My sister Sharon and I built this cement tree last year. It has three nesting cavities, I can remove the doors to reach baby birds, and close the bird openings when the nesting season is over. The tree was not as realistic as I had planned, but it isn't bad for a couple of amateurs! It weighs about 400 pounds, so I don't plan on ever moving it...

Jem is the new papa bird of the arboretum. Ever eager to please, he wants to feed ALL the hens on nests, even if they already have a partner!

Buttercup is our young hen, and quite loving. She sits on my shoulder and snuggles. Relentlessly!

Heihei is our young male. Granddaughter Eliana named him after the silly rooster in Moana. And he IS a goofball. A favorite activity is watching (and occasionally pecking at) the pretty colors in the games I play on my iPad.

Scout is our older male. At over 11, he can't keep up with the girls anymore, and has settled into happy "retirement".

A hundred or so of the "Bobs", grudgingly posing for a photo.

Rainbow is about as pretty as a Bourke can get! She is also extremely gentle, and is turning out to be a very good mommy. Just a few weeks until we know if her little ones have gotten any of her coloring!

The collective "Bob". The Bobs are our composting worms, providing wonderful fertilizer for our plants.

Red and blue Chinese button quail

Grey and pink Chinese button quail

Two of our Chinese button quail taking a dirt bath!

Cheerful wildlife! The jumping spider is always willing to do his part in gobbling up unwanted pests, and posing for pictures, of course!