Our tree is full of nesting birds.

Birds are a christmas tree tradition in my family. When I was growing up, we had a white bird with feathers and glitter (which always went on the top of the tree despite Dixie's desire for an angel), a white bird with gold braid trim and a little gold topknot, and two fat quail which must have come from an old wreath someplace. My mother must still have those decorations.

Now, I have several of these little white and red birds that I bought in State College, which I have used in wreaths but mostly use every year on the tree. I usually put them up near the top, but I have never found a bird to match the glittery one we had when I was a child; that's why there is no bird on the tip top this year.

The brown bird with the plumey tail shown here is a new bird that Katynka brought us this year. Below it and to the right (above the sitting white bird), you can see a little frosted glass dove which I bought for my aunt Mamie when I was in high school. I also have a tiny gold bird clipped to the tree that is not shown, a gift from Mary years ago. (The multi-colored star in this picture is one of paper stars Marty and I folded for our first Christmas away from home.)

And then there's one other bird, farther down, sitting in a nest with some eggs next to the trunk of the tree: