I have been slacking a bit
with Lagertha nestbox updates, but she has been busy 🙂 She has laid three more eggs after the first one, so now the clutch has four eggs. Tomorrow, we will see how big the clutch is going to be. I never had a BB lay more than five eggs. Meanwhile, Ragnar and the three babies (I haven't seen more than three) are around, playing in the pool and figuring out the food options around here.
Kudos, birdlovers.
I checked my Redbubble shop today, and mask sales have amounted to $902.30! This is impressive and stunning and makes me so proud. I will get paid by Redbubble on the 15th, and will make the donation to Feeding America right away. If you want to make this a round number, go and get yourself a mask too. I linked them on here, or you can go to my Redbubble shop ostdrossel.redbubble.com.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, YOU ROCK!
I haven't been posting many photos recently,
but that is just because this is basically what the feeders look like right now most of the time. The Starlings and their babies have taken over a bit. These “takeovers” happen each season, and they will mellow at some point too. And no matter what one thinks of Starlings (Europe and the US perceive them a bit differently), the interactions between the youngsters and the parents are funny to watch. They do sound a bit like haunted witches, though.
During nesting season,
the birds bring all kinds of food to the feeder too when they make quick stops on the way back to their babies. I always find those photos interesting because I get to see more of the insect diversity of my backyard.
Get ready for Birdsy!
As you know, I have been using the Birdsy camera for quite a while now. (If you don’t - that is the camera I am using for my videos. I have written a bit more about it in my FAQ.) It has helped me getting to know my backyard visitors and also the ecosystem of my garden a lot better. It has brought me joy in the cold of the winter and the heat of the summer, in daylight as well as during the night, and it was a pleasure to share that with the world. Many people have asked me about it, and now I am happy to let you know that Birdsy is going to launch on Kickstarter on Monday, June 15th 2020. You can learn more here. I can help you out if you have questions, and I will also provide a special Ostdrossel link once it has started. I am very excited for the Birdsy team, they have created a fantastic product that I am sure will make lots of people happy.
Stay tuned!
New Bluebird clutch!
Lagertha has been busy building her nest for a while now, and today, she laid the first egg of her second clutch. She will now lay one egg per day until her clutch is complete, and then she will start incubating them. Ragnar and the babies from the first clutch are around, and they might help her later to feed the new babies. I am busy with work today, so no new photos or videos before tomorrow, but you can check out this Bored Panda article or the livestream if you crave some. Have a beautiful Monday!
Video: Catbird meowing at the pool
I love this guy, and I am so happy he is sticking around. I was working on my computer when I heard the first meow, and I actually thought there was a real cat haha He seemed quite surprised that the young Starling left.
These babies.
The Bluebird babies seem to be much more alert this year. Usually, once the parents bring them down to the yard, they sit on the cameras while the parent flies from the bowl to the baby to feed it for a couple of days. But these babies are jumping down on the bowl themselves on their second day in the yard. I have a very good feeling about them, and I still don’t know how many made it so far. But I am madly in love.
Video: Ragnar and two babies at the pool
I heard them yesterday but they didn’t come down, but today was the big day. Ragnar and Lagertha, the Bluebirds, brought their first set of babies to the backyard (her new nest is almost done too). I saw three, but I was keeping a distance, so I am not sure how many there are. They are as adorable as ever, and my heart is full of joy. Ragnar made a big display at the pool too, showing that wonderful slow moving of the wings that is so typical for Bluebirds. The baby bunny, a baby Robin and the baby Grack also paid a visit, and I think the livestream is going to be a lot of fun in the coming weeks.
Video: Wilhelm von Grack at the pool
It looks like baby bird season has officially begun. Earlier today, this tiny Grackle showed up, I think the parents just parked it at the pool while they were searching for food. It must have felt good for him to take a bath after spending weeks in a nest with his siblings. We named him Wilhelm von Grack. I will get nothing done in the next few weeks, this bird bath is just way too entertaining :D
Times are bleak at the feeders
because everybody is taking care of the babies, but keeping that jelly feeder out there and filled can be rewarding. The Catbird is still a regular, which is absolutely wonderful, and this speckled Oriole is a daily guest at the jelly trough as well.
Video: Grackle examining the new pool
We improved the bird bath (still needs adjustments though), and this Grackle cracked me up. They are all still a bit shy around it, I think the pebbles must feel weird on their feet.
Video: surprise visitors
I just looked out the window when I saw three deer walking across the yard! Thankfully, an attention-seeking Robin and a Starling parent and his kid jumped into the frame, so Birdsy recorded it. This is only the second time I have seen deer in my yard, it was quite cool to watch.
Video: Baltimore Oriole
This Oriole showed me what it thought about taking feeders away for cleaning.
And Lagertha is building again too.
Now that the first set of Bluebird babies has fledged, she is ready to give it another go, and has started to fill the box with nesting material again.
Video: Blue Jay collecting nesting material
A Blue Jay is collecting nesting material (the suet cage contains wool from a bird store, grass and roots).
During nesting season,
I find it especially interesting what the birds bring to the feeder. It is like getting samples of the insects that are around in my yard. This year, things seem a bit more extreme, I don’t know if it is because of the cool spring or because of the rain or because of a quarantine-related lack of pesticide treatments in larger areas. We don’t spray our garden because we know there are lots of insect-eating birds. It can be tough, especially for me because my German body is still not really used to American mosquitoes, but it makes me feel better thinking about baby birds eating the spiders, worms and flies that their parents feed them (pictured are Grackles). And it is always somewhat satisfying to see a beak full of natural food.
The baby birds are coming!
When I set up the feeders this morning, Momma Robin was scolding me in an unusual way. Well, she had a reason - her baby has fledged. And it is the tiniest Robin I have ever seen out of a nest. He can’t even fly yet. This is normal for a Robin fledgling. The parents are leading him around the yard while looking for food, and feed him. The lawn needs to be mowed but I think that can wait another day. Those tail feathers!
There is still not much happening
but this curious and tired looking Wren checked out the camera yesterday. Unfortunately the bowl was empty, but I put it in the same spot today, maybe I’ll get a clearer picture.