Nestbox news: And then there were three
Today at around 11, her usual time, Gayle laid her third egg of the clutch. The weather is mild and sunny, and right now, things could not be better. She comes in to sit on them every now and then but does not appear to be incubating yet. The next two days will show how big the first clutch of 2022 is going to be. Now when she starts incubating, her metabolism changes and she is producing more body heat. On her belly, there is a so-called brood patch without feathers and blood vessels closer to the skin that she uses to keep the eggs warm.
There have been some
visits of birds I have not seen a lot recently, and some of them are the woodpecker guys. Suddenly, a male Redbellied and a Downy have been coming to the camera bowls. They are beautiful and have interesting patterns and textures that make their visits even more special.
I find bird backs
really cool to see because they always seem like such a well-organized piece of nature. It is pretty amazing how neatly the wings fold and everything creates a beautiful, water-resistant surface with the most intricate patterns. Can you guess them all?
Nestbox news: A labor of love
Gayle has been working on the nest a lot even up until this morning but today around 11 she was finally done. She settled in and laid the first egg of the season. It is always fascinating to me how these small living beings are able to create something so delicate as a 1 inch egg and raise a fully fledged bird out of it within about a month. As you can see, laying the first one is quite the task, it looks like she is experiencing labor. The sparrow spooker is up and I am very happy. She will now lay one egg per day until her clutch is complete, and will then start to incubate. Here is to a great nesting season!
Purple? Red? House?
Male House Finches can come in many different shades of red or even yellow and orange, depending on their diet. Some even take on a vibrant color that might remind of raspberries. And if they do that, they often get confused with another bird that is high on the wishlist of many backyard birdwatchers - the Purple Finch. It is not a mythical creature, it is not the name for House finches with a raspberry hue, and it is around a lot less than House Finches. Once you know their differences, you will be able to more easily know what you got. I had the pleasure of having a Purple Finch visiting yesterday, so I made a little chart that might help learning some of their most obvious markers. The two single photos are both also the Purple. He stayed so long that a little snow accumulated on his head.
Nestbox news: Almost done!
After the framework mostly made of pine needles, Gayle is now shaping the nest cup and lining it with soft materials like grass and feathers. This looks pretty much done now. I love how thick the "walls" of the nest are, this should be very helpful if we are experiencing another sudden frost, which can always happen during spring in Michigan. The old box did not allow for a cozy nest like that.
Last but not least,
more Grackles! How about a round of Grackle bingo? The other two photos I just found so pretty. The first one has mud on the beak. He has probably been digging for grubs.
Nestbox news: It's getting interesting
Gayle has continued to haul material into the box all morning, and now a nestcup is beginning to form. I would not be surprised if she laid her first egg tomorrow, but we will see. Here is the nest as it looks today, and photos of Gayle and Mr. Business. He is the one with more blue.
I keep saying
that this is a boring part of the season but it is not like nothing is happening, I guess I am just too excited for the migrants to arrive. However things are changing around here too. A Chickadee has checked out my other nestbox, there are several Robins patrolling the yard now, the Blue Jays have started to come in pairs, the Goldfinches are sporting a very adventurous look, the Juncos are still having fun here and the MoDos are beginning to flirt. The crocuses and narcisus are coming out and trees are starting to bud. I’d say spring has sprung.
The air is filled
with spring calls and songs, and the Redwinged Blackbirds add a splash of color to that whole symphony as well. I have not seen a female yet so I think they are still kind of passing through. They are just so wonderfully elegant.
Spring is good
for some surprises after all. A Scarlet-eyed Grackle came by and curiously checked the feeders. I have never seen one before but I heard it is a special day when a birder has the opportunity, so I am sharing with all of you. Happy Friday, I wish you all wonderful surprises and a good laugh. Also, your zipper is open😉
Nestbox news: Back in business!
The weather has been rather nasty this week, and Gayle did not really do a ton on the nest. Today that changed, though. Temperatures were lovely but you could not feel them because there was a big storm raging all morning and the first half of the day. Yet, Gayle resumed her efforts and made quite some progress. I hope this means the weather will continue to improve now. All the visits in this clip are from today, I edited a bit.
Good morning!
Nothing much is going on right now, in the last two days winter has returned with frosty temps. The forecast is looking good though. Gayle the Bluebird has taken a little break from nestbuilding, the Juncos are still around but there are also more signs of spring. Groundhog and Chipmunk are back, and earlier today I saw a Cardinal feeding wifey, which is part of their courtship. Here’s to a good Tuesday, stay warm!
Video: The Juncos
are loving the branch cam, and yesterday they were very active, taking turns at the peanut butter in a manner that reminded me a lot of the Soul Train line. You can see males as well as females, which have more brown hues and are a bit more slender. One of the things I love about the Birdsy camera is that thanks to it, I now also know what seemingly “silent” birds sound like, and Juncos are very vocal, as can especially ne heard in the second video.
Nestbox news: Mr. Business does Gayle a favor
That pesky leaf that Gayle was not able to fully remove is now finally gone thanks to the help of Mr. Business. It took two attempts and some funny interaction between the to to finally remove it. I love when they “talk” to each other, it is so eandearing. My favorite is when he does the triple whistle. It almost sounds like he poses a question. This is from two days ago, and the nest has grown now.
There are more
than one harbingers of spring in the bird world, and this beuatiful creature is one of them, the Redwinged Blackbird. Redwinged Blackbirds have a distinctive call and just (literally) screams “spring” to me. Their colors remind me of my native country Germany but also of a great Pearl Jam song. So far I have only seen males, who are elegantly black with vibrant epaulets that give them their name. And just like with the Grackles, they have a majestic side but can also look quite funny, as can be seen below. Females and youngsters look alike, with beige and brown speckles and patterns. You can see a tiny bit of that on the back of one of them here.
Speaking of Grackles,
they don’t just impress with their size and iridiscence, but also make the Grack ladies go wild when they puff up. It is a whole process that they get ready for, showing the nictitating membrane and also giving out their trademark call that sounds like a rusty garden gate. With that said, I hope you all have a great Friday - cocklareee!
Nestbox news: Gayle and the giant leaf
Gayle has now actively started to build her nest in the big Gilbertson box, and I am so happy. She has been bringing grass and pine needles in, and today she came with this ginormous leaf and then seemed to have issues handling it. She actually tried several times to bring it in, this is when it worked. But then she did not seem to be too happy having it around. At some point Mr. Business came checking on her. It was hilarious to watch.
The small crowd
is not less entertaining right now. It is a funny time because summer and winter kind of meet. Spring can be felt and seen. The Goldfinches are starting to get their bright yellow summer plumage but at the same time, Redbreasted Nuthatches are still hanging around, as well as Juncos who do the most insane flight manoeuvers right now. (The lens fogged up when the Junco was there, and I think it created a cool look.)
