Redbellied Woodpeckers
are birds that I see here year-round. I love them for their goofiness and also because they are not feeder-shy. This year, the resident couple has raised one baby, and that baby has now started to come to the cameras too. The male turns into a slobbering mess every summer (he produces a lot of saliva), and molting does not do him any favors either. I think the hole nesting process must be extra hard on him. Did you know that the males actually incubate too with this species? Pretty cool. (male, youngster, female from left to right)
Blue Jays are
one of these birds where seemingly all individuals look pretty much alike. However, that is not true, and since they apparently had a good breeding season, there are lots of babies around right now and it is fun to look at all the different varieties they come in. So many colors, patterns and textures. The youngest ones have slightly curly feathers but the markings in the face can differ regardless of age. The red stuff on some of them is Mulberry juice.
Nestbox news: Hatch day for the House Wrens
The Wren babies are hatching today. So far, four out of the six eggs have hatched, and one bird has removed the top shell that was sitting on one of the unhatched eggs, so that one can safely hatch as well. Interestingly enough the female has not eaten the shells like I usually see with the Bluebirds. The nice side effect is that the male seems to be more busy feeding the kidlets now than obsessing over the Bluebird box or finding another girlfriend (not a single visit at the BB house today!).
It is so cute how the Wrens make their little noises when they bring food. I hope they stay that busy. (The BBs still train the babies survival but they have been coming back more in the last two days, so hopefully they will be more present for a third brood soon.)
I have been
on a much needed little break from the everyday and my computer and spent the weekend with family in the beautiful north of Michigan. There is an abundance of wildlife there, and lots of birds. I brought my cameras along but the birds there are not used to them and declined to check them out. So I decided to relax and listen. The Merlin app is a great little tool to explore your surroundings in regards to bird song. Here is my list from six minutes yesterday morning, my attempt to take a photo of the Chestnut-sided Warbler, one of the many Cedar Waxwings, and some of the unfeathered creatures. Here’s to a great Monday and week!
And yes, even more baby birds.
I have noticed a lot more Redwinged Blackbirds around this year. I have no idea why but I love that they are not camera shy. Here is a young one, the coloring is much more peach and there is of course the typical baby gape, the rosy beak “corners”.
Baby birds!
In the last couple of days, the air has filled with more squeaks and begging calls. The Blue Jay babies have fledged, as well as Orioles, Redwinged Blackbirds, more Doves and Grackles. Not pictured but also seen were a Redbellied Woodpecker baby and a young Cardinal. All of them also seem to love the pond, so there is lots of fun stuff happening there. It is wonderful to see them explore things and follow the parents around. (Oriole, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Grackle, Blue Jay, Redwinged Blackbird)
Nestbox news: Good things need time
Four of the five Bluebird babies of the second brood have fledged over the last couple of days. The runt is still in the box, but hopefully, he will leave today, too. He has grown a lot, practises the wings and is taken care of by the parents. Here is a little clip of the middle three leaving. They all did late in the day, including the first one, and I did not manage to take photos of their first flight. The box is stained with mulberry, a poop sac left a smear on the lens and there are blowfly larvae in the nest too. I cannot wait to clean the box.
I spent a lot of time waiting for the fledge, and spent an entire day away from the computer, which was actually nice. There are new pictures coming but I need a bit of time to go through them.
Update: The runt took a glorious first flight this morning, the box is cleaned and maintained (I added a little mesh on the bottom to keep the nest slighly above the ground so blowfly larvae have it harder) and I rehung it in hopes for a third brood.
Nestbox news: Deco matching the walls
The House Wren has laid egg six this morning. She has been adorning the nest with feathers that she found around the property, and I like how her color choices match the walls.
The box is also a 6 inch diameter PVC box and I added two holes in Bluebird size and use a shrout with different hole sizes to adjust the box when necessary. The two holes provide better air flow and in the case of Bluebirds, might help the birds to escape a House Sparrow attack.
Come good into the weekend!
It has been a strange season
for Hummingbirds this year. They arrived about in time like normal but they have been extremely shy this year so far. Hummingbird activity in my backyard has been constantly decreasing in the last three to four years, and I am not really sure why. It might be the extreme weather they experience on their journey, it might be more flowers around, or more people having feeders out. What I do know is that I miss seeing them more frequently, they are so magical. Here is one that visited yesterday. Come good into Friday.
The Orioles
have been extra busy at the feeders recently, and I am expecting to see their babies in the yard soon. I have already heard their gentle little calls in the trees yesterday. The Orchard Oriole is also still coming, and I am hoping that maybe this year, it might bring a young one to the feeder too. In the meantime, the adults are enjoying the amenities the yard has to offer and make the world prettier with their vibrant colors and songs. Come good into the week!
Baby birds
are adorable not just because of their mostly cute looks but also because of the noises they make and how they behave, especially after they fledged. I have heard baby Orioles yesterday, I heard and saw a glimpse of a baby Blue Jay but other than that, everybody seems to still be in the nest. Except for the Grackles. The parents often “park” them by the pond and go to find food. The babies are playing with things in and around the water, take baths and in between get fed. And some of the more brave ones join the parents at the feeder bowls. They already have the sincere look of the adults but with added cuteness.
Nestbox news: The wreturn of the little terror
I have’t posted an update in a bit, so today is a good day. The babies are now 11 / 12 days old. Their eyes are open and their feathers are coming in, They grow by the minute thanks to Gayle and Mr. Business feeding them pretty much constantly. I was surprised to see them even feeding them mulberries but I was glad to see it too because the weather has been very hot and the mulberries I guess provide lots of moisture. When the last baby was 7 days old, I took the Wren guard off the box. It is recommended to take it off between day 5 and 10 after hatching. Then, the babies are big and heavy enough so that the Wren does not pose a threat anymore. Well, and yesterday, the Wren returned to check out the box. I edited the video a bit to make it shorter, but the Wren pretty much got in, tried to poke the babies and on the second try actually tried to yank one out. Thankfully, the baby was big enough so there was no way the Wren could finish the deed. The Wren in the other box has laid egg 2 by now. I hope that somehow between the Bluebirds fledging and Gayle starting nest 3, the Wren brood will keep them so busy that they don’t venture out again to check for nests. I will of course attach the Wren guard again too and hope it does it’s magic a second time.
The extreme heat
of the last two days has been rough on everybody, including the garden. The bird bath was visited frequently, and during the hottest hours, everybody was looking for shade or ways to stay cool. Some take sunbaths, looking like they have a seizure, others puff up. Apart from the Grackles, the MoDos are my favorite puffer uppers. They always seem very self-confident, and this one is no exception.
Summer is here,
and we are starting it with another really hot day. Temperatures will reach around 36 °C / 98 °F today. I have watered the garden, filled the bird baths and gave the nestboxes some extra shade. The Wren sadly lost two more eggs to that destructive other Wren yesterday, but she seems to be hanging on. (Update on the Wren - the other Wren came and tossed the last remaining egg earlier and is now working on the nest.) The Bluebirds are looking great. And there are many Orioles stopping by. Here is a little selection. Stay cool and hydrated and happy summer solstice!
Nestbox news: Day 4
A happy Father’s Day to all dads and father figures out there, including my own, a happy Juneteenth to everybody, and some nestbox news. The babies are now 4 days old. The weather has cooled down to lovely temperatures, the parents are finding lots of food in our garden, and things look great. I will keep the Wren guard up until day 7, just to be on the safe side. I am so happy this works.
Life has been busy
and the yard has been a bit quiet because it is nesting season. But here are a couple of the current regulars. The Orioles have started to come back more, even the Orchard Oriole! Some baby Doves are around, Gracks, Grosbeaks, Blue Jays and Robins. The garden is growing, and so are the babies. Happy Sunday!
Nestbox news: We have a hatchling!
Today was my calculated hatch day for Gayle and Mr. Business' brood 2, but the she was off the nest a lot due to extremely hot and humid weather, so I wasn't sure. But two hours ago, the first baby hatched. Welcome, little one, I hope your siblings follow. 💙
The House Wren also made it through the day with her three eggs. She got some extra shade by a William & Cate wedding day umbrella I got in London when they got married.
Video: Miami Vice in the house!
I find Cedar Waxwings fascinating, they are so beautiful with their cool Miami Vice look. They never visit my feeders and only show up in groups at certain times of the year, so I think I am extra excited to see them. I admit we also planted a lot of native bushes and plants to attract them so I would have photo opportunities, but everything is still small. Anyways, please enjoy this group at the bath.
The backyard is starting to fill
with more baby birds each day, it is the best time of the year. They are following the parents, learning how to find food, get clean and feel safe. Here are members of the thrush family, a young American Robin and two Eastern Bluebirds, all checking out the grape jelly. Funnily enough, the Bluebirds resemble the European Robin, while the American Robin looks a lot like a European Blackbird. Come good into the week!
