Nesting season has really begun,
and one way to tell that is birds coming to the feeders getting their beaks full or even bringing stuff while on the way. This is why we don’t use chemicals in our yard. The birds collect insects and feed them to their wee ones. I always find it interesting what they bring, it gives me insights into the secret bug life of my garden.
Videos: The tree setup
The camera I set up in a tree is proving to be an entertaining setup, especially in the morning. Here, a Blue Jay comes to hide one single seed and then a bit later comes back to retrieve it. The female Oriole came to check out the nesting material options. I put nesting wool (I got mine from Wild Birds Unlimited), grass and roots in there. Don't use dryer lint, hair from pets with treated fur, or yarns. Audubon has a nice article about what is safe for the birds to put out.
BB update!
Two of the Bluebird babies have fledged today! And unfortunately, I was not htere to witness it. It was kind of funny, I knew they were getting antsy from seeing them in the box, so I got my camera ready outside. And then I waited. And watched them. And waited more. They teased a lot, several times a baby was half way out throughout the day, and then just got back into the box and they all napped. It is a big step to leave that nest. I thought things would happen tomorrow. But in between when I took breaks, things happened. Two babies made it out and will spend an exciting night with Dr. Clara and Mandrake out in the big world. The two in the box are cuddling and will fledge first thing in the morning, I reckon. They look adorable, sleeping in the nest, turning like a tiny clock and breathing in unison. Bird babies are the best.
Video: Home improvement for the Robins
Robins use mud to fortify their nests. I have seen them starting to build the other day and thought it would be fun to make a little mud pit for them. It has been dry for a bit so they seemed to appreciate it. I mixed soil and water with some small roots and dried leaves.
Tales from the Crypt
The Bluebird babies are looking really good. Their eyes are open, they are awake a lot and they all look like tiny grandpas with their fuzzy heads. Often, when the babies get fed, they poop right after in what always looks to me like some sort of a “praise” pose - they spread out their wings and lift the butt so the parent can take the “diaper” right out. Their poop looks white and is encased in a so-called fecal sac which holds it together. It looks like a diaper when the parents take it out. Anyways, I thought it was funny here how the diapered and fed baby is all content afterwards while the rest still go wild. It’s day 12 after hatching, not that much longer to go.
The four
baby Blues have been growing a lot in the last couple of days, and I am glad that they all look strong and healthy. Their eyes have started to open and they are slowly growing feathers. Dr. Clara is still spending the night with them in the nestbox. She will continue doing that until the babies are fully feathered and can regulate their body temperature by themselves. For the time being, they like cuddling up in a big pile to warm each other while Mom and Dad are out hunting insects for them.
And a little update
on Dr. Clara and Mandrake. Sadly I have to report that one of the babies has passed this past weekend. I am not sure exactly why but I think it might have been the runt. Remember how those eggs did not all hatch in the same day? The first clutch is always kind of cursed. I checked all my footage and actually saw Dr. Clara carrying the dead baby out of the box. There was no predator attack. This happens and while it is sad, it is also nature. The other four are doing great and hopefully will all make it. But witnessing things like that is always tough. Be sound ❤️
Video: Snack time!
The Bluebird babies are growing and developing well, mostly because they get constantly fed by their attentive parents. The parents like to come for a snack at the mealworm bar but the babies get the good stuff. Here, Mandrake brings a huge worm. The baby has quite the beak full but eventually managed to get it all down.
Welcome, babies!
Update - it looks now like all five have hatched! Yay!
The poke turned out to be a good signal yesterday, and two babies hatched quickly after it showed. This morning, two more Bluebird babies have hatched. There is one unhatched egg in the nest, and it may or may not hatch. It can happen that eggs are unviable for a number of reasons but it is quite normal and nothing to worry about. Dr. Clara has assisted the babies coming out of the egg and also ate the egg shells for nutrition. Temperatures have fallen quite a bit, and she is warming them with her brood patch, a naked patch on her belly, and only rarely leaves the nest. Mandrake is bringing her and the babies food. They currently look like fuzzy shrimp but will change in appearance almost by the hour now.
I think we have a poker!
Dr. Clara is usually turning the eggs to incubate them evenly but in the last two days she has been checking a bit more thoroughly, and I think I now know why. It looks like one of the babies might be ready to hatch. At least that is what it looks like. I am monitoring this nest 24/7, and the nest was not disturbed by anyone. And the schedule works too 😁 So tomorrow will probably be hatch day!
Dr. Clara and Mandrake nesting 2021
I will collect the photos and info I gather for this first nesting here.
April 1, 2021: Little did I know… Dr. Clara spent the night in the box but not for the reasons I thought. She is clearly a weather expert and knew that it was going to be frosty. So in order to protect her eggs, she kept them warm during the night. And added one more this morning. That should be it now. Six would be crazy!
March 31, 2021: Dr. Clara laid her fourth egg this morning and seems to be spending a lot of time in the box. So it could be that she is done and starting to incubate. Incubation means that she sits on her eggs, warming them with a bald patch on her belly and moving and turning them regularly so they stay evenly warm. Bluebirds incubate fpr about two weeks. I keep track with the nest via the Nestwatch app and notes in my calendar. This way I can see if everything is happening according to schedule.
March 30th, 2021: As of today, there are three eggs in the nest. Now it is going to be an interesting guessing game to see how many more she will lay. If she lays more, which looks likely because she is not sitting on the eggs permanently yet.
Egg number 2
was laid this chilly morning at around the same time as the first egg, which is normal for all eggs. I have added the Sparrow spooker yesterday when the wind died down for a bit, and Dr. Clara went into the box without hesitation. This was a relief because sometimes the birds can be a bit fussy about it. When you put one up, please watch for a bit to make sure they accept it (more info on Sparrow Spookers here: http://www.sialis.org/sparrowspooker.htm) . If they don’t, you can try to introduce it gradually, using less streamers for example. Dr. Clara will only start incubating once her clutch is complete. this ensures that all babies will hatch at around the same time, giving them all equal chances of survival.
I will continue to give updates on Dr. Clara and Mandrake’s progress. Going from previous years, I would think we might get a maximum of four eggs. It is always a bit less stressful if the first clutch is small because temperatures can still go very low.
And just like that,
nesting season has officially begun. Dr. Clara laid her first egg this morning. She will now lay one egg per day until her clutch is complete. Bluebirds raise several broods in a season, usually three in my yard. The clutch size can vary with fewer for the first and third and up to six in the second clutch. It is rainy and windy today, so the sparrow spooker will go up only tomorrow. Mine is homemade, two dowels on which I attach streamers made from a birthday balloon. They are supposed to keep House Sparrows at bay. HOSP cannot see well and get spooked by the shiny flappy things and stay away from the box. If you are interested in learning more about Bluebirds and other native cavity nesters, I highly recommend the page sialis.org.
It was very windy today
and is still storming, and I always like to think that these kinds of winds help the migratory birds to make the big trip. Meanwhile, over here, Dr. Clara has been super busy building her nest but did not do a lot today. The nest looks almost done. In my experience, she takes a couple of days off before laying, so maybe we are close to some eggs. Or maybe she just did not want to carry stuff in the storm.
This is a bit
of a boring time at the feeders, but the peeps are plenty. Goldfinches start nesting late in the season but they are starting to change their plumage, and they are becoming much more agitated. They look so funny with their patchwork feathers. I also saw the first Robins of the year today and the BBs have continued to work on their nest. Spring is coming!
Video: A Flicker in the Flicker box!
As you know, we built a Flicker nestbox earlier this year, but no Flicker or other bird came to nest in it. A House Wren inspected it a couple of times but that was it. I had taken the Starling shield away and put on a Wren whole restrictor, only to later also remove that to see what would happen since nesting season is basically over. And then this morning, a Northern Flicker actually went in there several times and hung out in it for a while, enjoying the view. These large wodpeckers are one of my absolute favorites, and I would be thrilled have them nest in this box. Hopefully, he remembers next year. I am so excited!
Big day for the BB babies!
Yesterday and today were big days for the Bluebird babies! Two fledged yesterday, and the two remaining ones made the big leap this morning. I saw all of them fledge except for the second one. The video shows the last one leaving from box view. I will clean out the box later today, and then we will see if Lagertha goes for another round. And we can finally have a bonfire tonight :)
Video: House Wren building nest
We put a hole restrictor on the Flicker box a while ago so that only small birds like a Wren or Chickadee could get in. It looks like a Wren found it accomodating.
We will see if this turns into an actual nest or just a mock nest.
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.
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!