Video: The House Wren has been diligently constructing the nest,
and I am so intrigued by witnessing the whole process. He builds something like a little fortress, with ladders going all the way down to the nest. Here, you can see him adding spider egg sacs. There are several theories about why they do it, one is that the spiders will help with mite control, another that they are purely ornamental. I have decided to call him Sir Corleone because "Lion Heart", "cor leonis" is one of the names that has been attributed to these fierce tiny birds in the past. He is a strong singer, and I am excited to see if he can attract a female.
Videos: Finally!
It’s hatch day for the Bluebirds 🥰 Very early in the morning, Dr. Clara and Mandrake's babies started to hatch. In the first video, you can see her helping and also eating the eggshell. In the second video, you can see Mandrake coming in, making a call and bringing food. The vocal interactions during incubation have been sparse, but now there is communication each time food is brought. Four have hatched, one egg is left. It is swampy outside today, so they should feel nice and comfy.
Video: A new pond visitor
I love it when a new bird comes and the pond cam lens is clean. (I run out all the time to wipe it but sometimes my timing is off. It's a good workout in this weather 😁)
I am thinking immature Cooper's. Never had any other ones here and it feels like the legs and overall size are bigger than a Sharp-shinned.
Video: House Wren cleaning up and starting nest
The "Starling-proof" Flicker box that we built and hung did not attract the species it was designed for, so I decided to change things up a bit and hung the Troyer that I built in that spot. I saw a Downy checking it out and packed it tightly with wood shavings in case she wanted to excavate a roosting spot. Then, a differently looking beak showed up and started to get to work. A House Wren! It started taking the shavings out, one by one, hyperactively, and now has begun to bring sticks in. Wrens have nested in that spot before and I am happy to see them back. I don't want to tinker with the door to restrict access to larger species now, so we will have to see if the Troyer style works out. At least with the camera I can monitor precisely.
Video: A white whale backyard bird
Today was a special day - a group of Cedar Waxwings came to the pond! They are one of my white whale backyard birds because they do not come to feeders and I find them so cool looking. We planted lots of plants in the garden because we heard they lure them in :D The other bird is an American Robin, and he cracked me up because he seemed rather unhappy about the jolly group using his pool.
Video: Raccoon babies!
We noticed a nipply mommy raccoon recently, and were wondering if or when we would see babies. Well, tonight they came. Once again, I did not have the heart to edit, so please enjoy five minutes of baby racoons, and choose your favorite :D
Video: He has been back
every other night now, and while I don't want to jinx it, he might be a regular now... I think in this one, some sort of ear tuft is visible, so I am now leaning more towards my initial thought Northern Screech. It is a delight to wake up in the morning, check my Birdsy app and see that there are new owl videos from the night 😊
Video: Would you have thought
that House Finches like oranges? I was surprised when I noticed for the first time years ago. But who doesn’t like oranges? there are numerous options to offer oranges as food for birds, from spiking them on a shepherd’s hook to stuffing them into suet cages or putting halves in dishes. This feeder here was provided to me by the Canadian company Moore Birdfeeders to test. They have been making their feeders by hand for more than 25 years now, and I was excited to try them. This one here has a cool concept for the orange halves, and I was happy to see the House Finches using it.
Video: Mr. Matt Fowley, the owl
has returned last night and seemed to enjoy the splish splash as much as I did my shower after this extremely hot day. He still looks nervous but the sound of the water must have been too tempting. His bathing moves are also getting more bold. I will never get tired of watching this 😄
(Now people are telling me that it is a Screech owl. I am no owl expert, I thought Screech initially and was then corrected and found the roundness fit for the Saw Whet. If there are owl experts present, feel free to shower me with your knowledge.)
Video: After about two weeks
of not seeing any hummingbirds, yesterday this shy female came around. This was lovely because it was also my birthday :) She was back this morning, looking a bit like she had spider webs on her beak, so hopefully there is nestbuilding underway somewhere and activity will pick up.
Video: I have always loved
the song of the Bluebird but it is awesome to hear them up close, communicating around the nest. Here, the male, Mandrake, goes in to "rearrange the furniture" while the female, Dr. Clara, is waiting outside. It appears that she soon has enough of him doing that, and she demands that he come out 😊
In the second video, he is showing off his vocal skills when he again went into the box to “fix things”. At the end, you can hear a little warning call that they do when they feel that they need to take cover.
It has rained
Bluebird babies yesterday while I was gardening in the evening. I am happy to report that it now looks like all four have made it. They are seemingly different characters, some more enthusiastic and brave than others. They are still focused on the parents and follow them around but they will become more independent in the coming weeks. Hopefully, they stick around and will help the parents defending the nestbox. It was absolutely wonderful to sit in the yard last night and just listen and watch. My favorite time of the year is here.
And just like that,
the second nesting is underway. I have said it yesterday already but i am over the moon that they are back and building. Here, you can see Dr. Clara bring in pine needles and then spreading her wings and pushing with her chest to form the nest cup.
Video: Look who was back!
An owl came to my bird bath a couple of times last year when I did not have the pond set up, and the videos were some of the highlights of my birdwatching year. I was hoping it would return, and last night it did. I love how it is exploring everything. This is four minutes long, I did not feel like editing any of it. I hope you enjoy and have a pleasant Wednesday!
Adding a second video here because Owlie was back Friday morning, this time going all in!
It seems to remain unclear what kind of owl it is. I initially thought Screech, then someone convincingly said it might be a Saw whet. Now someone else came up and said Screech. Whatever it is, I enjoy the visits. Maybe at some point the ID will be more conclusive.
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.
Video: Here comes the sun...
…and one of Bette Midler’s new favorite birds, and I say - it’s all right 🌞 The last couple of days I have been pacing the windows and watching the feeders like a hawk. The local birdwatching groups were full of Oriole sighting reports, and there were none in my yard. But I am happy to report that they are back! and such a pleasing sight. Now with the Grosbeak back as well, I am ready for those glorious first days of May where anything can happen bird-wise. Happy Sunday!
Video: FOY White-throated Sparrow
Spring migration is underway, and while I haven't seen an Oriole or Hummingbird yet, this beauty stopped by the bird bath this morning. White-throated Sparrows are native to the US, and they look super cool with their bib and head markings. I only get them for short periods, so it is always a delight to see one.
I have seen numerous Oriole sighting reports yesterday, so they should also arrive here any day / hour now. The Bluebird babies had a huge growth spurt yesterday, are developing their dotted “PJs” and have started to exercise their wings. Dr. Clara did not spend the night on the nest with them but this could also have been because it was so warm. Things are looking up in the garden too. Baby veggies are getting bigger and the fruit trees are full of blooms. Even the Mulberry that we transplanted here a couple of years ago as a sapling has a bloom. I cannot believe my favorite month May is almost here.
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.
Video: A very elegant nightly visitor and a PSA
During more boring times like right now, it is often wonderful to see something unusual. Like this Fox that came at night for a drink. He looks so elegant, and I love how attentive his ears are.
PSA - the livestream will be inactive for a couple of days but will be back live soon again.
