I think it is safe to say
that the Grackles have babies now. I love this time of the year, because I get to see what crawls and lives in my backyard by the stuff the birds bring on their shopping trips for the young ones. I also saw a young Starling today.
This was supposed to be
my garden prep week, and the weather and life somehow got in the way, and nothing went as planned. We had several thunderstorms, and suddenly, the Bluebird house had a leak that I spent a lot of time on to fix (I think I finally got it!). Now today after a big thunderstorm, the sun is out and I will continue to work the veggie garden so things can start to grow. Because of my constant back and forth in the yard, there wasn’t a lot of bird photos either. But here are two. A Hummingbird lady and a Grack that looks like I did today in the mirror at my new 44-year-old face. Have a great Saturday and weekend!
The beginning of May,
my favorite month of the year, is also the point in time when the serviceberry blooms. And everybody comes to pose in front of it. (male Rosebreasted Grosbeak, Blue Jay, Grackle (‘tis the Count himself!), MoDo, female Redwinged Blackbird, female Rosebreasted Grosbeak)
Vitamin O to start the week!
We had the the first real thunderstorm and rain pour of the season. The yard’s vegetation has pretty much exploded and the bird songs have calmed down because many are busy building nests. Last week, I saw the first female Oriole (see first photo), and there is a good group of them visiting. It is funny to me how much they can differ in color. On of these is of course the Orchard Oriole, so it is generally darker.
Nestbox news: They're getting so big!
I have been slacking a bit with the videos, so today there's more than one. This is from two days ago, and I thought it was funny to see Gayle sitting with the babies for a bit. They are in the tufty stage here, with feathers growing all over the place. At times it looked like mommy was plucking some of the tufts away but I am not sure if that is actually the case. Of course, once Mr. Business arrives, it's all mayhem again.
This is also from May 9. Here you can see the babies preening and stretching. They look so cool with the different colors and textures happening. The new feathers are encased in sheaths, almost like in a straw, and when the babies nibble that off, "feather dust" is in the air.
Now this is from last night. In the last two days, the babies have started wing practise. In order to be able to make the first flight, they need to be strong enough to not just drop. And this is where this larger nestbox hopefully proves its worth. With more space in the box, the babies have more space to practise. It won't be much longer now until fledging. These guys look awesome.
Usually when the Orioles arrive,
I also get lucky to see an Orchard Oriole too. This year does not disappoint in that respect. He has been here for a couple of days now, he likes to chatter, and I hope he sticks around a bit and maybe brings the wife. Apart from the difference in color, Orchard Orioles are also smaller than Baltimore Orioles. Immature males are yellow with a distinctive black bib. I had one one year and always hope to see it again.
Happy Mother's Day!
It is a beautiful spring day here, and I hope you all get spoiled today. Thank you for all you do, you make this world a better place.
Nestbox news: 3 minute mayhem
Sorry, yet another Bluebird baby post. But they are very entertaining and exciting to watch right now. The babies are now 12 days old, their eyes are open, they are still napping a lot but are also more aware and awake. The feathers are really coming in now, giving them an odd apearance with fluff as well as hard sheaths. They are grooming a lot to open the sheaths. And every three minutes, an adult bird comes to feed them. I love these little grumpy faces so much.
Nestbox news: Grumpy old grandpas
The Bluebird babies are 10 days old now. They have become vocal, their eyes are open, feathers are starting to emerge. We have gone from "shrimp" stage to "grumpy old gramps" stage. Gayle and Mr. Business continue to be very attentive. Gayle is still spending the night in the box but now that the babies are getting bigger, it is not as comfy for her anymore. First video is from day 7, then day 10.
While migration is going on,
we might often see birds that can be a bit confusing to identify. They are the youngsters from last year and are still molting into their adult plumage or females that are usually more shy. In the last two days, I saw some of this in Rosebreasted Grosbeaks and Redwinged Blackbirds (the third picture is a female).
Grackles and rain
are a fantastic combo that makes a murky day worth the while. The textures and colors that the water causes make them look even more elegant and impressive than usual. For some reason, I am also very fond of them looking down. So here is a selection of “Downward Gracks”.
This is a transition time,
there is a lot of coming and going right now. Migratory birds are passing through on their way north and there may be fun surprises if you get lucky. Here are some current regulars. And a screenshow from a Yellow-Rumped Warbler. He visited today and was so well-camoed that the camera did not catch him. It was sheer luck that I checked.
Nestbox news: What goes in must come out... and in!
The babies are five days old and have grown steadily thanks to the constant stream of food brought by mom and dad. And what goes in, must come out. When a baby is fed, it usually relives itself right after. In the beginning, the parents will eat the fecal sac, apparently it contains nutrients that the babies cannot digest yet.
The most exciting thing
this week for me was watching the Bluebird family raise their babies. Wednesday night, temperatures dropped to below zero, and when I saw the parents bringing dried mealers in the box, I rehydrated some of them in boiling water and after cooling, mixed them with the dried ones to help them a bit on that frosty morning. There is a constant coming and going, and Gayle and Mr. Business are bringing all kinds of insects to feed the babies, and apparently, we have some icky stuff crawling around here 😆
Here is Mr. Business in all his glory. There will be more nest videos soon too, I just need some time! Have a great Friday - it looks like frost is over!
Another week
with a suboptimal work-bird balance, but I managed to go through some photos. The weather has been too cold for my liking these last days too, and it felt a bit like all that spring feeling came to a temporary halt. Nevertheless, it is not just Goldfinches, MoDos and Grackles here anymore. Along with the Orioles, a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak has arrived, and yesterday, a female joined him. You can see nicely why they have their name - for their big, strong beaks. They love black oilers and can sit down at the feeder for a long time.
Nestbox news: It was a big day yesterday,
the Bluebird babies have hatched! The first two did so yesterday, and the remaining three took a bit longer and hatched this morning. It was a bit nervous yesterday because I saw Gayle looking out the entrance hole a lot and also leaving a lot, and Mr. Business was nowhere to be seen. These birds are hardy but anything can pretty much happen to them any time. Thankfully, this morning, he finally seems to have realized that he has babies now, and him and Gayle have been feeding them diligently all day. The next couple of days will be on the cooler side, and this is when the babies are most vulnerable.
You can hear Mr. Business sing a little melody when he arrives with food. that is later going to be the parents’ call to lure the babies out of the box for fledging. I really like how much space they have in there, how they don’t have to hover over the babies but can watch them from the edge of the nest. Nobody is crammed unless they want to.
Video: They are back!
Today, about a week earlier than in the last couple of years, the Baltimore Orioles have returned. I hear that people are also seeing Rosebreasted Grosbeaks, Warblers and Hummingbirds, but they have not come here so far. Happy Spring, everyone!
Video: Duelling Gracks!
Love is in the air, and the Grackles compete for the females by puffing up and stretching themselves. This was a fun scene to watch today, seeing two males showing off in front of a female. It lasted quite a bit and I only made minor edits. Sound on for full enjoyment!
Happy Earth Day!
Nature is slowly waking up here, and I have started to do my daily walk around our perimenters to watch the budding progress on flowers, trees and bushes. Things are happening slower than last year, due to the recent cold snap, but spring is definitely here. The anticipation can sometimes lead to unrealistic expectations, and so I put out some orange halves for possible early arriving Orioles the other day. The House Finches were delighted, the Goldfinch not so much. I have my Hummingbird feeder out as well, and keep an eye on journeynorth.org to see when they are likely to arrive. We are trying to add more native plants to our garden every year, to make it into a bird paradise that benefits us humans too, and I cannot wait to dig in the dirt again.
Thank you, beautiful people!
I was able to make another donation to World Central Kitchen #WCK, helping their #Ukraine efforts because you bought stickers! You are beautiful and I cherish each and every one of you. Thank you. The fundraiser continues - all profits from my Redbubble shop will be donated to Ukraine relief efforts. You can find my shop at ostdrossel.redbubble.com. Be sound. <3
