Sparrow Nest, Part 7

It's been a very busy morning at the nest, today. I'm hearing more chirps from the parents, and faint chips from inside the bush. This morning, one baby bird was sitting on a branch outside the nest, while the other was still nestled inside it. As far as I can tell there are two babies. 

The parents do not like the dog. Anytime we let her out, they scold her from the pine trees or the deck rail. Yesterday, poor Dallas was dozing next to the bedroom patio door- on the opposite end of the long deck from where the bush is, and one of them was giving her a real hard time. For everyone's mental well-being (birds, dog, and humans), I took the dog inside. 

Baby!!

Sparrow Nest, Part 5

A couple days ago the babies hatched! We had a huge storm on Thursday night and I was worried about the nest. But Mama was still there Friday, and by Saturday there were fuzzy babies, clumsily lifting their heads, mouths open for food. It was the first time I heard Mama chirp, too, as she tsk-ed me away from her nest. I also found out she is the tan variety.

Here's a close-up of her on the nest, and one of her in the tree foraging and scolding me for being too close. Poor Mama.

Sparrow Nest, Part 4

The more I research these white-throated sparrows, the more exciting watching this whole process is! There are two color variations in this type of bird: black-white head stripes, and tan stripes. Male and female can come in either color variety yet they often choose a mate of opposite color of their own. There are a few behavioral differences between the two colors as well, which is detailed at the National Audubon Society's website. This is totally fascinating to me!

I've seen both the white and tan bird at our feeder, and I'm still not sure which is the female. The mama sits on the nest but it's too shady in the bush for me to tell what her color markings are. That poor mama has seen me peek on her nest so many times in the last few days she doesn't even bother flitting off to hide anymore. (I feel a little guilty about this. Hopefully I don't compromise anything!)

I found another egg this morning, bringing the count to four.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Sparrow Nest, Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

This morning when I checked there were three eggs on the nest. I didn't try to take a picture since mama sparrow was sitting on the nest and I startled her. Every time I've walked by today there's been someone in the nest, so I wonder if mommy is done laying and the eggs are ready to incubate.

I did see the tell-tale striped head, so my theory that they are white-throated sparrows still holds.

Sparrow Nest, Part 2

Yesterday, I found one egg, and today there were two! I did some research and I think this nest might belong to white-throated sparrows. I've seen a few at the feeder this week, and I've heard their calls around the yard. If this is the case, we may get a few more eggs and see babies in a couple weeks if we haven't scared them off by then. 

Sparrow Nest, Part 1

Monday, July 4: Noticed some activity in a bush in our backyard. Rustling branches, chirps, and flits. I noticed a nest had been built but couldn't tell who did it.

Wednesday, July 6: Found one speckled egg!

Dear Robin

Dear Robin,

Oh, sweet bird, how exciting it was to come home from a weekend away to find your perfect bowl of a nest, tastefully decorated with long tendrils of grass, placed just so in the tree outside the window. I knew you were going to build it right there when I saw you nervously perched on that branch a few days ago. I wasn't sure you'd like the location, being so near the window of a child's bedroom, but I've also seen worse places to build. And I'm sure you were in a hurry to get those eggs laid.

So imagine my sadness when, just moments after I noticed your lovely nest, I also noticed a splotch on the window pane- sure evidence that you or your loving partner smashed into that window on your way home. Where did you go then, sweet bird? I did not find your lifeless body on the grass below but there has also been no recent activity in your nest.

I do hope you've been so busy eating and preparing that you haven't time to be in your nest much. It would be so fun to be able to watch you raise your babies this spring. And if your spirit has flown to better places (where there are no tricky mirror-like windows), I pray you did not suffer long on this earth and that your partner can move on to make a family with someone else.

Much love,

-E

PS- In case you're still out there, I will put the window cling up there so you won't make the same mistake twice.

A tiny house

High atop this tree a tiny bird crawled into a tiny hole. Can you see where?

Getting ready for spring!

Last year we had very little bird activity in our new home, and I half-heartedly tried to coax them to love me by offering them less than adequate bird seed. The birds at our old house must have been less picky as this was the leftovers they did not eat before our move.

This year will be different. I hope.

I have three bird houses to put up, the first being one we can stick to the window and watch the nest from inside our house. I honestly don't know if anyone will go for it- it's difficult to find a window on our home that is quiet enough or that does not have an outdoor screen in the way. Nonetheless, we try.

I also conveniently placed nesting materials in a suet feeder near the birdhouse.

Robin's nest

This is the robin nest from under our deck. I took it down after the second brood successfully fledged and the family moved out into the wild. 

The Deck Robins

We got a new deck last fall and the robins have once again made a nest under it this spring. We like to sit out on there in the evenings but the incessant barking from mom and dad robin make the experience less than enjoyable. How they think to nest there with all the activity of us and the dog is beyond me.

In years past the robins haven't been successful in this location. Last year Dallas killed the babies that fledged, and I'm not even sure if past nests have even seen anything hatched. So this year when I noticed the nest my heart sank. 

But those parents kept at it. We were out playing in the kiddie pool when a little black squirrel got chased out from under the deck right next to us, froze when he saw us, then darted back under the deck only to be dive-bombed again. The poor thing was then chased all across the yard and up the oak tree. As for Dallas, simply minding her own business too close to that nest has warranted an attack from mom and dad robin. 

So I carefully checked the nest and I saw this, around mid-June (a month later than in years past, most likely due to the snowy spring and cool temps earlier this summer). Two babies!

Last week I didn't see much activity in the nest, and it was empty, so I was hoping they had fledged safely. Yesterday I heard baby robins in the backyard and found this:

The two babies waiting for a meal.

One baby with its mouth ready for a worm

Now I hear those two babies every day, all over the yard. Hopefully they will find a quieter spot to nest next year! 

Tiny Nest

When the bayberry bush shed its leaves I found a nest, about the size of the palm of my hand. It was made up of soft grass and a few small twigs on a bed of bayberry leaves and tiny feathers. There was one shelled sunflower seed inside. I wonder who lived here and if they enjoyed their stay.

What nature reveals when the leaves are shed

An Unfortunate Nesting Location

As my mom would say, "Robins must be really dumb."

To explain, over the past several years Mom has taken note of all the bizarre locations that the robins in Duluth have chosen to nest.

There was the summer of 2005 when one robin made her nest in the hanging basket right outside the front door to their house. We tried to accommodate her as best we could by avoiding use of the front door, and I think it was working pretty well. Then we threw my dad a retirement party and all the extra humans made for one nervous momma. Sadly, she did not hatch any babies.

Two years ago another robin also nested in a hanging flower basket. My mom would keep tabs on her, with one update to us saying, "Mother robin is stoically keeping to her nest, trying to hatch those babies."

More recently, there was a story in the Duluth News Tribune about a robin who made her nest in a $14.95 rose bush at the Cub Foods garden center and would chase unsuspecting patrons away. 

In the end though, I'm not so sure that robins are dumb, but that we make it really easy for them to nest in inconvenient places. 

Edible Bird Nests

One week ago today many happy people came together to celebrate the love of one special couple and their commitment to each other. A touching ceremony, delicious food, sartorial splendor with peacock feather accessory, and delightful edible table decor.

It looks too cute to eat, but I did anyway!