Wings and Beaks

Robin

2011-07-11T11:06:00.000-04:00

We have finally started seeing robins much more regularly! I'm always a little suprised at how much larger they are than the finches.

Baby Bluebirds & A Near Collision

2011-07-11T11:04:00.000-04:00

The baby bluebirds fledged last week! I was there, and maybe a little too close. I was outside when I turned around and all I could see was a set of wings flying directly at my head. In super slow motion, I would turn and the bird seemed to re-aim at my head. Finally, I was able to get out of the way long enough for the bird to ram the side of my house. It was one of the babies. The next thing I saw was the mom and dad bluebird aiming at me. I got down on the ground, and the parents flew away. The baby was in the yard looking at me as if I was crazy! I'm sure that I looked crazy after all that screaming and ducking! I was able to get a picture of one of the babies a little later. He looks much cuter than the pair of wings flying at my head did.

Chipping Sparrow

2011-07-05T10:47:00.000-04:00

Baby Eastern Blue Birds

2011-07-05T10:44:00.000-04:00

The first clutch of eastern blue bird eggs didn't make it. We're not sure why, but a new nest was built on top of the nest with the eggs. We removed both nests, and a set of blue birds built a new nest. It could have been the same pair. The new couple laid 5 more eggs. The eggs hatched, and we now have baby blue birds! This picture was taken on June 25th, and now the babies are almost ready to fledge. I have seen the male taking away the little white sacks of debris from the nest pretty often. I'm hopeful that we'll get to see the babies at our feeders soon!

This is a picture of the female blue bird peeking out of the nest.

Indigo Bunting

2011-07-05T10:36:00.002-04:00

Red Winged Black Bird

2011-07-05T10:34:00.000-04:00

This guy has been visiting our feeder all summer. I love when he flies away and the red and yellow on his wings flash! The pictures are fuzzy, but he's still very pretty!

Royal Walnut Moth

2011-07-04T20:59:00.002-04:00

The girls spotted this Royal Walnut Moth on our way in to Publix this afternoon. This moth is apparently the largest moth (by weight) north of Mexico. He was very big! He was also beautiful. The Publix employees named him Tiger. It was quite a treat for the girls to see it.

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Wasp on my Pea Plant

2011-06-02T16:01:00.001-04:00

I was taking this picture of my pea plants when this wasp decided to get in on the action. It was so exciting to see this first little pea pod!

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Chipping Sparrow Nest

2011-05-20T08:40:00.000-04:00

This Chipping Sparrow nest is in my neighbor's very young pine tree. The first picture is from a couple of days ago, and the second picture is from yesterday. They are so tiny!

We have bluebird eggs!!

2011-05-13T14:40:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, I saw a female bluebird go into the nest box on our fence. John took a peek, and there are 5 eggs inside! I'm not sure when the eggs were laid, but we'll be checking on them until little birds fledge.

We can clearly see 4 eggs, and the fifth is up close to the front of the nest. In this picture, we can just barely see the fifth one! I'm not tall enough to see in the nest, so I live vicariously through the pictures. It's just another reason I'm glad I married a tall man!

Monarch Caterpillar Pupating

2011-05-08T21:53:00.000-04:00

I was able to get some pictures of the caterpillar pupating last week. This is the link to the pictures: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QYs3Ldo5aqICw. The time that passed during the pictures was less than 5 minutes! Emma Rose was totally engrossed in the process and watched with me the entire time!

Monarch Caterpillar

2011-05-08T21:50:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, I ordered some monarch butterfly eggs for my girls. I wanted them to see the beginning of the life cycle for the butterfly. We had 12 eggs, and 4 hatched. One died the same day it hatched, and the next disappeared about 10 days after hatching. We ended up with 2 healthy caterpillars. Last week, they pupated! We now have 2 chrysalises hanging in our butterfly cage.

I took daily pictures of the growth of the caterpillars and posted pictures to my family blog. It just occured to me that this is the perfect place to share with you all, too! My girls loved looking at the caterpillars every day. My oldest was watching the last caterpillar pupate with me, and she thought it was pretty fascinating, too. It's a great science lesson for them!

I was able to take pictures of the second caterpillar pupating. I ended up taking quite a few pictures, and the time that passed during the picture series was less than 5 minutes. This was one of the very coolest things I have ever seen! This is the link to the pictures: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QYs3Ldo5aqICw.

I'm hoping that I am able to take pictures of the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, and that should happen next week. The first is due on Tuesday, and the next one is due on Thursday or Friday. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

The picture below is one of the chysalises in the cage. They are really beautiful!

Red winged black bird!

2011-04-19T13:40:00.001-04:00

He has been enjoying the feeder!

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Neither Wings nor Beaks

2010-11-03T20:23:00.000-04:00

. . . . possibly food for a large bird?? We found this spider on the front of our house next to the garage door. I'm not sure what kind of spider this is, but it sure was huge!

Stink Bug

2010-10-28T13:55:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure what the scientific name is for this little guy. He is really enjoying the sun on the wind shield of my car!

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Honey bee on my basil

2010-10-21T21:28:00.001-04:00

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Bird feathers

2010-09-09T22:55:00.002-04:00

Samuel: how do you identify the bird feathers? I found these in my yard today and think these may be from a mocking bird.

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More Hummingbids

2010-09-04T21:51:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, I sat outside in my front yard watching the hummingbirds. I was armed with my camera, and I was able to get a few good pictures (and lots of mediocre ones). The time I spent just watching the birds was the most relaxed I've been in about a month. The irony is that I was watching the tiny birds fuss and fight and zoom all around the feeders and each other! Another part of that irony is I like the pictures of the hummers in motion, the ones with their wings stretched out, so much better than the ones where they are just sitting.

August was a tough month in terms of emotions and time. Both my little girls are in school this year: My oldest started kindergarten, and my youngest started preschool. I can't believe my babies are that old, and what does that say about my age? :) My sweet babies are not really babies anymore. I thought I would have more free time, and I have less. My husband tells me that I need to prioritize a little better, and I think he might be right . . . just this one time! There have been lots of changes in our house, and taking time to watch the birds was just what I needed! With a few hours alone several days a week, I need to make bird watching/relaxing a priority.

Hummingbirds

2010-08-30T21:25:00.007-04:00

They are everywhere. And they are fearless!

Female Red-winged Blackbirds

2010-07-19T23:13:00.004-04:00

We've had some regular male red-winged blackbird visitors at our feeders in the past couple of years, but we hadn't ever seen a female before last week! I looked out and noticed something a little larger than the "regulars," the house finches. Once I started noticing all their features, I became very excited! Female red-winged blackbirds! The male was also close by, probably watching his territory. I wasn't able to get a picture of them on the feeder, but I was able to catch them on the trees behind our fence. I saw another female on the feeder today, but I didn't get to my camera quickly enough. I'm hoping for a next time!

Indigo Bunting

2010-07-18T15:21:00.004-04:00

Last spring and summer, I started seeing a little solid blue bird come to our feeders. He was pretty shy, so it took a couple of visits before I realized that he was an Indigo Bunting. I was so surprised that what I think of as an exotic bird would visit our feeder, I confirmed his identity with a quick email to the Cornell Lab. When I see him, I always feel like it's a little reminder to me that things in life are good. I just have to have the right perspective on life. I'm so glad he visits regularly, so I can have that reminder often!

Last week, I had a new surprise from the little bird. He brought his girl friend with him! I was able to get a very quick picture of her before she flew off. She looked right at me! It was quick and blurry, but I was so glad that I had my camera nearby. She is quite a looker!

Baby Bluebirds

2010-07-18T15:12:00.004-04:00

We haven't had any more action in the bluebird nest box in our back yard since the hard frost at the end of April. I've been disappointed that we haven't even seen any interest from the many bluebirds I see flying around. I'm not sure what I might be able to do to entice a little romance in the back yard, but I'm all ears for advice someone might offer. On bluebird romance, that is.

We were lucky enough to see a couple of juveniles visit our feeder and bath last week. They are really cute, and I love how they seem to be right in between baby feathers and adult feathers. If we can't have a nesting couple in the back, at least we get to some of the babies! It's been super hot outside, so the little bird below has his mouth open. He appreciated a little water!

Bluebird

2010-07-11T22:45:00.004-04:00

We still haven't had any other bluebirds in our nest box out back, but in mid-June, I saw this female on our deck. The picture is horribly fuzzy, but I'm hoping she has found a home some where! It looks like she has nesting material in her mouth.

We also had a little excitement with a non-bird critter in our yard. I think he was after my garden! I haven't seen him in a while, and I'm hoping he has found a new home! I tried to chase him away along the fence with a stick, but he only teased me by running back and forth. (I hope my neighbors didn't see me as I'm sure I looked like a crazy woman. The stick was really a steam attached to a dirt ball I grabbed from the compost pile.) My husband was thrilled that we had some other wildlife in our yard, but I was more concerned about damage to my garden. I'll be doing more chasing if he comes back.

Red-winged Black Bird

2010-06-18T21:11:00.004-04:00

This bird gets spooked so easily! These are some of the best pictures I've ever gotten of him. We can usually hear him at our feeders before we see him as he has a distinctive song. When I grab my camera and he sees movement, he most often flies away. I love the vibrant red and yellow colors next to the black!

Killdeer

2010-05-29T11:54:00.003-04:00

In early May, I was lucky enough to see a Killdeer! John, the girls, and I went on a walk around our neighborhood, and we spotted a bird that we hadn't seen in this area before now. As we continued our walk, we discovered that one of the birds had a nest in one of the empty lots on our street! It was very exciting! I grabbed my camera and went looking for a picture. The birds became concerned and I started to hear the male and female "talking" to one another. I think they may have been trying to distract me or possibly were plotting an evil attack.

One of the birds started moving a little closer to what must have been her nest. As I moved closer, she started acting like she had broken her wing and hobbled in another direction. That's when I was certain I had spotted a Killdeer. I didn't look very much for the nest as I was sure the birds were very concerned at that point. I was just happy to have seen a new bird in our neighborhood!

I did manage to get a couple pictures: Left - bird feigning injury, and right - one of what I think is the bird sitting in her nest.

Baby Mockingbird

2010-05-16T21:34:00.001-04:00

This little guy got stuck in our cedar tree for several hours. His mom was not happy with me for getting so close! She made sure he was safe and fed during his time in the tree. He finally was brave enough to fly back to the nest behind our fence!

In other news, the baby bluebirds froze to death the last week in April during a cold snap. The mom and dad removed them from the nest, and I found them in the back yard the next morning. It was terribly sad. I'm hoping another pair will nest in the box soon.

Female Northern Cardinal Pictures

2010-04-18T22:13:00.004-04:00

I've been trying to get a good picture of a female cardinal for a long time. Of course, I only get a chance when I'm in between cooking and being with the girls! But last week, she landed on our feeders and didn't get spooked when I brought out the camera. Hooray! I love her earthy colors next to little bits of red and her vibrant beak.

Eastern Bluebirds: Doc and Betty

2010-04-15T23:03:00.002-04:00

John checked the nest this evening, and there are 4 eggs. Poor Betty was scared to death as he checked, and she flew quickly out of the nest when John got close.

A little later on, we were all still in the back yard. Betty was sitting on the girls' swing set and watching all of blow bubbles and tend to our garden. I saw Doc in another yard, and all of the sudden, he dive-bombed a Brown-headed Cowbird. He was protecting his territory, his woman, and his babies! Betty was watching, and I'm sure her chest puffed up as Doc ran off the bigger bird. Oh, I wish I had pictures!

Swallows

2010-04-13T19:16:00.005-04:00

These pretty, acrobatic birds have been flying all around our house. They've occassionally landed on our feeders, but they stay pretty busy flying around. I think they are Northern Rough-winged Swallow. I took some pictures of two that landed on our fence next to the Cedar Trees.

Betty and Doc Have Eggs

2010-04-12T15:55:00.005-04:00

John was able to get a quick picture of the nest in the nest box on Saturday. To our delight, there were three little blue eggs in there!

In other bird news, the brown headed cowbirds are all over the place! They are scaring other birds away from our feeders. One pair even tries to scare off another pair from the feeders and bird bath. I'm wondering if a pair might try to lay an egg in the mockingbird nest behind our fence in the back yard. We are enjoying their song!

Nesting Birds

2010-04-06T16:34:00.004-04:00

We have two sets of nesting birds in our back yard! We were so thrilled last year to have nesting bluebirds, and we have another pair this year. We have named them Doc and Betty. Betty has built a great nest in the nest box, and we're hoping for babies soon. I'll do my best to have John take a picture of the nest. Below are pictures of Betty on the arm of the feeders off the kitchen window and of Doc sitting on the deck. It's always amazing to see their beautiful colors up close.

A mocking bird has also decided to take up residence in the back yard. She is getting a little territorial, and every time we get a little too close, she flies out and gives us "the look." I can't quite get a look at the nest because I'm short and the fence is tall. Maybe we'll get to see the babies at the feeders one day soon. I'm sure I'll get a picture of the mocking birds soon! They have been at the feeders and the bird bath a lot lately!

Cedar waxwings

2010-03-07T10:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday when the girls and I were leaving Chick-fil-a, Emma Rose told me to look at the pretty birds in the tree close to our car. When I looked, I had such a nice surprise! She had spotted a group of Cedar Waxwings! My goal is to attract these birds to our yard, and we planted red cedar trees in our yard about a year and a half ago just for them. I'm encouraged that we might actually see these beautiful birds from our windows. I have big spring time plans to add more vegetation to make our yard more enticing for them.

I took a picture with my phone, and it's not wonderful. But it helps me remember my goal!

Vulture

2010-02-27T17:54:00.001-05:00

We interrupted his lunch with a friend!

Fall is in the Air

2009-10-08T15:53:00.000-04:00

The birds are feeling the coolness in the Fall breezes! This little house finch looked so cute puffing up his feathers.

Birding at the Playground

2009-10-08T15:42:00.000-04:00

I took the girls and my camera to the playground yesterday. The last few times I've been there, I haven't had my camera and I regretted it. I was able to get a few pictures of at least one bird. There may be two! I'm not sure what the bird is, but he's a cute little guy. The second picture on the right looks like a different bird to me, but I can't see the wing bars clearly.

House Finch Conjunctivitis

2009-10-07T15:37:00.000-04:00

The house finches are really enjoying our feeders, and lately we really haven't seen many birds other than the house finches. It also seems that we've seen more and more of them with bird conjuctivitis (pink eye). From what I learned, it seems that this disease affects mostly house finches and also gold finches. Last year, I only saw two or three gold finches with the pink eye. We saw quite a few more house finches with it. I also learned that there's not much that we can do. It's heart breaking.

Have any of you seen the little finches with pink eye? Is it just localized in the north Georgia area? The little bird below has the infection in both of his eyes.

Soggy Little Birds

2009-09-22T15:41:00.000-04:00

It's been raining here in north Georgia for what feels like a month! It has rained so much, in fact, that the Atlanta metro area was on its way to becoming a large lake. There are so many people who have lost their homes, and some have even lost their lives. We have been very blessed so far that flood waters have not been in our neighborhood. Today is the first time in about 5 days that we've seen the sun.

My four year old little girl looked out the window yesterday and asked me, "Is it ever going to stop raining?" Then she said, "It breaks my heart not to go outside." It breaks my heart, too! The girls are going stir crazy, and Mommy is running out of ideas to entertain them.

It seems like the birds were having similar feelings. We rarely see birds at the feeders when it's raining, but yesterday must have been a special day. The birds ventured out for a meal. They were so soggy it made me wish I had an umbrella out there for them.

House Finches and Song Sparrows

2009-09-14T22:01:00.000-04:00

The house finches are hungry! We've started filling the feeders at least once a week. The gold finches have visited much less in the past few weeks, but we still see a few. Their population is diminutive compared to the house finches we've been seeing! This little one seemed to be waiting on us to take a picture.

Hunger is making them pretty aggressive, too. I was in the back yard and started to hear lots of chirping and wing flapping. When I looked up, I saw a lot of fussing going on. I was able to get this shot of two of the house finches trying to get the best spot on the feeder.

I was pleasantly surprised to see some more song sparrows in the yard. The were not serenading me, but they were very watchful. From the kitchen, I can't really tell the difference between the house finches and the song sparrows, and when I saw the stripes on this one's head, it was very exciting! I thought our entire yard had been taken over by the house finches!

Hummingbirds

2009-08-20T22:07:00.000-04:00

The first weekend in August, I had a little time to watch the hummingbirds in our yard. I'm always surprised at how aggressive they can be with one another! The dainty little birds and the fighting just don't seem to go together. When I was standing outside watching them, I could hear them hitting each other in flight. They are fun to watch! I wish more of my pictures were in focus.

It looks like the pictures below are of a juvenile male. In the third picture, I like the way the light catches the tiny but growing red patch on the bird's throat. In the last picture, I caught one bird chasing off another one from the red cedar tree (left) in our yard.

Let Me Serenade You

2009-07-27T09:24:00.000-04:00

When I've been out in our backyard lately, a little song sparrow has been sitting in one of our leeland trees singing. If he's not there when I get outside, he appears while I'm there. When I hear him singing, I think about the Three Dog Night Song, Let Me Serenade You. It may be the only time I evere get a serenade, but it happens quite a few times a week!

I also saw him foraging on the ground underneath our cedar trees. He was protective of "his" territory and ran a couple of house finches off. I haven't seen him at the feeders off the kitchen window very much, but I'd like to get a better picture!

When I was watching the song sparrow, I also caught a glimpse of the female cardinal that visits our yard. Last year, we had three juvenile cardinals eating from the feeders off the kitchen, but, the year, we rarely see more than one cardinal at the feeder at a time. I'd love to see more of them. The female is very shy and flies off as soon as she even thinks she hears us. She is one of the prettiest birds I see in the yard. The picture below is what I see of her most.

Hummingbirds

2009-07-24T10:06:00.001-04:00

The hummingbirds are finally back! They took a while to find our feeders this year despite the red ribbons. One feeder is on the window beside our breakfast table where we eat all of our meals. We're very entertained with the hummingbird wars that have already started. One little guy lands on the feeder, and another comes diving down at him. They fly off in circles with one another. One sees a chance to land again, and the cycle continues. It's great fun and terrific dinner time entertainment.

My four year old learned last year to identify the males and females. It took her a couple of times to get it right this year, but she is accurate each time now! I hope she always loves the birds!

Finches

2009-07-23T16:00:00.001-04:00

A juvenile male house finch visited our feeder yesterday. His feathers are just beginning to turn crimson. Some of his little downey, baby feathers are still visible right above his legs.

A pair of gold finches also flew in. I couldn't get a good picture of them together, but I was able to get a picture of each of them. I thought I saw a male gold finch feeding a baby at the feeder this week, but I wasn't able to get a picture of them. We planted a very small maple tree in our yard last year, and I'm hoping when it gets bigger that a pair of these birds will build a nest. We hear them chirping as they fly around the house and when they land on the feeder. It's been fun getting to know their voice, and now we know they're on the feeder as soon as we hear them!

I love Diane's description of the male gold finches. She calls the Generals. I think that must be because of the black "hat" the males have on their heads. The female in the picture below looks regal enough to be a general's wife! It looks as if she is posing for me in the picture below!

Indigo Bunting

2009-07-22T16:51:00.001-04:00

To my delight, I was able to get another few pictures of the Indigo Bunting. Each time I see him, I'm amazed at how blue he is. I haven't seen him since I took these pictures, but I look for him everyday!

The Barn Swallows & the Nuthatch

2009-07-21T17:53:00.000-04:00

Last week, we noticed a lot of bird noise and activity at the front of our house. Birds were flying around and in between the houses, and they were landing on the edge of our roof. They were catching a breeze and gliding like kites. They must have been having a lot of fun! When they landed, it appeared that adult birds were feeding their babies. We were able to get several pictures, and we're pretty sure the birds were barn swallows.

We haven't seen any nests on the house, but I think nests might be close as the barn swallows prefer to nest in areas like roof lines. They also need mud to build their nests, and there are lots of places around here to have that.

The little nuthatch also came back to the feeder, and I was able to get a picture. He is a brown-headed nuthatch. The pictures weren't wonderful, but I was excited to be able to identify what kind of nuthatch was have visiting us. I'm hopeful he'll get more use to our attention and that I'll be able to get a better picture!

Indigo Bunting

2009-07-12T15:20:00.000-04:00

Dorie and Hanks's little birds took off for the great big world, and I didn't get to see it. I kept a watchful eye, but it was not watchful enough. I'm hoping we are lucky enough to have another pair of blue birds use our little nest box as they're nesting site.

A new bird came along just as I figured out that the babies were gone. It was salve to my wound. He has been here for several days, and I was able to get a picture. He is a beautiful Indigo Bunting! I also believe I saw a Nuthatch, but I didn't have any luck getting a picture. Maybe he'll be back, and I'll have my camera ready.

Three Baby Bluebirds

2009-06-27T21:32:00.000-04:00

John and I checked the nest box yesterday. There are three healthy babies inside! Dorie had four eggs, so one must not have hatched. I'm not sure if it's common that one egg wouldn't hatch, but I'm delighted there are three babies there. It's been approximately two weeks since the eggs hatched, so I'm guessing it's almost time for the babies to leave the nest. I hope we're able to see Dorie and Hank feed them! Maybe we can even take pictures!

Dorie's Eggs Have Hatched

2009-06-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

Today, my husband checked on Hank and Dorie's nest at about 3 pm. Hank didn't appreciate the intrusion. He flew down at John and flapped his wings at John while he was taking the picture of the new little birds. At least two of the four eggs have hatched! The count down to fledge day has begun.

Baby Brown -headed Cowbirds

2009-06-14T10:08:00.000-04:00

Some baby Brown-headed Cowbirds have started visiting our feeders as of this past week. The female Cowbirds don't make their own nests, but they lay their eggs in the nests of unsuspecting mommy birds who raise the cowbirds as their own. Last year, we had one baby Cowbird who stuck around for a few weeks. My suspicion is that they were raised with House Finches. At first we thought the Cowbirds were House Finches, but they are larger and have a different beak. This year, we were able to identify the Cowbirds sooner, and we have at least two babies we see every day now. As they grow, they start to intimidate the smaller finches and walk on the deck like they own the place.

Female Cardinal

2009-06-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite birds is the female Cardinal. I like the earthy brown colors that are complimented by the bright red. Most of the cardinals are skidish, so I've been trying without success since last year to get a picture of one at our feeder. I was finally was able to get a picture on June 11th. This may be a juvenile, but I think she is a she. She was eating some of the seed that spilled on the deck. It seemed like she posed for me for a couple of minutes!

In Dorie and Hank news, we haven't been able to check the nest since Wednesday. According to the timeline, it's possible that the babies have hatched. It's raining today, and we're suppose to wait until the weather is good to look in the nest. Hank and Dorie continue to be very protective. Yesterday, I looked out the window just as they had teamed up to chase away a bird. That bird landed in a nearby Leeland tree. Hank and Dorie continued to fly at the bird until he flew out of the tree. They were seriously aggressive! I'm hoping to check the nest for little birds tomorrow.

Nesting Timeline

2009-06-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

We should expect the little Bluebird eggs to hatch 12 - 14 days from Saturday, May 30th! On June 10th, we'll start checking for babies. This web site has been a great resource for the nesting timelines: http://www.sialis.org/eablbio.htm#time.

All of the babies will be named Hank, Jr. and Dorie, Jr.

All the babies should leave the nest around 17 days after hatching. I hope we're able to see them and get pictures when that happens!

Four Eggs in the Nest!

2009-06-01T15:40:00.000-04:00

Dorie has 4 eggs in her nest!

Our neighbors have a nest complete with baby birds in a planter hanging on their porch. They are baby House Finches. I think they're 6 about days old.

Two Eggs in the Nest!

2009-05-28T14:59:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, my husband found one egg in Dorie's nest. Today, we found egg number two! Bluebirds lay one egg per day and lay an average of 4 - 7 eggs total.

On Tuesday, we were outside and a bluebird flew up on the porch. It might have been Hank as he was a male. I went up on the porch with my camera, and he let us look at him and take three pictures. I was amazed at how close we were able to get before he flew off. The first picture is when he is looking at us The second picture is blurry; he flew away right over our heads!

Tufted Titmouse

2009-05-27T15:53:00.000-04:00

This little Tufted Titmouse is a regular visitor to the feeder. He takes one little peanut, flies up to the arm of the feeder, holds the peanut between his feet, and pecks away at it.

More of Hank and Dorie's Yard Mates

2009-05-26T22:45:00.001-04:00

We checked the nest again today, and there are still no eggs. Both Hank and Dorie were hanging out around the nest box, and they seem to be interested in protecting it. To pass the time, it seems that Hank has made friends with a couple of Mourning Doves. Below is a picture of Hank with them. Dorie was just to left of the group. The next picture is of the doves at the bath on the deck.

I was able to get another picture of a European Starling on the fence, and I can see more of the iridescent colors in on the back of the bird. I would think they were much prettier if they weren't a threat to the bluebirds.

A mystery bird sat still long enough two times for me to get some pictures, and my best guess is that it's a Song Sparrow. He's very cute!

Some of Hank and Dorie's Yard Mates

2009-05-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

Hank and Dorie Bluebird are still hanging out in the back yard. This afternoon, I was working in the garden, and Hank flew at me 4 times! He was on the fence beside the garden on the opposite side of the yard from the nest box. He flew down from the fence toward the ground and me as if he wanted to land in the grass. He didn't land and changed directions to perch back on the fence. This happened three more times. I'm wondering now if he was trying to scare me away from the yard.

This morning, Hank and Dorie with the help of 2 house finches scared a European Starling out of the yard by making steep dives at him. If was so fun to watch! It's also interesting that the house finches are banning together with the bluebirds to run the starlings and the grackles out of the yard. If there is a bird gang in the back yard, Hank and Dorie are the bosses. The picture below is a European Starling from earlier this month. I was able to get a better picture of another starling yesterday and will add it to the blog when I download pictures.

I've been able to get some pictures of the house finches and some American Goldfinches when they eat from the feeders on the deck. The male goldfinches are so bright, and I think that's one our favorite birds. We've been seeing them pretty consistently since we put the feeders up last year. One of the most beautiful sites is to see the brillant red cardinals, the bright goldfinches, and the gorgeous bluebirds at the feeder at the same time. Each of the colors make the other colors look more intense.

The house finches may have already starting having babies. One of the little birds yesterday looked as if he still had some of the baby feathers on him. I was able to get a pretty good shot of him. You can see the little white feathers on his head. The next picture is of that same little bird and an adult male house finch. It seems that the house finches are plentiful at the feeders year round.

Dorie's Nest

2009-05-22T15:07:00.000-04:00

Dorie continues to build her nest. We were able to get a close up of it today.

While we were checking the nest box, Hank was watching us from the roof of our neighbor's house. From what I've learned, Bluebirds are pretty tolerant of humans. Doried proved that a little bit later by taking additional nesting material into the box.

We're also getting regular visits from both Hank and Dorie at the feeders and bird bath on the deck. They seem to enjoy a peanut and a drink every day, but they aren't tolerant of the camera. Below is a picture of Dorie on the arm of the feeder.

We saw how protective Hank is today, too. A grackle perched on the fence, and Hank dive bombed him. He flew down from the roof and actually scared the larger bird! A couple of house finches joined in the fight, and the grackle eventually flew away. I hope all the birds continue to scare off all the grackles in our yard!

Dorie's Nest

2009-05-21T21:09:00.001-04:00

I have been obsessed with the bluebirds in our back yard so much so that I've been neglecting my house-wife duties (such as making dinner, doing laundry, and vaccuuming) to stare out the window. To be honest, it's not really that difficult to distract me from all those glamorous duties, but the bluebirds really are exciting. Today, my sweet husband says to me in a matter-of-fact tone, "Oh yeah, I saw the nest yesterday." A nest!! So there is a nest, and eggs should be soon to follow! My goal is to get a better picture of the nest tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

This blog entry couldn't be complete without the picture of Dorie. She is quite a specimen, and Hank is a lucky bird.

Northern Cardinal

2009-05-21T10:05:00.000-04:00

This is the Northern Cardinal that's been coming to our feeders for several weeks. When I first saw him, he looked a little mange-y and must not have been a full grown bird. I think he has a mate now, and she likes to use the feeder in the back yard. I managed to get a picture of the male at the back yard feeder. The camera is peering through the bars of the deck in the first picture in the first picture. The last picture is of the cardinal on our fence. I've not been able to get a picture of the female. She flies away at the least noise. Last summer, the female cardinal was my favorite bird. (I've been obsessed with the Bluebirds, Hank and Dorie, so far this year.) The cardinals seem not to like having their picture taken, so I have to have good timing to get a picture. We love to hear their metallic chirp at the feeders every morning. We had three baby cardinals last year, and I'm hoping we get some more this year!

Hank Fights off a House Finch

2009-05-20T15:47:00.000-04:00

Hank didn't like the little house finch getting too close to his girl or his next box. He flew at the house fince as Dorie looked on. I'm guessing she was pretty impresed!

The Eastern Bluebird Lovers: Hank and Dorie

2009-05-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

On Monday morning, a male Eastern Bluebird took a fancy to our nest box. Hank (who was not named at this point) choose our nest box to be his wooing ground. He fluttered around the nest box for two days. Today, he attracted a female: Dorie. I'm very hopeful that the two of them will build a nest and start a family.

Hank

Dorie and Hank

Once I see them taking nesting materials to the box, we'll sneak a peak at the nest!