BIRDS

[Chuck White]

I put out my 3rd 30-OZ jar of grape jelly out for the Orioles, and all the other birds that eat from that feeder.

There are several different varieties of birds the eat from this feeder, including Hummingbirds, Rose-Breasted Grossbeak, Redwing Blackbirds, Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Nuthatches!

Last year IIRC, I fed out 8 jars!

I just wish the birds weren't quite so spooky, they see any movement through the window, and they're gone!

[WV Sawmiller]

  I spotted a goldfinch darting on to the porch to steal a tidbit of something yesterday. His wings were still brown but his chest was bright yellow.

    The grandkids came up yesterday so I took them out and showed them this Carolina wren nest in an old tire wheel I had mounted to the wall by the spigot to roll the hose on. I am not sure how many eggs/chicks are inside as I can't see that deep without disturbing the nest. Wrens are neat, active little birds. I suspect if you sat still for 10 minutes on my porch one would try to build a nest in your pocket. We put a hanging plant up out there when we first moved in and a wren started building her nest before the plant stopped swinging on the hook and us still less than 6' away. A neighbor said they kept trying to build a nest in blue jeans she'd hang on the line. She could not figure where all these little sticks kept coming from in her clean laundry.

    We went on and checked the bluebird box. I checked it last week and there was only one egg in it. This time there were 5. Usually my bluebirds lay 5 eggs. Once I remember they laid 3 and once 4. I have never seen more than 5 at a time. I wonder what determines how many eggs a bird lays?

[doc henderson]

Maybe they count on their fingers?  

[SwampDonkey]

....and they will lay them all before they incubate them so they hatch out close together.

[Hilltop366]

Maybe they count on their fingers? 

Kinda like chicken fingers except bluebird?

[SwampDonkey]

Wet bluebirds here sitting on the power line wire. 

[aigheadish]

I have bluebirds using the birdhouse I made! Woop! I was thrilled to see a fat bluebird squeezing its way in yesterday or Saturday. My wife asked me to make a birdhouse for every tree!

I went out to the front porch yesterday and there is a bunch of weeds growing out of the pond right now. Out amongst the weeds was a blue bird of some variety and color I hadn't seen previously. I took a poor picture of it, not getting close, for fear of scaring it off, and Merlin suggested an Indigo Bunting, which the color seems right on. I'm not sure if it's correct but it was cool, and I'd like to see more! This is about as well as I could do, picture-wise, but I could tell it wasn't a bluebird or a blue jay.



Hummingbirds are becoming more plentiful. We have Mockingbirds squawking all night long now. I don't mind the noise sometimes, but I like it relatively quiet when I go out at to the front porch before work at 415am, and here this thing is rolling through its various quacks. I like to hear the owls more.

[WV Sawmiller]

Austin,

   Making a bird house for every tree for the bluebirds would be a great idea if the trees are widely scattered but won't work if they are close because bluebirds are territorial and will not nest within certain distances of each other. The 2 boxes at my house are probable 100-120 yards apart straight line distance and they use both but never at the same time.

    I once had a family of barn swallows nest in one of the boxes so the 1.5" opening works for them too. Once they left I removed the nest and bluebirds came right back and raised a clutch.

    I don't recognize the bird in the picture but I'd encourage them to stay if I were you.

[aigheadish]

We have a bunch of spread out trees but only by 20 yards or so, I'd say. I won't do houses for every tree, but I'll start making some more and see what happens.

I don't recognize it either but the color on it is incredible!

[SwampDonkey]

The bluebirds were at it early this morning. I could hear the male singing in different trees before I went to work at 5:30 am. I was enjoying my morning coffee on the porch. Cool day here to, not even 60° all day and no black flies at all.

[thecfarm]

I would guess Indigo bunting, do a google on it, Them things are blue!!!!
I have only seen a few around here.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I was filling the lube tank for my mill at the hose today and spotted 3 heads and beaks sticking out from my Carolina Wrens from the picture above. There may be more but there are at least 3 of the chicks still in the nest.  There may be more back in the dark recesses there.

   I love country living and seeing fawns, adult deer, turkeys, cottontails, chipmunks fox squirrels, woodchucks, bluebirds, wrens, etc. every day.

[beenthere]

2nd bluebird clutch beginning at the nest box. Yesterday were three eggs, today there are four. Took all of April and May to raise the first clutch, but very short time to begin this second one. 

[SwampDonkey]

The bluebird hen had her nest built here last week. She's been probably laying this week, so be incubating soon. They were a month late here. The bluebirds were earlier at my brother's and there are baby birds there already. I have seen two clutches here in only one year. There are earwigs here and I think they are a problem for the birds. They get in the nest boxes.