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A cowbird laid an egg in the house finch nest on our front porch. They seemed to get along just fine, but 3 days later, mama cowbird trashed all the eggs, hers plus 3 finch eggs. I know it's the circle of life, but my kids were bummed.
There was a wetlands area on the southern border of MN where I grew up that had pelicans in it at a certain time of year. Can't remember when. Late summer?
And when the farmers would plant in the spring often the tractor would be followed by a flock of seagulls enjoying the easy pickings.
I've been enjoying all the parenting that's going on in our back yard. The wrens have hatched their first brood and if you approach the wren house the young call out, "Mom? Dad? Is that you out there?"
A sparrow couple are busy teaching their three fat chicks the different methods of dining. One day it was sitting on the tomato supports and spotting things in the garden soil. Another day they ventured onto the sidewalk to peck at and scatter the ground feeder food. Yet another was at the hanging feeder.
The favorite spots are in the chokecherry bush tangle or near my window in the lilac bush above a ground birdbath. I haven't seen them get a lesson in bathing yet. Sometimes they sit on the electric wire and make swooping practice flights across the yard and back. Little fatties better not take on too much extra cargo!
Drama here this morning. Just sat down with my coffee and looked out the window to see a Cooper's hawk hidden among the branches of the lilac. Fortunately his stay was short and I was holding my breath that one of the little guys didn't come fluttering along.
Goldfinch and purple finches have finally shown up. The cardinals are very orange this year. Flickers. We've had a bright palette of birds this spring.
The redwing blackbirds are obvious in their absence. They must be down the hill in the slough teaching their young the skills of survival.
Gus, you have a house finch on your porch? How lucky you are! Sorry about the family destruction but it's possible they'll come back in succeeding years.
We used to get one every year for a while. They nested in a basket of artificial flowers I had hanging over the mailbox.
It was a problematic place for them to choose as the mailman disturbed them and their nest got fragrant enough eventually to make spending time on the porch unpleasant. We had to advise people to remember to use our back door if they came to visit.
But the benefits were sublime. All that courting music and then lullaby singing came right through the screen door and was heavenly. The best parts were watching as each babe took the risk to leave the nest and the family flying back and forth encouraging the one lone fraidy cat left. Much enjoyment to be had watching our feathered friends even though we sometimes have to bear witness to the brutal side of their lives.
There was a wetlands area on the southern border of MN where I grew up that had pelicans in it at a certain time of year. Can't remember when. Late summer?
And when the farmers would plant in the spring often the tractor would be followed by a flock of seagulls enjoying the easy pickings.
I've been enjoying all the parenting that's going on in our back yard. The wrens have hatched their first brood and if you approach the wren house the young call out, "Mom? Dad? Is that you out there?"
A sparrow couple are busy teaching their three fat chicks the different methods of dining. One day it was sitting on the tomato supports and spotting things in the garden soil. Another day they ventured onto the sidewalk to peck at and scatter the ground feeder food. Yet another was at the hanging feeder.
The favorite spots are in the chokecherry bush tangle or near my window in the lilac bush above a ground birdbath. I haven't seen them get a lesson in bathing yet. Sometimes they sit on the electric wire and make swooping practice flights across the yard and back. Little fatties better not take on too much extra cargo!
Drama here this morning. Just sat down with my coffee and looked out the window to see a Cooper's hawk hidden among the branches of the lilac. Fortunately his stay was short and I was holding my breath that one of the little guys didn't come fluttering along.
Goldfinch and purple finches have finally shown up. The cardinals are very orange this year. Flickers. We've had a bright palette of birds this spring.
The redwing blackbirds are obvious in their absence. They must be down the hill in the slough teaching their young the skills of survival.
Gus, you have a house finch on your porch? How lucky you are! Sorry about the family destruction but it's possible they'll come back in succeeding years.
We used to get one every year for a while. They nested in a basket of artificial flowers I had hanging over the mailbox.
It was a problematic place for them to choose as the mailman disturbed them and their nest got fragrant enough eventually to make spending time on the porch unpleasant. We had to advise people to remember to use our back door if they came to visit.
But the benefits were sublime. All that courting music and then lullaby singing came right through the screen door and was heavenly. The best parts were watching as each babe took the risk to leave the nest and the family flying back and forth encouraging the one lone fraidy cat left. Much enjoyment to be had watching our feathered friends even though we sometimes have to bear witness to the brutal side of their lives.
Your post reads like an entry from a diary of nature lovers...
I work in a building with big glass windows. MY space is in an atrium type setting. Big glass windows and birds...always something going on.
Spring has been interesting. Started out with the Canadian geese. The male would see its reflection, and walk around the area pecking at the glass, no doubt letting his reflection know it wasn't welcome, and to stay away. That lasted a couple of weeks. Every day.
Then, it was the robin. The robin would sit by the window, but flutter up to the glass and attack itself. Over and over and over. THIS lasted a couple of weeks.
And now, it's the cardinal. The cardinal sits in a tree close to the glass, and periodically attacks its reflection. It's not as constant as the robin was, but it IS everyday, probably 4 or 5 times a day. We're going on 2 weeks now.
In the fall, the tree by the window will have berries on it. Grackles seem to love the berries, and if there's one grackle, there's a hundred grackles, and they attack those berries with fervor. They often wack into the windows. They never seem the worse for wear. But it's a little disconcerting...makes me think of the movie "The Birds".
We OFTEN deal with Canadian geese. Sometimes they have a few babies. One time, two of the babies somehow got stuck in a corner close to our front door. People coming and going, the parental units losing their minds, and the babies not being able to navigate that corner...there was definitely bird drama that day. LOL
A couple of brave souls (I was one of them) went outside, picked up the babies, and set them away from the building. Parents being very loud and angry at us, but luckily not attacking us.
Because I have my office at home, I usually take Mr Yap for his walks and see nature. My wife works in the city, so she has to watch the birds on Video cameras. She has 'adopted' the black storks on one nest that had 3 young.
Yesterday she could only see two and was upset. Then she saw this video and was more upset.
I work in a building with big glass windows. MY space is in an atrium type setting. Big glass windows and birds...always something going on.
Spring has been interesting. Started out with the Canadian geese. The male would see its reflection, and walk around the area pecking at the glass, no doubt letting his reflection know it wasn't welcome, and to stay away. That lasted a couple of weeks. Every day.
Then, it was the robin. The robin would sit by the window, but flutter up to the glass and attack itself. Over and over and over. THIS lasted a couple of weeks.
And now, it's the cardinal. The cardinal sits in a tree close to the glass, and periodically attacks its reflection. It's not as constant as the robin was, but it IS everyday, probably 4 or 5 times a day. We're going on 2 weeks now.
In the fall, the tree by the window will have berries on it. Grackles seem to love the berries, and if there's one grackle, there's a hundred grackles, and they attack those berries with fervor. They often wack into the windows. They never seem the worse for wear. But it's a little disconcerting...makes me think of the movie "The Birds".
We OFTEN deal with Canadian geese. Sometimes they have a few babies. One time, two of the babies somehow got stuck in a corner close to our front door. People coming and going, the parental units losing their minds, and the babies not being able to navigate that corner...there was definitely bird drama that day. LOL
A couple of brave souls (I was one of them) went outside, picked up the babies, and set them away from the building. Parents being very loud and angry at us, but luckily not attacking us.
This is my excitement at work. LOL
Yea. Canada geese. LOL. I left the doctors office one day and was walking absently down the sidewalk not paying attention to much and was startled out of my stupor by a loud hiss. I jumped like a jack rabbit and right there in front of me just off the sidewalk was a Canada hunkered down. Looked like it may have been sick or hurt and he was having none of me getting close.
A Canada can hurt you. I respected his space but I did go back in and tell the doctors office about it. They can strike with that bill and long neck with respectable force. And if they're pizzed and in a defensive situation they certainly will.
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