Category Archives: Birds

Northern Mockingbird Nest

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I was out in the backyard doing stuff for the hens, and I paused by one of the trees to look at something, and heard some peeps. I looked up, and in our young maple there was a nest, just above. I could hear the peep, peep, peep, peep, more like a “wuueeep”, and could see some little head or heads bobbing around. I moved to the other side of the tree and there I could see two of them directly, the nest edge was a bit lower there and they were positioned right by that side. Big beaks and sweet little heads, newishly hatched I’m guessing.

There has been a Northern Mockingbird in our backyard more often than I have ever noticed in the past. Particularly the last two days I’ve noticed it coming into the yard by our old garden, sitting on something there, picking up something from the ground there, also alighting in the Weeping Willow tree, which is several feet behind the Maple where the nest is, but in close proximatey relatively speaking.

So today while I was looking at the nest and showing Russell, I saw the Mockingbird arrive close-by. I went in, Frank was on the phone for me. Then after that phone call I went back out, I showed Victoria where the nest was at that point, and then told the children to all move away from that tree, the parent of those babies wanted to go to them, but wouldn’t with the children there. I thought the babies were Northern Mockingbirds, and the mature birds arrival demonstrated the validity of such thinking. I went over in the yard to move the Leghorn pen, looked back and there was Victoria, still under the tree. The Mockingbird was flying here and there, waiting patiently, but maybe not, for Victoria to leave. So I yelled to her to get away. She did.

As I was done with the Leghorn pen I looked around and the Mockingbird was in the tree nearer to the house, and so I took a wide sweep around to the other side of the yard to get back to the door to the inside, bypassing the nesting tree and the path between the mockingbird and the nest. So as I ducked under the tree by the dog pen, which is right by the house, I looked over and there was the Mockingbird coming out of the Maple. So she went to the babies with what she had in her mouth while she had been waiting, and quickly gave it to them, or whatever she did, and check on them.

I do suppose she was a bit anxious at our attention to her new nest. I don’t know exactly how she escaped nest building notice. But she did. I just happened to be in the exact right spot this morning to hear and see the new babies there. It was very satisfying. :)

My Bluebirds aren’t in my scope this year. We took the box down after House Sparrows claimed it. I took great delight in smashing the two eggs they had laid, though sad too that the Bluebirds didn’t have the box to use. Last year was a grand year for their nesting attempts, but something destroyed all three … and I have to guess, since I couldn’t know it at the time, but I do now think it was House Sparrows last year. I didn’t see any House Sparrows around ever then, but their dominance in the nest box this year tells me a lot. Each clutch last year met a different sort of death. All very House Sparrow-like behaviours.

3 + 1 + x = 7 The “x” is the unknowable 2004 killer, but I am fairly sure it’s the House Sparrows, because of their nesting in same box this Spring. Yes, assumption, but not one that will hurt anyone. :)

Mr. Bluebird has come to our deck just in the last week, inspecting the little bird house that Russell put together from a kit last year. It sits on the deck, more a decoration that isn’t painted, than a useful box. In any case, it was nice to see him close-up for a bit. We don’t know where they are nesting, but they are around. Just not as prolifically.

I’m very glad to have baby Mockingbirds in our Maple. It’s the smallest Maple in the backyard, but superior for some reason to the Mockingbirds. I know some Mockingbirds nested in our October Glory in the front yard, the same Spring we planted that tree. That was neat. I used to hate Mockingbirds, from nightmare times I had with them in Florida when I lived there, them singing in the middle of the night right outside my room in the Orange tree. No A/C and it was hot and close, muggy, moon shining often during those times. It was a nightmare summer that one year, that turned me to hate Mockingbirds in general.

Years went by, I moved away from there and here in Georgia the Northern Mockingbird has won my respect again. They sing when they do, but it’s not a hot, muggy, Florida in your face sort of thing. :)

They are fiesty pretty birds. They duplicate any old sound. They also sing beautifully. I do like them now. :)

Spring! Signs everywhere!

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It’s a lovely day so far. It’s supposed to be up to around 61 degrees F. The sun is shining. Spring is in the air.

I forgot to post this exciting news the other day. Victoria were on the deck the other day sorting through some Thyme I’d cut out of my herb garden (hair cuts for Thyme plants). I heard an odd sound, an odd bird sound, garbly trilly odd. I didn’t have my glasses on so I couldn’t tell if there was something over this or that way making the noise, in trees or something. She pointed to the east. I squinted my eyes, Ah there it is!

A huge V of geese flying due North at a nice clippy pace. The first sign of Spring Migration!

It was a euphoric site and had me on high excitement levels for quite awhile.

In other news, the Weeping Willow tree is looking very dotty green. It’s fronds are long yet, not at all, but she’s a-puttin them out and from a distance you can see those green things coming out. It’s beautiful. I fear she’s too early though. We have a few weeks to go before the probably “last freeze”. In fact, in the next 15-days forcast Accuweather is calling for many nights down to 32, 31, 29. It’s not that which will be a problem, most likely, but it’s the fact that in the last couple of days they did have “ice storm” maybes in the forcast. They’ve gone away from the forcast, but could come back.

In the greater Atlanta area there are many trees starting to bloom. Cherry trees, or something like them, not the kind we have (ours bloom into March or so –Y. Cherries) and a few others. Maybe they aren’t cherry trees, but they look like the K. kind (I can’t recall the names to spell them out, so figure out the Y and K please yourselves ;) )

Today I saw a Bluebird looking at the nest box. I need to relocate that box. Last year it was nothing but bad stuff for them there. As well, today there were E. Starlings on the fence by the bird box. They were bothering the Bluebirds, of course. Going out I just have to clap and yell a second or two and the Starlings fly away, but the Bluebirds stay. :) I can’t watch them every moment of the day though :(

So I need to get a pole to mount the box on in another place in the yard. Frank, mark that down. :) You are the pole buyer. ;)

I would also like a new big bird feeder … mine fell over in a storm last year and started to crumble, not worth the fixing. So I have no nice feeder. I also would like a few more Hummer Feeders, through different things all but one is broke now. Just my nice one is around for now. It’s delicate, blown glass shaped like a long tubular flower. It’s a piece of art really. It’s not a “filler-er-up” many times in a month type. I like the feeders that have many stations on them. So this artsy one is not for that, it’s a one-at-a-timer.

We were in Bass Pro Outlet last night, they have some nice single Hummer Feeders … made out of all kinds of glass bottles and copper and such twisted around them to hold them up, very pretty decorations on them, big old decorative Hummer Feeders all in themselves! But single feeders — pricey too. $19 and up. :(

I’m doing some work on my “herb garden” here and there. I really want to get it in good shape, get more plants in it, and a nice brick border, or a short picket fence around it. It’s a battle keeping the creeping weedy grasses out of it. So the Mantis needs to come out of the garage and do some work for me. Edging first, then cultivation between “rows” to loosen the dirt, get rid of little springy weeds, then I get get in there and do the hefty stuff easier, tidying up and hopefully getting a mulch to put on the dirt, and as I said before, more plants. I have Bee Balm and 3 kinds of Thyme, and Chives that are perennials that are doing alright. I also have two other plants in there that are not “herbs” but are nice butterfly attracters. Purple Cone Flower, and a Giant — I forget it’s name. Both die back to the ground in the winter. The herbs don’t die back, the Thyme keeps plugging away winter long, and the chives scale back but don’t go away, same with the Bee Balm.

I may only have 2 types of Thyme now. I recall that one of the 3 is “Wooly Thyme” and may be under some weeds in the corner, or vanished … or may come back in some small way that I can work with. I also have English Thyme and German Thyme. My English is more leggy and loose –mild smell; the German is more bushy and thick–more smell to it too.

The Peonies out front have continued to put up their first shoots out of the ground. They should be super duper huge this year, and I need to put out supports for them for sure. Frank, take note– I need stakes and garden string! :)

Many Things in One Post

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This is my “many things in one post” post. Weather, books, hens, wild birds, etc.

The weather has turned mild again. Yesterday it was warm enough not to need a fire upon waking. Last night was warm too. It’s currently in the mid-50′s, and that’s without the sun’s aiding. It’s been mostly cloudy, morelike “light overcast” since sometime during the night.

Accuweather is saying that on Saturday high will be 39 and low will be 37. Rain possible.

Weather Channel on TV is saying there is a BIG chance of an “Ice Stor”m looming far enough South to hit us. Which to believe?

Time will show us. :LOL:

In any case, the last time the hens laid eggs is reported on January 22nd. Nothing has been laid since then. Nothing at all. :(

I have listed the book I’m reading currently in this post. Redwall is a great book, the start of a great series that I only recently have become aquainted with. I found it in Barnes & Noble the other night and Frank let me buy it. I’d heard about it on an email list I’m on. I’m nearly done with it. It’s a large book, easy to read, full of lively colorful characters. I mentioned it on a Forum I frequent, and Kelly there said that it’s a great read-aloud series. I must agree, from just the first couple of pages I was thinking that, and now on page 253 I just think that even more ;)

I’m looking forward to finishing it and starting it as a read-aloud to the children. Frank knew that when he said he’d buy the book for me he was getting into a big mudhole that’d reach high over his head. There are quite a few in the series. So the first one I have is in large softback format, my favorite format next to hardback. Most of the other books in this series in B&N were normal paperbacks and hardbacks. Can’t afford brand new hardbacks, but this first one in large format softback was do-able. Frank says that he’ll find the rest in same format … he knows I’m a stickler for “same format” books in a series. :)

So then I thought it’d be nice to mention birds here too. I haven’t had much opportunity to spy any nice birds for months. My big binoculars bit the dust. Frank got me a little pair from Eddie Bauer Outlet. Children have confiscated them and I can’t ever find them. They aren’t for very far distance viewing well though.

Our big feeder fell over in a storm in 2004 and is all falling apart, out of commision this whole time. So in 2004 I didn’t really feed any birds. I had Hummingbird feeders out, but gave up on filling them up when I didn’t see any at all all Spring when they had been sighted elsewhere in this region. I only spied one here or there a couple of times. So feeders were out and just dormant and got moldy, but still, no interest in them was really evident ever all 2004. I put my really nice glass feeder out front later in the season, and it dripped empty with no hits at all. So I totally gave up.

2004 was also the nightmare year for animals and birds and me. The Bluebirds laid three clutches and lost all three. One: eggs didn’t hatch. Two: Babies died. Three: Babies died. It was horrible. I’ve written of this and the other deathy things before.

So it goes to say about the Bluebirds that they tried hard, but failed. I’ve seen them about lately, actually one female and two males. They are so beautiful. I missed them around most of the Summer, with them busy with nests (and not super visible then) and then the nestings failing, they sulked off eventually and only have been more noticeable the last few weeks.

Brownheaded Cowbirds weren’t around last year either. Maybe because I didn’t have a seed feeder out. But then, I don’t now and guess who’s lighting in our trees, screeching out their whistlepiercing sounds? Yup, Brownheaded Cow Birds. They sit on the Bluebird Nest Box too and try to mess with it. I do not like those birds. They are not like the Bluebirds, whom are gentle and sweet. Bluebirds stick around if you go on the deck. Cowbirds fly away if you do that. :)

Just this last week too then we’ve been innundated with droves of Chipping Sparrows. Unfortunately I can’t ever see them very well, with no binoculars to aide my sight into the yard. They are very diminutive birds. Cute little fellas. I call them all fellas. They all look alike, pretty much, and all look like little guys.

I’ve seen a few Starlings, and they are staying clear of bothering my stuff. They are another kind of bird I don’t like. They might be responsible for some of the Bluebird Failed Nestings.

American Robins have been tottering around the yard too. Won’t be long before they are here in droves, no doubt.

I really want to get a new feeder and install it in a great place in the yard. Hopefully I can do that soon!

I lost many of my hummingbird feeders through neglect and then child destruction fully this past year. I have one remaining, my very pretty red glass arsty flower looking one. It’s gorgeous. I’m happy it’s stayed put happily and safe on the front porch. I left it there all Winter, so far, that is. I really should clean it and refill it, in case there are any Hummers around this Winter. I know they’ve been sighted in other areas in North/Central Georgia. I just don’t stay faithful enough to them to lure them in. :( I am trying to make myself say I promise to keep it filled and clean this year. I’m trying. I will try, how about that?

But I need to get a few more feeders just for the Hummers themselves. They are such fun birds! So acrobatic around the feeders in mid-Summer. A delight to watch, that is a sure thing. But you must put out feeders for them –to be able to witness these things so well from inside your house.

I went out front to where I have the peonies and iris and pussywillows. The irises are growing new leaves. The Lambs Ear there is starting new growth. The Pussy Willows are starting to plump up a bit, with a few of them unsheated already, too early though. The Peonies last year growth is still there, dry and brown, just winter texture, you know. I leave it there on purpose. I checked beneath them, and sure enough, there is growth occuring there.

This mild weather is hopefully not going to hurt the plants. We had a very mild Autumn and only got cold weather finally near the end of December, and had mostly very warm weather in January. Some cold snaps. Maybe an ice storm finally this coming weekend, maybe not. But I hope that whatever happens with the weather, that we have a wonderful Spring bloom nonetheless. I really want to see the Yoshino Cherry trees is brilliant blossom. 2004 Spring was terrible for them all around the Atlanta area that we saw. Ours did so very poorly. 2003 was a grand season for them everywhere that we saw them. That’s why last year was such a dissapointment.

We have a Dogwood that we need to remove. It died last year. But the other two next to it are still alive, but all have some dead areas, and peeling bark. I fear we must remove them all. :( Well, our landscaping sort of slacked off the last couple of years. I really am itching to pick it up and do lots of work on it. That take money though. Also my garden is calling me. Frank is letting me order seeds from an heirloom seed company in February. This will be my first time growing everything from seed. I’ll be sure to have a second-season mid-summer planting.

That’s all for now!

Bluebird babies are hatched!

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I checked them today and there were four sweet newly hatched baby Eastern Blue birds. They are small and all look fine. I can’t be sure when they began hatching but if Mama Bluebird began sitting on July 26, then twelve to thirteen days would mean they hatched yesterday or this morning, though I noticed no shell residue, but they look so tiny and sweet and new they surely are freshly alive in this world.

I am hoping all goes well and that they grow up to fledge and live over winter to start their own families next Spring! They’ll be young, as Cornell info says they lay as late as early June. We are in the South, so that’s good, but I do fear that if they do fledge they’ll be too young for the winter season, as early November is only 3 months away.

Well, I’m just thrilled though to see that all four eggs hatched. That’s a wonderful result. :)