Nesting Time in the Yard

Here is the spot on my deck where I can keep track of all six birdhouses. I can zoom in on all of them with the camera without moving, At the peak of the garage is the house that the sparrows appear to have settled on. Last year it was occupied by chickadees.

 I don't know what time of Sparrow this is. I am guessing Harris's Sparrow.

 Another one is occupied by House Wrens. Yes, I know, the house needs repainting!

 Watching the bird trying to get an oversized twig into the nest is interesting.

 Full of songs

 And here are the Mr. and Mrs. together. How she is going to fit through the hole, I don't know

The tree swallows are trying to pick a nest out of the 4 others, but haven't settled on one yet.

More pictures to come when they settle in.

Bye Bye Birdie

It was touch and go for a while for the Wren family. The neighbours cat got past the barrier and the nail boards and knocked the bird house (screwed down) from the fence post. Fortunately, I saw the cat run and quickly put the house back up. They continued to bring bugs into the nest so I figured things were OK. Today, four baby wrens left the nest and migrated to the crab apple tree. They were half the size of the parents!

Here is the proud mama in the tree.

Three of the 4 chicks still huddling together.

This little fellow decided to try to land on the vertical. he did pretty good!

I guess that is all for another year. I will have to figure a way to cat proof the houses. The swallows never did come back to nest. Which is worse, the cats running free, or the owners that let them out loose all day?