We Have Been Adopted!

Going into July, we haven't seen much of our House Wrens. For a while it looked like they weren't coming this year. However, they did finally show up and started to check out the birdhouses. The Tree Swallows kicked them out. The White Bird House was not to their liking, but they finally chose the yellow one.

She is a very intense bird! Watching her try to get a stick in was kind of fun.

Of course the stick had to go in sideways. Eventually she figured it out

She's a pretty sloppy house keeper though. Low marks for neatness.

She does look very proud of herself!

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?

Chickadee Dee Day

I went for a walk on the edge of the Mcleod River where I hadn't been before. I was wondering why this Black capped Chickadee was staying close.

 I found the female a few trees away, finishing off a job that a woodpecker left.

 She was digging and hauling wood out at a steady rate.

 She did pause now and again to keep an eyeball on me.

 I don't know why a woodpecker would start a nest and then leave unless the missus wanted a better view.

 Hey, you with the camera. Yes you. Go harass some other poor creature and let me get on with nesting!