Even in a pandemic life goes on. With more time at home I find I am paying more attention to the variety of birds making stops in my yard and garden. While working from home for more than 3 months now this has provided a very intimate picture of bird-life here in Stillwaters Estates.
I have a Hummingbird feeder outside the window of my office. This provides a great view of those tiny miracles of flight. Over time I have noticed that some are sitters and some are fliers while they eat. They are especially funny to watch in the rain as they practically have a full bath while visiting the feeder.
I think there must be a Hummingbird nest nearby as we are now seeing very small hummers at the feeders (we have three feeders). As always antics of the babies are very entertaining as they learn to fly, perch and feed.
According to allaboutbirds.com Hummingbird food is easily made from ¼ cup sugar to one cup water. No need to color the water for the feeder. Made with boiled water the sugar water is safe for a week or so, depending on the weather. For more information about Hummingbirds check out this information and link below.
Busy Birds:
We have three bird houses (boxes) that are pretty regularly used as least once and sometimes twice in a summer. Mr. Blogger and I refer to the birds as renters and we are thoroughly entertained by the bird “moving in the furniture” (nest building) and then the wait for the baby sounds.
The Goldfinches, Swallows and Juncos make themselves known as they have been busy in my backyard with nest-making, egg-hatching and baby-feeding like crazy! We have had two rounds of baby swallows in our hillside condos (bird boxes) and also swallows in our house-side bird box. The parents spend a good week or more building the nests, then the wait is on for the eggs and the hatching. Once you hear the tiny peeps start you know it isn’t long until you see the little beaks come up to the door for each of their feedings.
The parents keep really busy with the feeding schedule and frantically try to keep up as the babies grow. After a couple of weeks of entertaining us the babies fledge and the silence is a little startling after several weeks of crying babies.
A closer view:
The Juncos built a nest in one of my flower boxes this year (a first!) and though only one egg hatched they did leave us this gift of a nest and a view into the beautiful unhatched eggs.
I am very thankful for all the nature that surrounds us. Our little world here on Van Dyke Drive has provided restful respite (and distraction) from the politics and conflicts of the Coronavirus battle. I hope you all are finding your own place of peace and wellness where you are.
Quote of the Week:
Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.
Victor Hugo
5 COMMENTS
My computer is in my bedroom and the window faces my back patio where I have 2 bird houses. I didn’t know that the birds could have babies twice a year. I really enjoy watching the mom and dads build the nests and then feed the babies. It is real exciting when my family sit outside with me and the birds fly around our heads to feed the babies. The don’t care if we are there or not! Mother nature at it’s best!
Karen Dunlap
Thank you for that wonderfully descriptive blog. We still have several feeders active, including one suet grid. There are up to six or seven different birds stopping to feed, including two non-birds (Eichhörnchen-squirrels), one of them is a very small brown one. We refer to the visitors as our house pets, much easier to take care of than four-legged ones. Porch and feeders are easily cleaned with a power washer. In short, we are grateful for nature close ot home at Stillwaters (for over 24 years already. How time flies when you are happy and content. — All the best, K&M
I loved the bird news. I have been a bird watcher for many years and can hardly wait to start up again when I get settled in my new home. I spent many hours with a bird ID book in one hand and binoculars in the other. Thanks for sharing!
Cindy, I just wanted to tell you that a bird laid 4 eggs in my Salvia Plant. The bird came and sat on those eggs every day and night. I carefully watered the plant all that time. However last week I went out and the bird and the eggs were gone. Can the birds carry those eggs. I am dumb founded as to how the eggs got out of the plant.
Sad to say Mother Nature is not always kind. We have crows and other birds that raid nests and bird boxes. I have to tell myself I have to put up with that 10 percent of the time to have the joy of watching the birds and babies the other 90 percent. – Cindy
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