just had to share…

05 Sunday May 2013

Posted by home, garden, life in Back Yard Birds, Bluebirds, environment, Lifestyle, P Allen Smith, season, sustainable lifestyle

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

bluebird nestlings, nature, nesting bluebirds, overcast skies, P Allen Smith, platform feeder, precious ones, virginia countryside

These are two quick photos of the bluebird nestlings here at Swallowtail Cottage—they are only a few days old. Still cold here with overcast skies, yet mealworms are keeping both adults and chicks healthy. Yay!
Just had to share…

Bluebird nestlings all snug in their box–five in all

Just bits of fuzz on their bodies. Adult female must keep them warm until nestlings are older and have feathers

Off to Arkansas in the morning while my neighbor becomes guardian of these precious ones until I return on Thursday. Some critter was in the garden overnight and attempted to turn over the platform feeder just across the lawn from this box. I suspect a cat, possum or skunk…I may lose sleep over this one.
Simply click on the images to view larger for a closer peep…

joint venture ~ bluebirds and moi

11 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by home, garden, life in Back Yard Birds, birds, blessings, Blowfly, Bluebirds, environment, life, photography, spring flowers, sustainable lifestyle, Virginia

≈ 13 Comments

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animals, Bluebirds, nature, nesting bluebirds, Noel guard, platform feeder, predator guard, Virginia, virginia countryside

Crack that bottle of champagne! Today the first egg arrived in the bluebird box. Although I monitor bluebirds every year, this day is always special!

Woo Hoo! First Swallowtail Cottage bluebird egg of 2013!

I will admit I was a bit nervous this morning, when I observed only the female. Typically, the male is never far away, yet today he was absent. The female hopped out of the box and waited and watched on the Noel guard for some time—no male in sight. Then voila this afternoon I discovered this in the nest! Yay! Perhaps the male was out smoking cigars with the boyz…

This is the side view of the completed nest with side door raised. Notice the wire riser in the bottom ~ I added this to help deter blowfly. Notice the coir material on the bottom, yet the female finished the liner with soft grass. Nice mama!

This is the overall view of the bluebird box with hole extender and Noel guard (green) attached to box face ~ another predator guard.

Front view of bluebird box. Much ado.

Don’t laugh, but this is the second box in my yard away from the active nest box ~ the one this pair used last year. Since they chose the other box, I rigged up this private feeding station for the bluebirds. Parakeet feeder inside Noel guard and covered with (yikes!) butter boxes to prevent other birds from seeing the food.

This TACKY arrangement, ahem, works! The butter boxes are flexible and coated, so they stand up to weather, keeping the treats dry.

Bluebirds are bashful birds and will not come to feed at my public platform feeder where titmice, cardinals, chickadees, finches, doves, and woodpeckers feed.