Birds Nesting & Activities in the Garden, vol. 7

Thanks Margaret, I've been so blue to have learned of the sad consequences of nature law. After having been away for half of the day. I returned home to find out that the Blue chicks have successfully fledged. I brought out more mealies, and saw Momma Blue came for the mealies but flew past the nestbox onto the far end of neighboring yard. I heard lots of chirping, but could not find where the new fledglings were.

One comforting happening; I saw another male Blue Bird on the other side of the garden. What a beautiful sight that was!

That's terrible Kim, but I do bet you have another Male in no time, just like Dave. And good for you for helping mom with the food task.

Thanks all for your words of encouragement and comforting thought. I do miss that beautiful Blue Bird in the garden...

Bruce, the Moma is quite capable indeed. Today while setting out mealies. I heard the chorus of the little ones that seem to be much closer... indeed they were! They were just above the feeder up high on the oak tree. All I have to do was follow the Moma's lead as she flew straight up onto the branches above, and not heading away toward the next door neighbors with her meals as she did yesterday.

The sky is quite high above, I couldn't locate the rest of the brood. Here is one fledgling awaiting for Mom coming to feed.

So much been going on here! So sorry to hear about the male Bluebird Lily_love! Moma still did a good job with the little ones and it's nice to see they are feeding close by!
CH521, Happy to hear that at least 3 made it out of the 5!
Great pics everyone!

1st, 2cnd, And 3rd photo ~Momma Wren on her birdhouse ...

In 4th photo you can tell she's not to happy about her new visitors ...Especially the one in the 5th photo - Who keeps taking the sticks out of her nestbox!!

Thank you Iris for sharing those lovely pics. of the Wren, Doves and BB. I thought to myself, the BBs will win out at a long stretch. lol Very nice capture! Here is my Wren at the chosen nestbox to the backyard.

Nice pics lilly-love and what a cute house for the wren!
I'm surprised that the wren is making it ok and happy that they are because the BB beats the tar out of them a lot! ( Did you see the wren in the doves photo?)
I thought I posted these last night, But, I don't know what happened to them and why it didn't post, But, Here goes again ...

1st ---Momma wren

2cnd--- Baby wants food

3rd--- Mom feeding baby

4th-- Baby wants more food

5th---Baby gets feed

Congrats Iris on your Wrens family success. Those are adorable pics.! Ah yes, I did see the Wren peeking around the corner on that Doves' pair. lol I have seen one brood of mine traveling around the garden, especially around the meal worms feeder designated for the Blue Birds. Although, larger in size. My single BB Moma is very gentle. She doesn't run the babies wrens away from the mealies feeder -- imagine that! LOL.

I checked on that cute Wren's nestbox the other day, and found down that some predator has stolen their eggs. Drats!

1. Moma BB picking as many mealies as she can. 2. One of the fledglings awaiting for Mom up on the tree top.

Picture isn't very clear. But one can see Moma BB arrived, many littles ones were waiting. I cropped the pix several times to see the others huddling near awaiting for Moma.

Thanks Lilly-love. I got 4 baby wrens just playing away today, They are in the pots, The hanging baskets, The plants ...Everywhere!! So cute to watch!! It's great that the momma BB doesn't run the baby wrens off there, The female here doesn't either, But, The male BB is a whole nother story!! Awwww, So sad to hear that the eggs were stolen!! Hate when those kind of things happen!!
Great to see pics of the baby BB's in the trees! ( I can see it good in the second photo, Not bad!) I don't see the baby BBs from the last batch around here, I see the parents taken the mealies to a far off tree, But, Have not seen the babys around. The BBs sure like those mealie worms huh??! As I notice so do the wrens and cardinals!! It's funny that they take as much as they can at one time!! Mom and dad BB eat a few first and then they fill up and fly off, But only takes a few minutes for tthem to come back!! ... Heres Momma BB filling up ...

Great pix of the Blues there Iris, and yes I love those baby Wrens. Nuthatches babies are playful too. I get to see them coming and going to the feeder in the front yard without their parental presence.

My BBs fledglings are still depending on Mom and have yet to come to the mealies feeder on their own.

Thanks LL! ~ It's great that you get to see the BB babies in the trees at least, It will be so neat when they finally come to the M-feeder for themselves!
It's a joy right now here at the suet feeder because the wren has four babys that are eating off it and the downy woodpecker has it's two babys feeding off it and they are all feeding at the same time pretty much and I have the hummingbird feeders about 10-12 ft away from the suet feeding station and they are visiting quite frequently too! I get to sit on the patio ( Which is about 20 ft away and have my coffee and watch all the action!!
Hope your fledglings come for the mealy worms soon and you are able to get some photos.

Iris, sounds like a great way to enjoy your cup of coffee. I am looking out for Dave's brood, his begun prior to mine, so hoping his will serve as a model. Once Dave's fledglings come to the feeder, that is when mine ought to follow suit?

For the last week, while I was out watching the BBs activities. I heard more babies chirping, but the chirping is coming out of the Titmouse's nest box. Finally I caught the Moma bringing food home. One thing I've noticed, Titmice didn't seem to care for meal worms. They by pass the mealies feeder, and hunt for something else to bring home to the babies;

On the upside, my Blue birds fledlings did arrive at the feeder as predicted, a day after Dave's BBs fledlings did so in Maryland. ^_^

Picture was taken yesterday.

I've heard quite a chorus of little ones within this nestbox. So more mealies were provided to assist the busy parents coming/going feeding the hungry mouths!

Monday was a sad day for my little Mallard ducks nest. After a busy weekend with lot of boating activities in the area. Sunday evening came the Mallard female turned up missing. Just as I and DH set up a birdcam hoping to capture the newly hatched duckings fledge ... for it was estimated to be withing days?

On Sunday evening as the evening falls, and I didn't see the Mallard returning to her nest. I suspected the camera setting must have spooked her? So DH and I took the camera down...

At day ends that very day, the drake returned to our pier, without his mate!

The following morning still the momma Mallard wasn't there, but look! Her Ten eggs all hatched but one!

I contacted Mrs. Ed and local co-op for helpful info. how to care for the ducklings ...

I was further saddened when I transferred the chicks into the place of safety. 2 strongest ducklings in the brood jumped off into the water. I at that point knew I couldn't catch those that got loose!

One duckling was promptly turned up missing, the second one united with its parent for a brief period. And that was the last time I saw the little one.

By mid-day, I knew I couldn't provide adequate care for these little orphaned ducklings. I contacted the local Wildlife Refuge center and set up adoption process.

But, things all changed as I and DH were busy packing up to carry the little ones to our WildLife Refuge Center. Our next door neighbor's son and his young son who are avid nature lovers, who has been looking for Mallards ducklings to raise. So to make the long story short; the ducklings were lovingly adopted by my neighbors' son and his young children with the promiss that when the time come; when the young chicks are at the age where they can fend for themselves. They will be brought to our lake and release here. I'm forever so grateful of how the sad story turned up a blessing!

As for the Mallard drake, although he didn't recognize his baby. He brought two other drakes as the sight of busy people at the pier. Apparently he sensed imminent danger at the nesting site. They; the 3 Mallard drakes parked out here... and looking back to our pier where the nest is. The poor Mallard drake continued to show up the following morning, by mid-day, and evening as he has always done throughout this nesting season.

On the upside of nesting success. I spotted a new male Blue Bird arrived to chase off what would be an invader. 1. The unknown visiting bird was identified to be a HOSP. (Thanks Chillybean and Resin).
2. The new male BB arrives to announce; this nest is taken!
3. A good look at the new male Blue Bird;

Yay, new dad!!!

Enjoyed the photos lilly! So sad to hear about the mallard female and the two ducklings, And poor drake. .. And on the upside .. Glad there's a new dad BB!

Thanks Iris, and Marna. It's really sad. I missed those little ones and the sweet Momma duck. Yesterday was the 1st day I didn't notice the drake out in the area. I thought I was over with the mourning process...today he once again returned.

The T. Titmice nest seems really quiet today. I don't know if the chicks have fledged? I did see the parent Titmouse at the mealies feeder earlier during the day.

Hah, freudian's slip. I meant to say. ... It was over with the mourning process ...