Bluebird thread #11

I'm sending blessings to you and your wife in the coming days. Thank you for sharing the wonderful fledging pictures even in the midst of your sadness. Like others, I feel we are blessed through nature in many trying times, if we'll just stop and notice. I've been trying to stop and notice over the past year or so, and the blessings have been many - your photos and threads are in the top 10!

Yeah, what Bookworm28 said.
Nan

My Aunt just passed into the arms of our Lord yesterday. I have met so many special people here ....that in reading all of the warm wishes espressed to Dave this past week.....I too feel the love and support here....from many that I will probably never neet in person, but feel almost like family. I think that our shared love of nature and the precious animals and birds given for nothing more than our pleasure, has mad e .us a little more sensitive perhaps than the average person.......thankyou each and every one of you for being so kind, loving humerous and real
--BirdieBlue / Sheri

We had the funeral for my father in law up in West Virginia today and we brought my mother in law back to Baltimore tonight. She is holding up very well, as are my wife and her sisters, although they are clearly exhausted. We plan to be back in Fredericksburg tomorrow.

Sheri, I am sorry to learn of your aunt's passing. I will be thinking of you the next few days as you cope with your loss.

Dave

Sending warm and gentle hugs to you Sheri. You are so right about this being a very special group of folks here.

Dave, I'm glad your family is holding up so well. I hope your trip home is uneventful and that the babies greet you with wing waves.

Janet

Well, I am getting back into my routine. Don't know if I told you, but my wife's niece got married on Friday and had the reception on Saturday. My wife took one day off after her father's funeral, then went to her sister's to help her get the food and decorations ready. I was asked to take pictures and I took more than 1000. I would much rather shoot bluebirds.

I have neglected my bluebirds so much I was afraid they would have given up on me. Not so, however. They were waiting when we got home.

Here they are today.

Looks like they will begin their moult soon.

Another view of Mama

And one more

One more of Papa.

And finally, you ca see part of our house, reflected in his eye.

Beautiful pics Dave and the BB's look very healthy! Your birds are a lot lighter in color than the ones here in Mo at this time of the year. Ours are very dark... I wonder if it is their diet?

Welcome back Dave. Superb shots.

Great pics Dave!

"...begin their moult"...that explains the skruffy gang hanging out at my MW bar. This is my 1st experience BB watching and certainly upclose and personal right on my back deck as it has been!! Thought I might be host to the local "East Side BB Gang".! They is usually led by Papa Blue (almost always the only or 1st one to answer my call in his soft speet chirp) and his (our) 3 speckled teens, who do know to share, and so do bring their friends with on occasion.
Last week that "ghostBB" showed up again, but only the one time (that I saw). I tend to think that is perhaps another Jeuvie since that's who shimer hangs with and no sign of parenting (flying off with mouthfulls from the bar)....so.....But I still have only the single distant pic on my roof (poor shot, but proof that it existed). I got to see s/he (shimer = my combo of him /her) close up, but hardly dared to breathe, that bird was so skittish...let alone try to take a pic. The head, back and wings were just as pale with "ghostlike hint of color" as the front ....wow...beautiful bird....iIhope it returns next year....Wonder how common or uncommon and what the survival (lifespan) time seems to be.. Maybe I'll call Cornell about it.
those speckled teens, I mentioned earlier are not a bit afraid of me! They know my voice (guess that's understandible since they heard it from the time they were in embryo on.........Hey, does that qualify me as g'maBlue (since their mom went missing @ `1week hatched and I took over as Papa's helper ? Huh, huh? LOL
On a serious side..for any who wonder....mealworm raising is easy! I've just seen the fruits of ...well misting the newspaper daily and providing apple, potatoe or carrot + bedding.....LOTS of tiny MWs...and do I ever mean lots...they're about 1/4" long and the thickness of a very coarse hair.....Wish the BB's weren't on their way south soon ...
**Dave, When do they usually go south from your neck of the woods?? Anyway, have no idea what I will do with or about the MWs over the winter. But will definately try to begin breeding Early next year and save some $'s .......That's all from the NC homefront for now!
--Wing waves to ya!
--Birdie ;-)

My birds stay with me all winter. They are here in the ice and snow, every day. I suspect most BBs do not migrate, except in areas where they have extremely cold temps. I have heard people in Rhode Island and upper Michigan report they have BBs stay around all winter.

Most people do not offer mealworms so they do not see the birds and assume they migrate. The fact is, they may be hanging around in the deep woods or wherever else they can find food and shelter and have no reason to come near human habitats.

In your area, if you keep offering them mealies, you will probably see them all winter.

Here is my male this afternoon. I have seen the fledglings in the distant trees but they have not come to the feeders yet.

Dave

Oh, goody, goody....The mealie Wagon will stay open here!!
Thanks, Dave. I am learning so much from you.

Here are a few pics to update this thread. My brood seem to like the tall trees about 1000 feet from my window, and they haven't been coming for breakfast or lunch but they are famished when they show up at supper time. Mama is doing most of the feeding and I can see them in the trees when she takes the mealies to them. And today I saw one fledge on the fence near the kitchen window and another took a bath in the water I keep in the sundial. Pictures of them will follow.

First, here is Mama loading up to make the trip.

She arrives at the top of the tree, and all three fledglings rush to her.

To say the least, it's sloppy. She probably drops as many as she gives to them.

OK, here are the weary parents. First Papa

And here's Mama. She looks a bit better but still a bit thread bare.

Here's the fledgling that just had a bath. Looks like a female.

And here's the other one.

Wonderful pics Dave! Those fledges are adorable.

Beautiful as always Dave...those babies are so cute and that first pic of Mama is priceless!

Mama is working hard but not looking her best. Check out this shot.

OMG...that poor girl!! She needs a break big time but what a great shot!

Dave - Hope you will forgive me. I couldn't resist.

At the end of a looooong day . . . .

heh. nice

Thanks Mrs. Ed.

Very cute, OP. She's lucky she only has three to feed.

Great photos, Dave.
OP, that is so funny.

Great shotts Dave!!

Momma does look a bit weary & wore down.

OP, over the nine years that we were raising our granddaughters we heard "it keeps you young" countless times. We eventually got to the point where when someone would say that to us , we were sure to set the record straight...."no it doesn't, we are exhausted"!! lol

This message was edited Aug 17, 2008 10:44 AM

Another good one OP!!

Well, I'm going to have to start a new thread soon but before I do, here are a few shots of the fledglings in the poke berries from this afternoon.

Next

Well, this is so frustrating. I load two images and then no more. I have tried at least 10 times but if there is an image attched, it just doesn't load.

Dave

One more try.

Here's two.