BLUEBIRDS IN MY YARD

June 1 - Mr. Bluebird has been hanging around all afternoon, singing and singing.  He finally coaxed the Mrs. to set up housekeeping.  She's been bringing in wisps of dried grass and then they just sit on the top of the house and watch the world go by.  Must be a lot of work lifting those heavy wisps of grass and singing.  One of the house's selling points is the lovely perch Edmund the Garden Muse provides.  It has a water view with pond privileges as well, though I think the Mrs. was afraid the children might fall in.  The mister did a lot of cajoling to get her to approve, and even cleaned out a few bits of nesting material from the previous occupant. 

  
A house wren doesn't yet know the box is claimed.  Mr. and Mrs. are "housesitting."  June 5 - nest is finished.  June 10- first blue egg.  June 14 - five eggs total.  Incubation begins.  July 1 or 2 - eggs hatched.  Parents with worms eye the intruder (me) from the antenna.  I peeked in just once, so as not to agitate the parents. 

Tiny blue feathers show on nestlings July 11.  On July 15 they had flown the coop, calling sweetly to their parents who must continue to feed them for awhile.

 
They were exactly two weeks old when they left that cramped box.  This one had just been fed by papa.