March 4th 2009: (clockwise from top right) Checking out the neighborhood,
she has a look at the kitchen, he has a look at the garage, I think they'll take it.
(Click pictures to enlarge)
"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes." ~ Charles Lindbergh
Yesterday in my comments, someone asked if the bluebirds rented the property... yes they did. Now is as good a time as any to detail their saga. I had been under the impression that bluebirds were very particular about their homes... the box had to be a certain height and the opening pointed towards the northeast and there needed to be perching areas as well as open spaces. According to the books, the males migrate in February to pick out a possible home... then bring the females up a few weeks later. Last year the males showed up on time, but were several weeks late in bringing up the females.... As with the old adage, "The early bird gets the worm", the early bird gets the rental property....
March 2008: (top) Chickadee parents bring food for the young
(bottom) Four chickadee babies in a soft moss lined nest.
Yes, last year the chickadees found the nesting box before the bluebirds got back.. they worked diligently, building a nest out of soft green moss and by the time I discovered their work it was almost done and I just didn't have the heart to put them out. Their stay in the property was quite successful... Yes, the bluebirds finally got there but only found a nest full of babies and had to go on their way. I had to tell them..."Next year try to get here on time."
This year they did... the bluebirds that is... get here on time.. sort of. The chickadees also found the box this year, but I kept it cleaned out and kept apologizing as I did. Finally the chickadees got the hint and found other quarters. The bluebirds had put down a deposit of one pine needle and they kept coming back and going in and sitting on the roof but no one started putting any piles of pine needles in the box. The male didn't do his job... he was supposed to provide the needles. The female was supposed to build the nest....but for almost a month, unlike bluebirds everywhere else, she did this....
April 1st 2009: Mrs. Bluebird: "Hello! Hello! Is anybody in there?"
For up to forty-five minutes a day, Mrs. Bluebird would fly from tree to fence to birdhouse, to the gutter and finally to the window sill. She tried the high sills, the low sills, the bay window sills, living room sills, den sills... all of them. There she would sit and look in... flutter her wings, chirp, peck the window and flit up and down. Then she would fly to the bird house and back again. Those times when the male showed up and perched on the fence, she would fly to him and flap her wing at him chirping all the time.. then back to the window. Poor fellow, he looked confused... as if to say..."I have married a crazy woman!" She seemed to be telling him.. "I don't want this house... I want to go in THAT house." At the same time I am sitting there watching this peeping bird and thinking... "I should have let the chickadees have the property, this tenant is going to be a problem."
"Problem? Who are you calling a problem!?"
My first entry to Blue Monday... it does seem a bit strange to have a blue jay spying on the bluebirds... a little funny too.
PS: I felt bad about not letting Ms. Bluebird into our house so I told her she could visit the other birds over at Friday's Ark. I think she is happier now.
To be continued.....
(end of post)
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