The bird boxes are empty of birds now. Let's hope this is good news. The last time I checked on the baby wrens, the nest was empty. That either means that they were precocious and fledged a few days early at 11 days (15-17 days is typical), or something got them. The nest did not look disturbed, so let's hope they flew away from the nest early. On the other hand, the baby bluebirds spent a comfortable 18 days in their nest before they fledged (17-21 days is typical for bluebirds). I didn't see them leave, but I did see their mother feeding them one evening and the nest was empty the next day. It is getting late in the season, for any more eggs to be laid, so that's probably the last of the baby birds until next year.
Here are a few things I saw this week
during a Second Look.
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| Day lily |
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| Black-eyed Susan |
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| Young rabbit. We are seeing a lot of rabbits this year which usually correlates with a low fox population. |
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| Volunteer celosia that came up in a crack in the sidewalk. |
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| Speaking of volunteers, the coleus and baby's tears in this planter are volunteers. |
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| Hummingbirds are one of a few birds that can fly backwards. They usually fly so fast, that I never notice which way they are flying. However, this one flew straight back for several feet. Very unusual to see. |
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| This may have been one of the last easy meals that the baby bluebirds got. |
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| Tiger lily |
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| Balloon flower bud. When I see these buds, I always think about the Rocky and Bullwinkle episode, Pottsylvania Creeper, that features a man eating plant looking something like this--except a lot bigger. |
We always seem to have a lot of bunnies. My hubby's garden fence has grown taller over the years!
ReplyDeleteYour black-eyed Susan picture would be pretty in a mat and frame--do you ever frame your photography?
Most people seem to focus on the deer feedings because they will eat shrubs as well as plants, but the rabbits really like their veggies and can wipe out a garden in a short time.
DeleteI haven't framed any of the photos, but over the years there have been several that I could do that with. I wasn't sure where I'd hang them, so I never moved forward. However, I did make some note cards from them once. The quality was not what I was hoping for. Maybe I should try again. That was a few years ago and technology has changed.
As usual I love your pictures, especially the lilies. They are my favorite flowers.
ReplyDeleteWe don't see as many critters as you do. I live in a traditional suburb with houses and yards less than a acre. An occasional rabbit, chipmunks by the thousands, and squirrels are our only daylight creatures. At night we see (only on occasion) raccoons, possums and very rarely a coyote or armadillo (2 times a year maybe).
I do have a bluebird box, but they mostly ignore it since there is a bluebird condo complex at the edge of the golf course down the hill from us. We just get to enjoy them flying and landing on the fence. Wrens nest everywhere, but most of the nesting birds here are higher in trees or in the very thorny bush places in the nearby wooded areas. Our best baby bird this year has a been 2 falcons. Though we could not see their nest we were able to hear them when the parents would feed them, and now we are watching them learn to hunt. They had been using our fencepost as a perch for a few days, but now they use the highest pitch of the roof next door. Evidently teaching them to hunt requires a decent amount of time, because we have been watching it for well over a week. Perhaps the additional falcons in the neighborhood will address the chipmunk overpopulation.
There are lots more birds nesting around here that I never see. However, I find their nests on the ground after a storm or see them in the trees after the leaves fall. The ones in the boxes are the only ones I get a good look at. I would love to see falcons learn to hunt. I look forward to reports on them.
DeleteSince I don't have a dog I need to walk, I haven't seen much of the night life around here. However, I get reports from the neighbors who are out. Add in foxes and take out armadillos, and our night life sounds about the same. Do you have skunks? Those are more of our night creatures.
Thankfully the skunks don't particularly like living around people.
DeleteThere are plenty of skunks around, but since they're mostly nocturnal, I don't see many. However, we smell them a lot in the spring.
DeleteI love Tiger Lilies but the Black eyed Susan photo is gorgeous too! Also love the updates on the bluebirds. Rural Oregon has lots of rabbits everywhere too this year. I used to see red foxes hunting along the roads when I'd drive nights or early early in the morning, but haven't in some time.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a cycle to these things. We had a pretty rough winter, so that may have cut down on the fox population.
DeleteWe have a lot of rabbits too! Ben stared one down this morning, and the rabbit didn't budge...didn't seem the bit distressed that a 90 lb dog was about to make a lunge at it...and when I finally let Ben's leash out a bit....the rabbit finally jumped away! Funny thing to see. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty funny. The rabbits around here don't seem very afraid of me, but they do hop away a lot sooner than that.
DeleteYour flowers are all so lovely. I know you will miss watching the young birds I always do.
ReplyDeleteI do miss them and there are as many birds at the feeder now since there are plenty of wild things for them to eat.
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