Bye Bye Bluebird!

I took this picture of daddy bluebird three days ago. Yesterday, I decided to take a look at the babies. I got a ladder out of the garage, carefully climbed up to the birdhouse and opened the door. The nest was empty. The babies must have fledged sometime in the last couple of days. I've read that bluebirds can lay more than one clutch of eggs in a season. I'm hoping our bluebird couple will do just that.

Five years ago today, my niece Kelly was married on the beach in Destin, Florida. Happy Anniversary Kelly and Kerry! Love you both!

Daddy bluebird bringing home the bacon, or should I say the grasshopper.

Feeding the little ones. I got a quick glimpse of one of the babies yesterday.

Happy Mother's Day!

I shot this video Friday morning of our mama bluebird sitting on top of our swing post. She had some kind of grub in her mouth and was getting ready to feed her babies. Their nest is in a birdhouse on the arbor overlooking our garden. We can hear the babies, but haven't seen them yet. The bluebirds are a little more wary of people than the tree swallows. They don't fly up to the birdhouse while we're near, but I think they're starting to get used to us being around. We finally got our garden planted on this beautiful Mother's Day afternoon. I hope all of you mom's out there got to spend time with your peeps today.

This is me and my mom, or Ma as I liked to call her. I guess this picture was taken sometime early in 1959, the year I was born. My mom passed away a year ago this past April 29th. I miss her each and every day and wish she was here for me to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. She was the best! Love you now and forever Ma! Until we meet again.

Field of yellow. 

We have a couple of bluebirds and tree swallows nesting in birdhouses in our backyard. The bluebirds eggs have hatched and we've heard the babies peeping from inside the box. The tree swallows had been busy building their nest and we noticed that we hadn't seen the female around in a couple of days. I saw the male perched on our deck railing and he would fly up to the opening of the box then fly off. When Terry got home from work yesterday, I asked him to put the ladder up to the box and look inside. I had a bad feeling that something had happened to the female and unfortunately I was right. Terry found the female tree swallow dead on her nest inside the box. She had been attacked, pecked on top of the head by what we think was a house sparrow. I did some research and house sparrows are known to attack tree swallow and bluebird nests. Their MO is to trap one of the birds inside the birdhouse, then attack them and take the birdhouse for themselves. Terry told me he had noticed a sparrow coming out of the birdhouse over the weekend and I had noticed one around the box as well. It made us both sad as the nest had been built, but she hadn't laid any eggs yet. I cried as he removed the little nest. I'm sensitive that way. The male keeps coming around. I'm not sure if birds grieve or not, but he definitely knows that something has happened to his mate. I just hope our bluebird family will be alright. We didn't think we would have any tree swallows this year until today when I heard that familiar chattering sound. I looked out the back door and sure enough there were four flying around, checking out the box. As of late this afternoon a pair have been in and out of the box and we hope that they can successfully nest and brood their young. Nature can be cruel at times.

Great news! Our tree swallow couple found the new bird house this afternoon. So far so good. No conflicts between the tree swallows and the bluebirds :0) I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed!

A bluebird couple have taken up residence in one of our back yard bird houses. We think their eggs have hatched because we found remnants of blue egg shells near their nest. Also, the male and female were bringing insects to the bird house. I've read that blue birds can lay up to three clutches of eggs in a season. We're still waiting for our tree swallows to start nesting in another box we put up. The bluebirds and tree swallows have been fighting for territory over the past month and we're hoping now that the bluebirds have babies to take care of, the tree swallows can start nesting. One good sign, I noticed the female tree swallow checking out the other bird house this afternoon. Stay tuned!

The battle of the bluebirds and tree swallows continues. The birdhouse in this picture is being occupied by a bluebird couple. They have already built a nest in the box, but try and tell that to the tree swallows. In this photo you can see a female tree swallow poking her head out of the bluebird's house. She was checking it out until the bluebirds came back and ran her off. Terry bought another birdhouse yesterday and we put it up yesterday afternoon. This morning I've already seen two or three tree swallows checking out the new box. Hopefully they will nest in the new box.  We're keeping our fingers crossed :0)

Mr. Bluebird

We have a bluebird couple building a nest in one of our birdhouses. It's the same birdhouse that our tree swallows have been nesting in for the past two years. The swallows and bluebirds have been fighting over who is going to occupy the birdhouse. For now, the bluebirds are winning. Terry went out at lunch today and bought another birdhouse. Hopefully the tree swallows will make their home in the new box and everyone can live happily ever after. Stay tuned!

Male bluebird. Gorgeous colors!

I managed to get the birdhouse out of our Tulip Poplar tree that
fell during last weeks big storms. Unfortunately, as you can see,
the nest contained four little Bluebird eggs. Sad :0(

Male Bluebird


Mr and Mrs Bluebird ran our Tree Swallows out of their home in
the Tulip Poplar. We ended up buying another birdhouse which
the Tree Swallows quickly found and are busy building their nest.
We put the new birdhouse up on the garden arbor. Hopefully all is
well in bird land :0)