A Busy Time

At this time of year our garden is busy with a variety of birds singing, courting, building nests and a few have already started to rear their first brood.  I have mentioned some in previous posts about our resident Eastern Bluebirds and the migratory birds that come back either to settle in our garden or just passing through.

It’s been only a couple of weeks and the Bluebirds have hatched but only three of them.  I keep checking on them every 7 to 10 days to make sure that the House Sparrows haven’t raided their nest and killed the chicks.  All of them look very healthy now.  Mom and Dad make countless trips every day to feed them.

The Tree Swallows that nested in the box by the vegetable garden have finished building their nest, lined with white feathers and down picked from the lake nearby.  In less than a week, there are four white eggs laying comfortably in it.  The female is so used to me being in the vegetable garden now that she just sticks her head out to look at me when I’m right by the box.  If I continue working, even right below her nest, she just disappears back inside.  Once in a while she would come out to stretch on top of the pole in front of the nest box.  It’s a comfort to have her keeping me company while I’m working.

The second Tree Swallow family just starting to build their nest again.  They were chased out by a male House Sparrow after they started the first time but I manage to get the Sparrow out.  So, they resumed building at the same place.  I hope to see four more eggs.  It’s always nice to have more insect patrolling in the yard than less.