Birds of the mid-Atlantic (and other critters too)

Baby birds are all over, so I decided I needed to change the subject of my thread! We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1395087/

Please share anything about birds or any other (non-human) wildlife you see around you when you're out and about. It's nice to know what we have creeping, crawling or flying through our region!

This poor little guy was attacked by someone's cat; fortunately, it was taken to a veterinary hospital that works with wildlife rehabilitators, so it's got a chance. It's not one of my blue jays; my daughter sent me the photo.



This message was edited Jun 21, 2015 9:12 PM

awww!

That is a big baby bird. Has not learned yet to use its beak! Cute picture! Thanks for posting.

You're welcome, francine! Nice to see you online, by the way.

I checked on a wren nest box today and noticed a stream of ants going in and out; they've taken it over for their own nest!. I figured that birds wouldn't share a box with ants, so I started to pull out the nest very carefully, with the idea of cleaning out the house if it was empty.

As soon as I started, 2 wrens came flying up and let me know that they were using that nest, so I shoved it back in and shut the door. I didn't get a good look because the nest was built very close to the top of the box, but I didn't see any eggs or babies.

Muddy---
You seem to have a great communication going on between you
and your birds....That is so great!

G.

Yes, I guess I do!
I really enjoy them, even the Catbird that begs for worms when I'm potting or planting and swoops in to inspect the soil as soon as I've turned my back!

Photo 1 - The second bluebird brood has hatched! There were 4 eggs, so I assume there are 4 nestlings piled up here.

Photo 2 - Cardinal eggs in a nest in the front yard. I have a good view of that shrub from the window, so I might be able to see the babies after they fledge.

It's hatching day here, too! Jim spotted mama robin flying off with a piece of eggshell this evening. This is brood #3 for the robins' nest up on the front porch column.

Great photos, Muddy!

Thanks, Critter!

Joyanna must be thrilled that the robins have more babies! Has she gotten to see them?

I just realized that I'm not sure I matched those eggs with the right bird, because there are 2 nests in 2 different shrubs out front, and I couldn't get a photo of the one definitely occupied by cardinals. The nest and eggs look like they could belong to cardinals, though.

nice pictures

Nope, Joyanna left Sunday, before the robin babies hatched. However, my nephew was totally delighted when we returned from the zoo Sunday afternooon... the tadpole he'd captured on Friday (which had 4 legs already) and had been watching closely turned into a frog! It still had a bit of a tail but was breathing air, so he released it into the garden. Good thing I put the lid back on the tadpole aquarium before we left that morning!

Muddy, I wonder if the ants and wrens just coexist peacefully. Or if the ants get anything from it. Safe nesting, with wrens keeping other things out, or food from wren mites or something?

I saw and heard action around the suet the other day. I saw two downies, both a tiny bit scruffy, neither had any red on their heads, I wonder if they were siblings? The scruffy look being immature feathering. They acted like siblings, haha.

Goldfinches are going to love me when the sunflowers start to bloom. Some thing is eating the HECK out of the leaves on some. What, beetles at night?

We have more Hummers here than I can count and need to fill the feeders everyday not to mention the Trumpet Vine. The lettuce is seeding so the finches are really happy, Ric always grows a few to go to seed for them.

oh, glad I've left some lettuce seeding too, then. Right below the sunflowrs- which have fist bloom today.
How do you fill your trumpet vine? (wink wink)

My native honeysuckle is in bloom but kind of buried in common milkweed six feet tall. I have seen a hummer on either catnip or Agastache in the vegetable garden (forgot which)

Ha ha, fill the trumpet vine. Positions of words in a sentence can make some pretty funny visuals.

I haven't been filling the hummingbird feeder, but I have been seeing hummers in the garden all summer.

LOL Sally, You don't miss much. LOL

I don't know, Sally, when I checked on that bird house tonight I didn't see any signs of wrens or ants. I can't tell whether the nest is being used because I can't get a mirror in between the nest and the top of the box. I might have scared them all away, but it's also possible that a raccoon raided the nest. I found out that raccoons have no problem getting over the type of baffle I had around that pole. I just swapped it out for a better one in case the nest is in use.

I've only seen 1 hummingbird this year. I usually don't get around to putting up feeders; they ignore them in favor of the Salvia 'Black and Blue', ROS and other plants anyway.

House wrens make multiple nests and just use the one the lady chooses.

today--I was doing a lot of potting up of small plants that were rooting.

I went into my shed and started rummaging for a smallish HB for one of my spiders.
I had so many trays stacked on top of each other--that as i was digging around--
the whole pile tumbled apart. I was picking up the trays to put them back in the pile
and then--I saw a black snake curled up in one of the trays.
As I was moving them to re-stack the trays--the snake slowly disappeared further
down all my "stuff"!

I think I mentioned to you all a couple weeks ago that--as I opened my shed door--
I saw a black snake quickly crawl into the shed and under a palate I had some stuff
sitting on.
AHA! SOOOO! I have a snake living in my shed???? Hope he/she is comfortable.
It is more than welcome. I have had mice in the shed.......HAD...that is...:o)

Gita

Well, I think she would have been smart to reject an ant-infested one although, as you said, the ants might not have bothered them all that much. Come to think of it, they probably made tasty little snacks!

My flying squirrel has become a regular visitor; it shows up for peanuts at about 8:45 every night. I feel like I should name it, but I have no idea whether it's male or female or even if I'm always seeing the same squirrel : - )

That must have been quite a surprise, Gita! I bet you don't have any chipmunks around either.

Name for a flying squirrel? "Flapa doodle"....

Muddy--I have seen one Chipmunk . Never more than one at a time.
But--it lives, or cruises, more under my Kitchen Side bed. May even be under ground...

The shed is in sad shape--at least the d0rs. The bottom of the doors are chewed up
and any small rodent could get int it. It is old. Lots of open nooks and crannies...

Well! Live-and let live! G.

Sorry, Gita, I win the horribly old shed contest : - )
I would have replaced my shed a long time ago if it weren't wedged in under the Japanese Maple tree. I keep looking at the Home Depot sheds and wondering whether one would fit. If I replace it, I'm sure I'll find a multi-level, multi-family chipmunk dwelling underneath it!

This message was edited Jul 6, 2015 10:19 PM

Muddy--

HD sells 3 kinds of sheds. Metal--Vinyl, and wood.

Metal:
Assembling a metal shed will drive you to insanity--there are thousands of screws.
Metal also rusts, and dents if kids were to throw something against it.

Vinyl:
Very practical and lomg-lasting. can be painted.

Wood: (Sheds USA).
The best! Also--most $$$. Wood sheds will be assembled on your property.
You have to have the base for the shed ready. They do not do that.
The base has to be level--whether it is poured concrete, made of treated lumber, etc.
You can choose the color of the roof and the shed.

There are a couple models of wood sheds that can be bought at the store.
These are smaller size.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoors/N-5yc1vZbx82?cm_sp=d-flyout-Outdoor_Livin

You can learn all about sheds by picking up pamphlets at a store.

Sorry--that link did not go to Sheds. Just put "sheds" in the search bar
and then you can choose what to look at.
g..

Gita's shed looks like a little hut out of a fairy tale :-) Wish I had one like that.

Great photos, Muddy. We have a lot of birds around, but I have not seen a nest.

I was out weeding last weekend, and came across a very big turtle. The shell was at least 6" long. Some online search identified the turtle as an Easter Box Turtle. So I put him back in the garden.

He's a real cutie.

Donner--et al.....

My Ex designed and built that shed. It IS one of a kind. Maybe--1974?

Pics from 2011.

I have always liked that shed.

Cool turtle! Maybe a girl. I think eye color is sexed.
Cool shed!

Thanks for the info, Gita; I'll mull it over some more.

Donner, that's an adorable turtle; it must be a girl : - )

Look what I found in the nest out front: 3 Cardinal nestlings! After I finished mowing (which probably scared away the parents), I decided to take a look at the nest and was lucky enough to see these sweet little babies.

Muddy--great shot! It is as if there is NO body at all to them--
just ALL MOUTH!

"OK. Mom--Whatever you brought--just drop it in"......:o)

Thanks! Their eyes are so bulge-y, too.

Eyes?---covered with "birth Goggles",,,,NOT ready yet to be open.

:o)

"Birth goggles" is a great way to describe them!

Cardinal chicks! what fun!

Our front porch robins have 3 babies again. They are busy keeping those little mouths fed!

I disturbed a nest while pulling weed vines away from a clematis on Saturday... put things back as best I could, but the nest was abandoned with 1 egg in it. The nest could have been a cardinal's but the speckled egg also looked a lot like the cowbird egg that was in that wren nest... I never saw any birds, so it's possible the nest was abandoned before I came across it. I left the other trellis overgrown for now.

Donner, I love your turtle dude!

How cool is it to see baby birds up close like this! Wow! I would be tempted to drop earth worms in their mouth :o).

Donner---I think the Mama birds chunk off pieces of the worms to feed the babies--
NOT throw a whole worm down their mouths.

You could always cut it up and then feed them to the babies....stuff the pieces
down with a pair of tweezers....that sure would give "Mama" a break.

I know....I know....Do not mess with nature! g.

Gita, I have always wondered if mama birds gave bugs to babies directly or if they gave them regurgitated bugs. Suet goes down very quickly this time of year. Maybe mama birds also feed babies with suet?

I know that Bluebird mamas feed their babies regurgitated food.

Donner--are you still feeding suet to birds? Hmmm....should we?
Are you saying that the mama birds feed it to their babies??? Intersting...
I have 2 suet cakes still sitting around...I can put them out and see...

I would think it will melt in this heat...Hot...Hot..Hot.....
g.