The Birds and the Bees

 What a fun morning in the garden today!  As I was sitting on the patio enjoying my morning coffee I had a chance to get some photos of the young birds who have been visiting the feeders this week.

This young mockingbird was hopping around in the grape vine, cheeping plaintively.

He was quite insistent, and wasn't shy about letting his wants known.

And finally his patience was rewarded when mom (or is it dad?) arrives with something tasty.  I was lucky to snap these photos.  About five seconds after the last one was taken, both birds disappeared into the hedgerow opposite, and I haven't seen them since!

Once the mockingbirds had moved on, I was happy to see the Cardinal Kids show up. They both look a little moth-eaten at the moment, the male below especially, as they get their adult plumage.

Their beaks are starting to turn color as well - they were much darker a few days ago.

And finally, the Profusion zinnia is proving irresistible to several bumble bees (as well as butterflies, but I will keep that for another post).

I'm not positive which species of bumble bee these are, as there are 46 species.  It may be Bombus auricomus, but I'm really not sure.  If anyone knows, please let me know!

I'm going to add today's post to Camera Critters.  You can visit by clicking on my link, or on the Camera Critters button in the right hand bar of my blog to see critter photos posted by other bloggers around the world.



Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

The Empty Nest

I've been keeping a close eye on the baby wrens in the nest on our covered patio and watching Momma Wren come and go tirelessly, finding insects around the garden, and the thicket next door to feed them.

I like to sit on the patio with my morning coffee on the weekends and I had got used to hearing a soft thump as she landed back on the rim of the container the nest is in. For the first time, I started hearing the babies peeping every time she came back to the nest, clamoring for attention.

I took a peek at them. There were four (I had previously thought there were three of them) and they all looked fully alert and were starting to stretch their wings.

So yesterday I had scheduled a day off work, to use up some vacation time, and was sitting with my morning coffee when I was startled by a whir and a thud behind me, over in the corner where the nest is.

I turned around to see what was happening and ... Lo and Behold... the first baby had ventured from the nest!

So of course I spent the next couple of hours crazily snapping pics and taking video till my camera batteries gave out!  

It was quite nerve wracking watching them trying out their wings. The nest is on the top shelf and of course, they all launched themselves into space and then fluttered to the ground.

But they gradually got the hang of it and fluttered back up again, one shelf at a time. 

 

 Throughout all this activity, the Momma Wren was giving encouragement, as well as nourishment. In fact, even when they were all out of the nest, she went back to it several times with a juicy insect, just to make sure no one was left behind.

After a couple of hours (maybe more, I'm not sure, I completely lost track of the time) one by one, they launched themselves across the lawn to the shrubs at the back of the garden.


That seemed to wear them out a bit and for a while two of them sat in the crepe myrtle and two sat in the butterfly bush, resting.  Momma Wren didn't like me poking around the shrubs trying to get a photo, so I went back to the patio and left them to it.  I could still hear them peeping though.

But eventually they moved on.  I went over to check on them one last time and they were nowhere to be seen or heard.  Momma Wren wasn't hanging about either, so I assume she took them over the fence to the thicket next door.

I wish them the best and hope to see them again.  Who knows, maybe one of them will choose to raise their own family on our patio.


But for now, I kind of feel like a mother whose kid has gone off to college.



Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

Break out the Cigars! We Have Hatchlings!

 A couple of days ago, I saw momma wren leave the nest on the patio and couldn't resist taking a peek.  At first I thought the nest was empty because it was so deep and dark.  But eventually I realized I was looking at some very tiny baby wrens!


Today, I risked another peek (standing on a step ladder from a discreet distance so as not to disturb) Again, at first I thought the nest was empty but as I zoomed my camera all the way in, I espied what appeared to be at least two beaks. I snapped a couple of pics and then retreated indoors to leave them in peace.


Here they are.  Welcome to the world, little ones!

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

All In the Family

 I spent quite a bit of time outside on the patio over the July 4th weekend. It seemed to me that there was an awful lot of bird activity and noise and every time I would try to get on with my reading, something else would catch my attention.

On Saturday was a lot of activity under the pine tree.  During the week, the birds (or squirrels) had knocked two suet feeders down and there were lots of bit and pieces left behind on the ground that they were picking through.

Among my visitors was this male Northern Cardinal.

A little while later, I snapped this photo of what I thought was just a single mockingbird. It wasn't until I saw the photo enlarged on the computer screen that I realized that it was a mockingbird feeding its young. ( Please excuse the weeds around the tree, they didn't get pulled until the next day!)

I also got some photos of juvenile Northern cardinals scratching around in the border.

 On Monday, the mockingbirds were making a racket outside and as I watched them I realized that I was being granted another peek into the secret life of birds.

Over on the fence were some hungry juveniles - that's where the noise was coming from.

While they squawked noisily, dad (or is it mom?) was grabbing mouthfuls of suet from the suet feeder (much to the disgust of the red bellied and downy woodpeckers) and flying over to feed the hungry young.

Then it was back to the suet feeder to restock for the next round.

The mockingbird worked tirelessly for quite some time before the young ones quieted down and they all disappeared in the wild lot next to the house, presumably for a nap.

I was tired too, just watching them!


Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.