Cheep, Cheep, Cheep

There's a lot of activity in our backyard right now, and I'm not talking about the lawn chores Wayne and I are doing out there. Momma and Daddy Bluebird are working really hard to keep their little family fed.

We've had the bluebird house for probably ten years or more now. My good friend Charlotte's dad built the house...one for me, one for Bonnie and one for Charlotte, and Wayne mounted it on a post that's both sturdy and designed to prevent predators from reaching the nest inside. And almost every spring we get to watch the same ritual of nest building, egg-sitting and then feeding the little baby birds. The adults are a little cautious but it doesn't take them long to figure out we're not a threat so they pretty much ignore us unless we're really, really close to the bird house.

But you don't have to be very close right now to hear the baby birds send up a chorus of cheeps when one of the adults arrive with dinner. I can hear them on the back porch and even inside the house, if the wind is right. I'd guess there might be three or four of them. There is a hinge so we could peek but we never do. I want the little bluebird family to feel as safe as possible

I did, however, slip out with the little camera and take a movie of the activity this morning. Unfortunately, the microphone on the camera isn't very sensitive so you have to listen closely to hear the baby birds but they're a-chirpin'.

 

Now the trick will be to see if we catch sight of them learning to fly.

Comments

[Margot/NZ]

Wow - how cool is that! Your bird house is lovely, and the momma and daddy birds sure are busy going back and forth for their hungry chicks (I did hear them!). We don't have bluebirds here; it was interesting to see that daddy bluebird is REALLY blue!

[Jan]

Several years ago, we watched this whole process with cardinals. They had built the nest on top of the propane tank at my mom and dad's camp so we had a 'birds eye' view. I thought it was most interesting how involved the dad was. It was even the dad that taught them to fly. He would bring them out one at a time, even on different days, and push them off the edge of the tank. Quite amazing to watch.