Nesting Birds and Low Water

The second brood of Eastern Bluebirds has hatched right on schedule! As of the evening of 6/5, three out of four eggs had hatched. They should fledge probably on the 22nd or 23rd.

Baby bluebirds on hatching day.

Mom and Dad bluebirds checking on their babies.

The Chimney Swifts have begun laying eggs. I couldn't see very clearly when I was checking, but I think they have laid one or two eggs as of 6/5. I'll take my binoculars and check soon. I'm glad to help them because they are heading toward threatened status with the changeover to metal flues, people capping their chimneys and not as many abandoned industrial smokestacks standing any longer.

In other property news, the old pond is lower than I have ever seen it. The water is easily four feet lower than normal. I'm thinking I need to take the boys down there and do a little fishing and transfer some of the fish to the new pond which is holding water pretty well, although it's down about three feet. The new pond doesn't have nearly as many trees and plants around it taking the water more quickly. I think if we don't get rain in the next two to three weeks, the pond will be completely dry. If that happens, I'm going to get down there and clear out some of the fallen tree branches and other debris.

Pond on 6/5 with the normal water level drawn on the right.

Several birds have had successful nestings already this season. I have seen juvenile cardinals, Blue Jays, chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers and doves at the feeders. The Carolina Wrens that are nesting in a box on my aunt's carport are within a week of fledging. It's a fun time of year to see the young birds at the feeders figuring them out and begging for the parents to give them some food.

Some notes on a hot summer day

This week, several of the juvenile Eastern Bluebirds were frequenting my birdbath. I grabbed the camera and took a couple of pictures through the glass of my porch door at about 35 ft. They aren't the clearest pictures, but you can see this young male getting his adult plumage. Check out the downy feathers still on him.

The cardinals, Blue Jays and Eurasian Collared-Doves had a great breeding year. The adults are bringing the juveniles to my feeders pretty regularly. It's fun to watch them. The testosterone levels in the cardinals must be dropping because the males are at least tolerant of each other at the feeders. I hear a Downy Woodpecker pretty regularly in the backyard, but have yet to see him at my feeders. When it gets cooler I'll start putting suet out again and see if he comes to that. I really hope the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker comes back to my suet this year.

I didn't go birding this weekend in the woods. It's still just a little early for fall migrants and it's really hot. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll start birding regularly.

The hummingbirds are slowly increasing their numbers. It's becoming harder and harder for the dominant bird at my feeders to keep all the others off. Yesterday I saw her chase one bird off and three came in to get a drink. She successfully got all three of them away and maintained her dominance. She's back this morning. If Gustav moves into Louisiana like they are forecasting, that could be good for my hummingbird numbers. We'll get a north wind out of it and that has encouraged them to move south. After Katrina moved into LA three years ago, my hummingbird numbers exploded within a couple of days. Guess I should get the rest of my feeders ready to go!