...Moving in

I am going for interest over beauty today and posting this shot of one of the chickadees, mouthful of moss, moving into the bluebird house. You may have to have a look at her in LARGE to see the moss in her beak. As those who read my journal know, for several weeks the chickadees have been excavating the entryway of the wren house and I was certain that they would eventually move in - in fact, I was convinced of it yesterday when I saw one of them go in with a beak full of moss. Then, I saw the same chickadee take the next bundle of moss to the bluebird house ... hm... Last evening I had a peak in the bluebird house and saw that there was already at least an inch of moss on the bottom - definitely chickadees! Well, today, as I was out doing some work in the garden and on the patio, it was non-stop activity at the newer, larger bluebird house. Both parents were shuttling loads of moss for several hours with short breaks to eat.

I scoured the internet last night, reading everything I could find about chickadee nesting habits and how to best monitor the nest without disturbing the birds. Stayed up way later than I should, hunched over the ipad, trying to learn as much as possible. So my plan is to check the nest site only when I know that both parents are out foraging - until eggs are laid, this will most likely be in the afternoon. Once eggs are laid, the male will bring food to the female and she will only leave for very short periods - that would be the only time to check the nest. So, let's hope for the best!

Blipping early today because my hubby is due home from his week-long trip later this afternoon - YAY!!! Can't wait to have him home.

Thanks for sharing in my excitement about the eagle sighting yesterday. It's funny to feel so excited about eagles when I remember growing up in Alaska and seeing hundreds of them. Back then, it was all rather ho-hum to see an eagle. But, here in NJ it is still kind of a big deal and it really was thrilling. Bald eagles have made an excellent comeback here in northwestern NJ thanks to the preservation of woodlands and the abundance of lakes and streams. Hopefully someday they will be a more common sight. For now, they are still a heart-pounding thrill!

Have a great Thursday!

PS: Extreme Seymour finally worked out how to get peanuts out of the feeder