Baby Food

I wasn't going to do this today - wasn't going to post yet another bluebird photo...but I couldn't help myself.  This pair is being so diligent about feeding their five young, often bringing food into the box every five minutes.  The nestlings are just big enough now that when one of the parents enters the box, if you are sitting near enough, you can hear the excited little peeps.  A sound which makes you feel like all may yet be right with the world.  By the way, the rather impressive insect Mama has is some sort of Mayfly - not a species I've actually ever recorded in our yard, but obviously they are here somewhere.

In other nest box news, the second box of house wrens hatched today causing much excitement with Mama when I checked the box.  Suffice it to say I was being heavily supervised from a nearby tree branch.  Was able to get a poor phone shot showing at least six gaping mouths, so will assume that all 7 hatched.  That brings current nest box total on our property to 19 young insectivores being fed.  No, you really don't want to be an insect or spider right now.  Not that you really ever want to be one, but still...

I neglected to mention that Tom the Turkey has been hanging around again for the past week.  He was doing a lot of very loud gobbling for the first several days but seems to have settled down now.  He still makes a run for the woods when one of us steps outside, but sometimes if I'm sitting out, he'll slowly get closer.  Such a strange juxtaposition to see a bird that big with a tiny hummingbird zooming by.  

Had my annual physical today - it was very well done with each person waiting in their car until they could be safely escorted right into an exam room.  Good visit with my doc.  I am basically in very good health so there was nothing pressing to talk about.  I'll go for blood work either Friday or next week but don't expect anything out of the norm.

Three more pics on Flickr starting HERE (bluebird pair, both with prey; starling; chipmunk eating ...well, you'll just have to look and see).

Be safe, be kind, be loving.

xo
Debbi