In my last post, I presented the design of a “snake proof” Phoebe nesting platform. Several weeks later it was put to the test as the night crawler – rat snake – was on the prowl. Not to worry — no horrific images!
I had the nest cameras live view up on the screen while I was on a phone call. Suddenly, the 12-day-old Bluebird nestlings went into a frenzy — and I do mean a flapping frenzy! In spite of their frenzy, I saw no threat inside the nest box. When I logged into the exterior camera, however, I could see that the parents clearly identified a threat. I can only assume it was a Rat Snake on the prowl for dinner.
When a threat is observed, the parents fly, almost upright, in front of the nest box — flapping their wings violently — and, I assume, vocally sounding an alarm. My guess is the alarm translates to: “Get out now at ALL cost!” Unlike the docile nestlings I observed several years back, similarly warned, these nestlings reacted immediately.
As you will see in the video, 2 of the 5 nestlings actually “fledged”. Since they were only 12 days old (vs the normal fledging age of 18 days), they couldn’t fly. The best they could do is jump out of the hole and fall to the ground. (Obviously, the parents had no way of knowing the baffle on the birdhouse pole would prevent the snake from accessing the house.) I won’t know the “falling nestlings” fate for at least a few more weeks. Even then, I won’t be certain. It’s a matter of counting how many juvenile bluebirds show up at the feeders together.
Four days after the attack, the remaining 3 nestlings are faring well in the birdhouse. Hopefully they will endure the extreme heat we’ve been having here in Georgia for a couple more days — then fledge strong.
Meanwhile, over at the Phoebe platform — some 9 hours after the attack on the Bluebird nest — I was once again watching the cameras live. About 2′ under the Phoebe nest, I saw a snake climbing the brick wall (at that point, about 12′ above ground level). My heart was pounding as I watched the live feed. Would the “snake proof” platform design stand the test over time? The answer? I can’t say for sure. Watch the video. Judge for yourself.
