Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Bluebird

Territory Dispute: Bluebirds vs Downy

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A bird pair may have the perfect bond, but there are a LOT of birds out there competing for nesting sites.  I am confident that, no matter how many bird houses and platforms I installed, there would be disagreements as to who gets a given location.

I remember when a Chickadee built a beautiful, soft moss base for her nest.  A Bluebird pair came along and stole it from her -- adding a bit of grass on top.  (The Chickadee started over in another house -- the same house she has used 3 years running.)

In this post, the Bluebirds take on the Downy Woodpecker

Believe it or not, territory disputes begin as early as December. Two woodpecker species (Downy and Northern Flicker) have spent winter nights inside the bird houses here -- a practice called "roosting".  All goes well until someone else decides to move in for nesting purposes.

In this feature, the Bluebirds started checking out the Downy’s roost in December.  By January, the Bluebirds were “playing around” in the house -- and the Downey took up Chamber Maid duty.  

Whispering Sweetness Into His Ear

Bluebird Pair: She Whispers Sweet Nothings

Downy as Chamber Maid

Downy Removes Nasty Bedding

By early February, the Bluebirds took ownership of the house – chasing the Downy away.  The Downy goes back to sleeping in trees.  The Bluebirds have a house.

Bird Parenting: House Hunting Through Empty Nester

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The Feathers will be relatively quiet now until spring.  My personal view is this:  Every bird parent on the planet deserves a break!!  Little did I know six years ago, when I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Chickadee and a Titmouse, all that goes into successfully carrying-on a species.  I am in awe of creation – all the tiny details that do work together.

It All Begins With a Bond Between a Male and a Female

There are so many wonderful things to say about the bond between male and female birds.  From courtship, through teaching the youngsters how to thrive independently, it is a partnership.  (At least this is true for the Bluebirds, Phoebes, Wrens, Titmice and Chickadees who nest in "on camera" on this property.)

In the courtship phase, you will often see the male bring food to the female.  I remember watching a female Bluebird land on a new feeder I had filled with live mealworms.  The feeder rocked when she landed on it.  It scared her, so she flew to the nearby fence -- wormless.  The male immediately went to the feeder, grabbed some worms, and flew over to feed them to his partner.

In the video you will see this bond play out through a nesting cycle.  Think of it as what you might find in a book about human parenting -- the basics.  The pair finds a place to build a nest, builds the nest (5-10 days), lays eggs (5-7 days), incubates the eggs (~14 days), nurtures the young until fledging time (~18 days), and then shepherds them into adulthood (~2 weeks).  In total -- 8 weeks, give or take.  Seems simple enough.

Ahhh ... but ... What the Books Don't Tell Us

The books neglect to tell us about the certainty of outside factors wreaking havoc on our cozy little nest.  Over the coming weeks, I will share with you my own experience of the havoc-wreaking factors experienced by the bird residents at The Retreat.  There is quite a bit of humor in their reality -- maybe not to them, but certainly for us.

Until then, enjoy the peacefulness of the basics ...