Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Eastern Phoebe

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 ...

Eastern Phoebe: Feeding Young is Hazardous Duty

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The mealworm feeders are a favorite among many of the bird families on the property.  The most-frequent visitors are the Eastern Bluebirds, Carolina Wrens, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Eastern Phoebes.  It's interesting, though, how these species differ in their feeding styles.  

The young Bluebirds in the picture are shown with their mouths agape; rather patiently begging for Momma Bluebird to stuff worms into their beaks.  At about two weeks post-fledge (after flying skills have improved), they have just begun to follow Dad and Mom to the feeder.  In no time, they'll be feeding themselves.

Juvenile Bluebirds with Momma

The Carolina Wren family will also show up, but the young will immediately find cover -- in a shrub, or under furniture.  The parents will shuttle worms to the hiding place.

I almost never see the Chickadee or Titmouse families gather at the feeder.  Don't know why.

The Phoebes are another story entirely.  Phoebes are "fly catchers".  They tend to perch on the fences around the property and, upon spotting a tasty-looking insect, dart out to capture it.  They are incredible acrobats!  When it comes to teaching young Phoebes to hunt, then, things like "patiently begging" and "hiding" are not virtues.

In the video you will see Dad Phoebe preparing to feed/train his 3 youngsters (Mom Phoebe is off tending to nest #3).  It's quite a circus.  Feeding young Phoebes is truly hazardous duty!