BIRDIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A FINAL UPDATE. The nest is empty... =( [View all]

[calimary]

Last edited Fri May 1, 2015, 07:56 PM - Edit history (2)

Third year in a row!

I hear birdies!!!!! We have these little "tuxedo birds" in our area. I call 'em "tuxedo birds" because they have little black hoods, white tummies, and dark gray/black backs and wings. Tails are black and white, and they flick - I'm sure it's communication of some sort. Now I've learned they're called Black Phoebes. The cutest little things!

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/black-phoebe

Year before last, I spotted this little nest, mud and sticks, that suddenly appeared, tucked up in a quiet, dark corner by our front door. Soon enough I noticed lots more bird activity. I started leaving birdseed around in front. They seemed to love it. Then I noticed quite a bit of "swooping" starting to happen. Every time we'd open our door there'd be this SWOOP! Some little black object would SWOOP down from that upper corner and across the front to the nearest tree. I'd see it happen a lot during the day when I'd peek through the window and watch.

THEN! MAGIC! Spotted a couple of little heads with BIG open mouths, sticking up from within the nest. Over the days they got bigger and bolder, and louder. And either Mom or Dad would be yelling at them from one of the nearby trees - probably telling them to hunker down because there were those large beige featherless beings appearing again, a little too close by. Within a couple of weeks, they'd grown so big they couldn't all fit in the nest anymore, so you'd see tail feathers sticking out, somebody perched on the rim of the nest, somebody else's butt in the way, and some little heads all in a row, all looking outward and down at us.

Two years in a row I watched as the hatchlings grew to the point of being ready to leave the nest. I saw the last one leave, both years. Maiden flight out, always a little wobbly at first, but within moments they "got" it and were off to the races. Year before last we had three hatchlings. Last year there were FOUR! Michael, Matt, Josh, and Max (I named them after the band boys! LOL)! Spotted the first of them on April 30th. The last of them left home on Mother's Day.

This year! All the activity has returned. Swooping for the past two weeks. And yesterday evening, when I took the dog out for a walk before it got dark, we opened the front door and MAN! I heard it again! Little chirps and cheeps from down inside the next. It was quiet in the neighborhood and the traffic noise had died down for a little bit since rush hour was over. So you could hear it! THIRD YEAR IN A ROW!!!!

As soon as somebody sticks his/her little head up over the rim of the nest, I'll post some pictures! They're just AMAZING!!!! I am LOVING this! Just had to share!