I know, I disappeared again. Things got a little nutty the first of the year and out of self preservation and a desperate need for change, I applied for and was offered a new job, doing basically what I do now, for the same employer but under a different area. Did you follow me? I get to spend the next three weeks locked up in training for the new position and by the time I'm done will most likely be more like a caged animal!
Anyway, I've been buckled down with those details as well as with the secretarial work needed for the little league, finishing up indoor soccer, preparing for outdoor soccer and the boy made a Major's team for baseball too. Phew! I'm lucky if I've had time to breathe. Obviously, my own extra curricular activities - photography, blogging, jewelry making - have suffered in the wake. Time for that to change.
Much like my own 'restart', my backyard is also full of new beginnings. A pair of Bluebirds showed up weeks ago and started to take a shining to the nest box nearest the road and started chasing off everyone that came near it (including the poor Phoebe who was using it for bug gleaning!). In checking the box, they hadn't started making a nest but man - they didn't want anyone else in there either.
I checked a newly placed box, the blueberry bush box (clever, eh?) and found a half-built nest in there. Where the heck did that come from? So I watch the sneaky bluebird pair a little closer. Sure enough, although Mrs. B was guarding the roadside box, Mr. B was tiding up the blueberry box nest. While Mr. B was guarding the roadside box, Mrs. B was hauling in more nesting material to the box across the way.
Those sneaky lil' buggers.
This morning, Mr. & Mrs. B viciously defended the box that they are NOT using all morning from the chickadees, the tree swallows, the pine warblers and again - the poor phoebe. I'm not sure if they just want the entire neighborhood to themselves or perhaps they are saving it for their good friends, Mr. & Mrs. B the 2nd, to finish making the trip north? There is still yet a third box, the East Juniper nestbox, that they seemed to be pushing the tree swallows to - but in the end they started to defend that one too.
I just hope that I get a nest in all three boxes this year - all with a fresh start and a breath of new life in all.
Anyway, I've been buckled down with those details as well as with the secretarial work needed for the little league, finishing up indoor soccer, preparing for outdoor soccer and the boy made a Major's team for baseball too. Phew! I'm lucky if I've had time to breathe. Obviously, my own extra curricular activities - photography, blogging, jewelry making - have suffered in the wake. Time for that to change.
Much like my own 'restart', my backyard is also full of new beginnings. A pair of Bluebirds showed up weeks ago and started to take a shining to the nest box nearest the road and started chasing off everyone that came near it (including the poor Phoebe who was using it for bug gleaning!). In checking the box, they hadn't started making a nest but man - they didn't want anyone else in there either.
I checked a newly placed box, the blueberry bush box (clever, eh?) and found a half-built nest in there. Where the heck did that come from? So I watch the sneaky bluebird pair a little closer. Sure enough, although Mrs. B was guarding the roadside box, Mr. B was tiding up the blueberry box nest. While Mr. B was guarding the roadside box, Mrs. B was hauling in more nesting material to the box across the way.
Those sneaky lil' buggers.
This morning, Mr. & Mrs. B viciously defended the box that they are NOT using all morning from the chickadees, the tree swallows, the pine warblers and again - the poor phoebe. I'm not sure if they just want the entire neighborhood to themselves or perhaps they are saving it for their good friends, Mr. & Mrs. B the 2nd, to finish making the trip north? There is still yet a third box, the East Juniper nestbox, that they seemed to be pushing the tree swallows to - but in the end they started to defend that one too.
I just hope that I get a nest in all three boxes this year - all with a fresh start and a breath of new life in all.
Cat's outta the bag - they fooled me and were building in the Blueberry Nest Box!
Pulling in nest material
The evil Tree Swallows come in for a looksie of the East Juniper box
Mrs. B holds her ground on the East Roadside box they aren't using...
Mr. B jumps in and a fight ensues!
"I told you I don't want your white trash around here!"
Kapow! Blamm!
Bap! Biff!
Now get out!
Perching on their 'actual' home
"Phew! It's hard work keeping the riff-raff out of the neighborhood!"
Hey Ney...nice to see you back....you wasn't kidding about the action going on in the yard ...looks like the spring show has begun in earnest...
ReplyDeleteGot some good picture of the action ...I have never seen them fight like that before!! WOW
Like your header..and of course why wouldn't I!! ; }
Grace aka Mom!!
The big fight went down right after I got off the phone with you! They were so noisy it was incredible, like a cat fight! I was amazed - things have calmed down since. I was just having a conversation with Mr. B in the back yard, he says he's a little sore but he'll be ok. ;) And to top it off I checked the boxes today - there are feathers lining the bottom of the box the B's are defending. Hmmm - methinks it's going to be an interesting spring......
ReplyDeleteSo you have a new job doing the same things for the same company. LOL! Congrats . . . I think! Great photos!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post and the photos are wonderful. I am so happy to see the blue birds won. Time for the tree swallows to find a new home. I love bluebirds, glad I found your blog.
ReplyDeleteHey RO - I'll fill you in off post, it's been crazy!
ReplyDeleteWelcome aboard Eileen, you'll have to check out some posts from previous years, I've kept track of the bluebirds yearly with pics n' stuff. The babies are precious! :) Come on back anytime.