Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Click-click-click-click-click!

Found the mystery bluebird nest of last post, but not before days of watching Sir Blue work overtime chasing away squirrels. He and his girlfriend have settled in the little house on the pine trunk afterall.  I was dead wrong about their having borrowed the squirrel's nest.

She is sitting on eggs now and only comes out occasionally, looking bedraggled and small. Is it the stress of growing and laying eggs that has taken such toll on her formerly robust appearance? Sometimes she sits on the doorstep and looks out for long periods of time. Sometimes she flies to a cherry branch for a short spell away from the nest. Imagine how boring, her long ordeal. I wonder if our early summer temperatures (93F/34C degrees yesterday) will affect egg-hatching.  Seems like it might be good for eggs, but bad for mama. The box is in the shade most of the day, but it probably gets hot in there. I'd want some fresh air, too.


 No swing-side observations for awhile because the top of the swing is Sir Blue's post of choice this go-round.  Ever watchful, he sits long and alert on a variety of nearby perches, but most often on the swing.





 I've grown so fond of this little blue daddy for his noble vigilance, I call sweet words of encouragement to him from afar. Watching his valiant safeguarding of his progeny is Moe's and my newest evening entertainment from the deck. He wows us with his protective aeronautics. 

He begins each aggressive chase with a divebomb at the squirrel's head, then follows in hot pursuit after its bushy tail, till the fellow is run off.  His chasing flight is accompanied by a rapid clicking sound. I can't tell if it comes from his wings or beak or throat, but I'm thinking it's his wing feathers hitting against each other. However he clicks, it's an effective defense against squirrels four times his size. They don't stick around to argue, but they always come back.

 I don't think herbivorous squirrels pose much danger to a bluebird nest, unless they've buried nuts in there, but what Sir Blue doesn't understand is that the pinetree is one of their most direct and frequent routes to the playground in the canopy. It's going to be a long and arduous nesting round for Sir, however self-imposed.  

If the first day of divebombing was egg-laying day, and it takes two weeks to hatch, we should have new baby blues by the middle of next week, June 5th or 6th. dkm

8 comments:

Mike B. said...

Must be stressful!

Jane Robertson said...

Go the blues!!

34C - that is too hot for bird or human! When my hens get broody and sit on the eggs other hens have laid, and I reach in under to extract the (unfertilised) eggs before they cook, the temperature created by the feathery body is remarkable.

I have wondered before whether birds sitting on eggs might go into a sort of trance, to pass the time...

Brave Sir Blue looks so tiny perching on the swing. And your garden looks so cool and restful - belying the temperatures!

Pukeko G said...

It IS amazing the things we guys do to protect our "birds" ;=}}<

I thought the clicking or your title was your camera. Janes idea of a meditative trance whilst sitting is a good one .. I know a few people like that here at work .. but they not on eggs !

bibi said...

Debbie, you make me wonder what is going on in my backyard that I never take the time to notice. Thanks for recording your observations so that I may enjoy them, too!

dkm said...

Funny how the men responded to the stress of the male protector figure, and the women responded to the female's plight:-). And bibii, I'm sure your yard is just as happening. I had no idea what i was in for when I began this adventure. Nor did I know how much I would learn from it---not to mention enjoy it!

dkm said...

Here's to going into a meditative trance. . .

Patricia Lichen said...

Oh, Sir knows what he's doing! Squirrels will eat bird eggs if they get the chance (large ones even eat baby birds!)

Get 'im, Sir!

dkm said...

No kidding? I had no idea squirrels posed a real danger to anyone aside from the annoyance factor. Thanks for that info. I think Sir has effectively discouraged th squirrels away. Haven't seen them near that tree recently.