A Useful Neighbour

From the vantage of my living room couch, I have a perfect view of bird box No. 5.

A Tree Swallow calling dibs on box number Five.

 

Last summer, House Wrens raised a brood in this box. In late winter of this year, a pair of chickadees showed mild interest in it but then found somewhere better. Then a pair of White Breasted Nuthatches considered the box but decided it wasn't quite suitable. Really, they are spoiled for choice here as there are tree cavities aplenty!

Tree swallows currently occupy most of my 26 bird boxes and one couple decided to nest in No. 5. Unfortunately, a House Wren started to stuff it with twigs as part of his multi-nest/multi mate routine. House Wrens are very cute but are also little hoodlums. Aside from building nests on top of other species' nests, house wrens will peck holes in the eggs of the original owners and even kill defenders.

So I put up a smaller, decoy box to divert the wren's attention. He quickly started filling the new box with twigs as well. But here's the interesting part -- whenever he attempted to enter Box No. 5 which the swallows were using, a male Song Sparrow would drive him away! I'd never seen such a thing before. The Song Sparrow seemed to be acting as a sort of policeman or very keen member of neighbourhood watch. The sparrow himself had no interest in the box as they are not cavity nesters. Perhaps since Song Sparrows are plagued by cow birds, witnessing a home invasion strikes a nerve. At any rate, it was the first time I noticed this behaviour. It now seems the wren has given up his bid to annex Box No. 5 and is sticking with the smaller decoy box (plus three other boxes which I know of). The Song Sparrow was indeed a very useful neighbour to the swallows.

I added the smaller box on the left to divert the wren's attention.

Tree Swallows -- handsome aerialists and mosquito eaters!

The male House Wren. So cute, but also a scoundrel.

Wrennie Boy with a twig. Tree swallow in background.

My Song Sparrow is a sweet singer and also (surprise) a security guard.

 

As I was browsing through YouTube videos this afternoon, I saw a recent case of another Song Sparrow acting as security guard -- this time on behalf of chickadees. (Little hero appears in the following video at the 2:34 minute point) So it seems that all Song Sparrows have a tendency to protect their neighbour's property. A knight in streaky feathers!  

 

 

More of my fluttery neighbours:

Fluffed and committed to nesting in Box Number Two.

A handsome guy talks to his mate in Box Number Four.

The same House Wren stuffing yet another box!

A Baltimore Oriole at the grape jelly station.

A hummer saying "Wait your turn!" to someone.

 

I'm lucky to have a good population of Tree Swallows but I'm also happy to have a pair of Barn Swallows close by. In fact, they've built a mud nest inside my garage. Both the male and the female construct the nest. When they take rest breaks, they converse with each other in an exhuberant, burbly language. If Ellie Mae walks by, they switch to scoldy words. She is no threat to them really, but they are not cat people!

Halfway through their mud and grass construction.

Working closely together, they gather grass clippings.

My clothesline is a favourite perch and sound stage.

Try, try again!

Last week I noticed a pair of Eastern Bluebirds claiming a different nesting box in my garden. So I thought, "Why are the resident bluebirds not complaining? Are these the same pair that were nesting in a nearby box?" When I looked in their first site, I discovered that something had taken all of their eggs.

They are now gamely having another go at raising a brood in a box close to the predated one. The female quickly filled their new house with nesting material and has now produced her first egg there. I have to admire their determination and hope it will be second time (or perhaps even third time) lucky for them. To help thwart nest raiders, the North American Bluebird Society recommends mounting nesting boxes on zinc-plated electrical conduit pipe. Then, greasing the pole with a non-drying automotive grease or carnuba wax. Also, the boxes shouldn't be within jumpable distance from trees. Next year, I'll have the upgrades in place!

Sadly, something has taken all the eggs from her previous nest box.

Moving on, she tries her luck with a box more in the open.

Cat roomy, Ellie Mae, is in day three of a 'lock down'. It's got nothing to do with COVID-19 and everything to do with the young barn swallows who are starting to fledge from their mud nest in our garage. The first day of her imprisonment, Ellie thought that perhaps I couldn't hear her meows so she raised the volume and number of demands to be let outside. A noisy house, I can tell you! The second day, she relaxed more and this morning only gave a token request and soon gave up. In a few days when the young birds have safely flown away, she'll be allowed to resume her outdoor adventures. We all have to make adjustments to our lives at one time or another -- even pampered cats.

The sixth Barn Swallow baby is out of sight in the back row.

Perched on a deck stool, this youngster was the first to leave the nest.

Staring at the door knob and meowing no longer summons the door lady.

Ellie Mae knows there is a young barn swallow on the deck's foot stool.

A Gray Catbird youngster awaits food deliveries from the rim of my old bird bath.

Bunnies, bunnies! Everywhere are bunnies! They do love their dandelion leaves.

Despite our prolonged drought, wildflowers reliably continue to bloom.

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

-- mosquitoes, that is. These days the little buggers here are unbearable without a good repellent. But my choice of mosquito discouragement does not come from a pharmacy. It resides among my beekeeping equipment. The smoker works just dandy for chasing away biting insects. Back in the good old days, when we harvested firewood from our woodlot, dad always started a small fire to 'smudge away the mosquitoes'. Worked beautifully! When the chainsaw was started, it seemed to produce just enough smoke to keep the operator protected as well. I like to pass my hat and gloves through the smoke. The fuel I burn is wood shavings (the same bedding preferred by pampered ponies) and I must say it is not unpleasant. Fondly reminds me of campfires and fishing trips.

My trusty old smoker reliably deters mosquito attacks.

The 'off switch' is simply a few blades of grass stuffed into the spout.

For shorter term weeding/watering chores, the veil is the thing.

My jam feeder continues to be a hit with the sweet-toothed set. If I don't refill it quickly enough, a female Baltimore Oriole peers into my kitchen window as if to say, "Hey, where is my waitress?"

The alarm calls of this Gray Catbird sound much like a distressed young kitten.

Honey bees hover as a Baltimore Oriole takes a hearty helping of jam.

The abdomen of this honey bee is looking stretched pretty full.

Barn swallows were declined in recent years but I'm happy to see that last year and this year they are again constructing their mud nests. There is a pair nesting in the barn and a pair starting a nest on a rafter of my garage. They add mud and then let it dry for a bit before adding another layer. When they take little breaks from nesting and hunting mosquitoes (yay-y-y for Barn Swallows) they like to perch on my clothesline and burble sweet conversations with each other. In flight, they are acrobatic marvels! I absolutely love them!

A Barn Swallow's nest under construction in my garage.

Perched on my clothesline, a Barn Swallow burbles a message to it's mate.

Please, pretty please Ellie May, do not harm my bird friends!

More Flutter

Summer has arrived and the backyard birds are busy raising their new families. All this hectic fluttering about brings many customers to the bathing/drinking facilities.

A goldfinch waits for the cedar waxwings to finish bathing.

A female redwing blackbird points her sharp beak at an unconcerned robin.

A grackle's turn to soak.

As in many previous years, barn swallows have built their mud nest on a small ledge in our open-ended garage. Such a pleasure to watch their 'top gun' style hunting on the wing. When not busy with child feeding duties, the couples converse with long and musical twitterings.

Four fuzzy barn swallow chicks.

Arriving parents produce a quartet of begging.

The female delivering a meal.

The male has darker colours.