Month: April 2011

The nuthatches failed. They were evicted by chickadees. I was heartbroken when it happened, but I didn’t feel right intervening. Instead, opening up some new real estate – hanging a couple of additional nest boxes – seemed like a better idea.

Here is one of the new ones that went up in case the nuthatches were still around. Check out the highlights:

• Spacious 8 in2
• Vaulted Ceilings
• Hardwood Throughout
• Green Space
• Feeder Access

It really does have some quality attributes, now let’s hope we get some takers.

The back yard is coming to life again. I have missed the sun and the warm days of spring and summer. I love seeing the new plants come up and begin to leaf out.

Here is a little nuthatch who, along with his or her mate, has claimed a small nest cavity hanging from our front porch.

This box has been used by chickadees before, but never nuthatches.

I don’t know if it means anything, but this guy is a bit ragged. You can see a little bit of a cowlick at the back of his head, and if you look closely, some of his feathers are a bit out of place. I’ve seen nesting birds show signs of fatigue and maybe bad hygiene, but it’s generally after the nestlings have hatched and it is time to feed them all day long to the point of exhaustion.

Fortunately, there is abundant food nearby, but I am hopeful that he hasn’t picked up anything that will put him at risk when he’s needed most.

This is Noam probing for a treat. He is pretty comfortable with humans. I am always amused by his excited reaction when he gets a little snack.

He and his brother Steve both respond really strangely when they find socks and band-aids on their human friends. They don’t like these things for some reason and they try to remove them.

This one is a yellow-rumped warbler. There is a Townsend’s warbler just to his right. The Townsend’s is the more brightly colored bird, but this one is aggressive and has the run of the place.