Wednesday Wings - Nest Tour

Our property is divided into two sections by a creek. The two acres between the creek and road hold the house and pond. It is mostly mowed.

The three acres on the back of the property grows mostly wild. We do mow paths so we can walk and enjoy nature. There are two nest boxes along the west path and two nest boxes along the east path.

Out in the weeds is an old rusty satellite dish, the big kind. It has a shelf on the back perfect for a robin's nest.


Mrs. Robin is laying an egg a day.

If she's "average", she'll lay the fourth and last egg today. The eggs will hatch the first half of the first week of June.


Walking out to the first next box on the west, I notice it's being aggressively guarded by a male Tree Swallow.


Inside are five eggs.

The Tree Swallows win the award for the most beautiful, cosy nest. They only use the whitest of feathers, arranging them so they curl up and over to protect the eggs and later the hatchlings.

Mrs. Swallow completed her laying on May 17. Estimated hatch date is May 31.


Moving on down the west path, I notice a House Wren on what we've come to call the "Bluebird Box" because it's held multiple Bluebird families for the past five years.


Time to rename the nest box. It now contains seven little light brown Wren eggs.

Mrs. Wren plopped out egg seven on May 17. The hatchlings are due May 30.


Looping around to the east path, I open the box we've named the "Wren House" after the Wren family that's used it the past several years.

This doesn't look like a Wren nest. It looks like a Bluebird nest. Especially since it contains four blue eggs. Guess we'll have to rename this nest box too.

Most of my Bluebird nests end up with five eggs, so I'm assuming the last egg will be laid today. The hatch date will be two weeks from the final egg - June 4.


Maybe the Bluebird family switched sides because their new box is closer to the water?

Mr. Bluebird took a clue from the Phoebes. Sitting on the fencepost next to the pond provides great insect gathering.


Truth in blogging statement: The bird pictures were taken at various times over the past three days as birds permitted. The egg pictures were all taken yesterday evening after learning it was going to be cold today. I don't open nest boxes when it's cold.