Bluebirds fly! In Leisure World
MEMBER COLUMN
Story and Photos by
Donna Gambol LW contributor
Birds glorious birds, they sing, they fly, they swoop, they inspire the imagination. Most everyone in Leisure World has seen the magnificent egret that swoops down and carefully struts its way through our garden areas.
And we’ve all heard the mournful cooing of the mourning dove, some have even nested on residents’ patios. Near me a nesting box annually attracts a family of phoebes, who return year after year and cause quite a riot when they fledge their young.
The couple that pleases me most, however, is a pair of western bluebirds who raised a brood of four last year, and this year a brood of five, in a nesting box that is connected to an arbor in my front garden space.
Both the male and female inspect the site for a nest, but the female does most of the construction.
It takes about two weeks for construction, placing bits of twigs, grasses, plastic wrap, and even feathers to make a cozy little mattress. And then when everything is to her satisfaction, she begins laying her eggs—just one egg a day.
When the laying cycle is complete, she begins the incubation period (about 13 days), so that all the little peeps emerge at roughly the same time. The female then eats the spent egg shell, restoring calcium to her system.
And now it’s Papa’s turn to shine. He provides her with some meals during incubation, but now there are more mouths to feed, so he is busy searching sources of larvae, bugs, moths, caterpillars, seeds, snails and other tasty bits. She takes a break from all that mothering, sits in guard watching the nest while Papa goes hunting.
When not sourcing food, Papa is actively protecting the nest from any would-be predators. He scolds the phoebes and other song birds that get too inquisitive and dive bombs the squirrel who might be stalking the area. He’s ever on guard, going after crows that infiltrate the territory and monitoring the activities of any humans who are walking by.
The little peeps are born naked, just a wisp of feathery dew and then in the next few days the little ones begin to grow their feathers. During the first week, the mother sleeps with her brood, but as the days pass and they get bigger, open their eyes and develop some real feathers, she leaves the nest, perching on the lamp post nearby to continue monitoring.
About day 17 and 18 passersby may occasionally see a little head peeking out, and then on day 19, the little ones fledge; three the first day and two the second.
They quickly fly to the cover of the nearby tree. Papa and Mama begin flight lessons in earnest, teaching balance, cover and how to forage for food. This will go on for several weeks, and should Mama decide to have a second brood the little ones will be expected to assist with feeding their younger siblings.
It has been great fun to monitor their progress. Folks inquire how I go about getting these snaps? I talk to the Mama every day and then quite within her view slide my iPhone into the slot at the top of the nesting box.
Will she have a second brood this summer? Perhaps.
I witnessed both Mama and Papa at the box this morning, peeking in to see if it was ready. Generally speaking they will not reuse the old nest. So I opened it up and removed the “spent” nest.
She may quickly rebuild. The second of the season generally only takes a week and then the process begins anew….I’ll let you know if that happens.
Baby birds get their first downy feathers.
By July 10, it's time to fly.
Papa bluebird vigilantly guards the nest.
Eyes and mouths are open by July 1.
