POSTSCRIPTS – My Babies Flew Away

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tweet By Margaret Partee In the late spring I noticed that a bird had built a nest atop the smoke alarm that is inside my carport. It was very similar to one I had seen in previous years stuck to the top of a security light under the eaves at the back of my house. Soon it was apparent that a bird was on the nest because every time I opened the back door, a streak flew up into a nearby tree! About the same time I was watering a newly planted hanging basket on my front deck when an eruption from the basket scared me half to death! I peered carefully into the foliage of the red begonias and ivy to see a beautifully constructed nest with four adorable little brown speckled eggs in it. I carefully watered the plants around the nest and retreated. As I watched from my window a Carolina Wren returned to her home to keep her eggs warm! They usually nest in the bird bottle I described in an earlier column, but not this year!    By Margaret Partee In the late spring I noticed that a bird had built a nest atop the smoke alarm that is inside my carport. It was very similar to one I had seen in previous years stuck to the top of a security light under the eaves at the back of my house. Soon it was apparent that a bird was on the nest because every time I opened the back door, a streak flew up into a nearby tree! About the same time I was watering a newly planted hanging basket on my front deck when an eruption from the basket scared me half to death! I peered carefully into the foliage of the red begonias and ivy to see a beautifully constructed nest with four adorable little brown speckled eggs in it. I carefully watered the plants around the nest and retreated. As I watched from my window a Carolina Wren returned to her home to keep her eggs warm! They usually nest in the bird bottle I described in an earlier column, but not this year!    As time progressed I continued to carefully water around the nest. Every time I started the Wren would dash to the nearest tree where it would fuss loudly at me until I left. I was very careful not to directly water the nest but I wanted to keep my plants alive. In the carport I kept trying to determine what kind of bird I had out there. I could not see into this nest and had to rely on what the adult bird looked like. It was so fast in departing and hiding however it took me a long time to even see it. In fact, before I did tiny babies had appeared at the edge of the nest. They were dark with a bit of white below their heads. I took a photo and sent it to our resident bird guru, Ray Pope, but before he had time to respond, I finally had the opportunity to examine the adult bird.  It was perched in a tree so I used my binoculars and studied it carefully. Then I went to both my bird guide and my bird nest guide. I finally decided it was an Eastern Phoebe and when I heard from Ray he confirmed my identification. The guide says their nests are often “plastered to shelflike projections” and that fit as did the dark gray body and white breast. Ray said the telltale clue is that when they chirp “fee bee fee bee” their tails flip up and down. Bingo. We had it nailed. So the little Phoebes, four or five of them, were becoming braver and perching on the top edge of the nest. They hopped up higher and higher until I decided they were getting ready to leave. Bird babies don’t hang around nearly as long as human ones do. I took several photos and by the 9th of July they had departed. I feel sure they will be back next year since I have had them around now for a number of years. And the guide said they sometimes have two broods a season. On the front deck, mom and dad Wren were extremely busy flying back and forth with tasty tidbits for their little brood of four. I had continued to peek in cautiously as the adults fussed loudly at me and I saw all those little mouths and eyes. Then on Sunday, July 11, I watered early in the morning and noticed the babies just outside the edge of the begonias. I grabbed my camera and took several adorable photos of them and it seemed not to bother anyone. I didn’t even get fussed at.  I watched for some time as I felt they too were leaving the nest. There is a nearby table and one flew to it and hopped around a bit, trying out his little wings. They look exactly like the adults just tinier. Then another flew out but missed the table. It landed on the deck next to the wall and facing the wall. He would hop toward the wall and bump against it. I kept telling him to turn around!!  After three or four tries he did turn and made it up to the table.  It wasn’t long until all four of them were gone and I had watched the entire process!  Maybe mom and dad were more trusting of me by then. I knew they were really not fearful of humans from previous experience. I hope they too will return and furnish me with more good bird entertainment. But for now – my babies have flown away!