Social Season

There are now two nests attached to the house.  

 Here is Number 1 on the lights by the front door.

There is always a nest here every summer.

 It is an Eastern Phoebe nest and I was intrigued to see her choice of building material.  Looks like moss on the outside.
I stood on a stool and held my camera above and took a very quick shot.  I had waited for her to leave and had noted she is making very quick darting trips away from the nest and I didn't want to disturb her.

So delighted when I had a chance to look at the photo and see no less than five eggs laid.  She is a smallish bird with a distinctive upright carriage sitting in a tree.  Of course her song is most notable because she repeats her name over and over.  I wonder what the bits of blue are in the nest. What a clever way to coat the outside of the nest with the moss giving it a very interesting textured look.  I wonder how does she do that.
 This door is seldom used so she won't be bothered much.

This is the view of the light with her nest from the living room side window. I watch her making her frequent trips grabbing flying insects.  Daughter gave me this lovely wooden hanging of a bird...I wonder why.
You can hear the Phoebe Call Its Name Here.

Here's the robin's nest on the light by the back patio door.  Always a nest here too.
And sitting in it...

Four of the prettiest coloured eggs you could find.  Unlike the silent Phoebe, Mother Robin is quite stident; she flies out of her nest with a squawk each time I open the door to let the dogs out.  I want to say to her well if you don't like the noise, you shouldn't have built right beside a door.

In the backyard fir tree...this sparrow's nest located very low down and completely covered by the branches.  Hubby lifted the branch so I could snap a picture real quick and I didn't know the momma would be sitting there. Didn't seem to bother her though; she stayed put.   There are always sparrows' nests in that tree.  Several days later the eggs hatched and again I got a very quick shot.

I think there are four babies and I won't be looking again.  I am always afraid of startling the little fledglings out of the nest before they are really ready.

And under the feeder all week this little trio.  It is a male bronze headed cowbird with two females.  I'm not sure what is going on there but they have been together for awhile.  I want to tell them they can actually visit the feeder itself; they don't have to use the ground plate.  Anyway, I wish I could have gotten a better photo; the females are beautiful soft shades of creamy brown with the very distinctive lighter head colouring.  Designed for disguise, of course.

It is the birding high season, that's for sure.