Showing posts with label hatchlings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hatchlings. Show all posts

Saturday, July 24, 2010

empty nest syndrome

ABOUT  the wren nest...in the spider plant...on our front porch. remember, there were 4 eggs...they hatched...i posted pictures in a previous post.
well, in case you've been wondering how they're doing...i hate to be the bearer of bad news...
but one by one the babies have disappeared. NO, they didn't fly away...
they were just starting to get feathers!

i THINK the culprit...was milo...
our cat.

every day i saw her getting a little too close for comfort...to the nest...and i had to whoosh her away!
i think her curiosity...her cat instincts became overpowering.
i'm not totally blaming her, because i didn't catch her in the act. BUT it wouldn't be the first time she went after animals smaller than her. she's left us little gifts before...squirrels, baby rabbit, lizards, moles.
and i tend to think that if it was a snake...it wouldn't have left the nest, until all  the birds had been devoured! but they disappeared one at a time...for four days in a row... 

now we're left with an empty nest. and i feel the loss every time i walk by the potted spider plant and feel the urge to peek inside.  = (

oh well...so is life...in the big world...in nature...


Wednesday, July 14, 2010

nesting wren & hatchlings...

another day with my massage appointments not til later in the afternoon...so while i'm listening to a john sandford audiobook (broken prey) and making a pot of spaghetti sauce...i thought i'd post a few pictures of the little wren...(OUR wren is camera shy! i copied this wren pic from online)
mom & dad wren made a nest in the spider plant on the front porch, on 6.26.2010.
Day 1...one egg
Day 2...two eggs
Day 3...three eggs
Day 4...four little spotted eggs
and finally...we noticed the little featherless hatchlings on 7.12.2010
wow!!  what a shot, huh??!!  i've been trying to get a pic of the mom bird sitting on her eggs...but everytime i get close enough...she takes off!!  it also seems as though both mom and dad bird take care of the babies as they've been taking turns sitting on the eggs. and the whole time...they're both constantly gathering more nesting material. now we're just hoping that a snake doesn't find them, which is what happened 2 yrs ago. same spider plant...same wren (well, maybe not the SAME wren...but a wren all the same...)...made a nest... and when the babies hatched...we actually got a pic of the yellow rat just after eating them! ugh!
don't look at the following picture if you're easily grossed out!


anyway...mother nature at work...will keep you posted on hatchlings progress!
now i have to get ready for work...seeya!

the following picture was added LATER....the baby birds are starting to get feathers 
and their eyes are open!!
three of the four are obviously ready for mom!! FEED ME!!