Five Beaks

[Norm Dulak]

For a number of years our garage/barn has been visited by a pair of Carolina wrens. Last year, they selected some boat cushions on a hook in the garage part as a place to build a nest. And from that nest they successfully fledged some beautiful chicks. This year, the barn was an object of the wrens' affection. Their new nest was built on a shelf in the barn, between a box of tiles and a rope hammock chair.

The parents had 24/7 access to their nest through open upper doors of two horse stalls (without horses), even though we closed the main barn door to keep out other critters each evening. So it was a cool setup, where insects could be freely delivered to the open beaks of 5 beautiful Carolina wren chicks. You can see them here in my attachment.

One day after this image was captured, the chicks fledged. Some were led out of the barn to nearby woods by the parents. Other chicks, not quite ready for that, remained perched on other shelves in the barn, where they continued to be fed by the parents. But soon they too joined their siblings.

Today I heard the parents singing in the trees, and the chicks responding. Pretty neat!

Norm

[John Chardine]

Very neat indeed Norm. It is so satisfying to see productivity like this and to know you had a little bit to do with it! I am impressed by how advanced you are compared to us. OK we are in New Brunswick, but after an early spring things have really slowed down and the birds are only trickling in on migration. Still below 0°C at night and no leaves on trees.

[Norm Dulak]

Very neat indeed Norm. It is so satisfying to see productivity like this and to know you had a little bit to do with it! I am impressed by how advanced you are compared to us. OK we are in New Brunswick, but after an early spring things have really slowed down and the birds are only trickling in on migration. Still below 0°C at night and no leaves on trees.

You're right John, things are progressing rapidly here. Last week a clutch of 5 bluebirds fledged from one of our nesting boxes. Today, after an adult bluebird left another box, I looked in to see how another clutch of 5 chicks we have been observing were doing. They are huge, and I suspect that they may fledge today. And tree swallows and bluebirds are building nests in other bluebird boxes.

Finally, last night I saw our first ruby-throated hummingbird of the season. It flew into a holly tree by our kitchen window, and then to one of two feeders we have out. This morning a ruby-throat was dining by a poolside feeder.

[Daniel Cadieux]

They look quite grumpy all jammed together like that. Neat, thanks for sharing!!