Bluebird hatchlings, day 5

In the open space near the wild woods, a pair of Eastern Bluebirds settled in one of the nestboxes. They produced five eggs; four hatched on May 26. We have not seen the male adult since a few days before then. The female is doing her best to feed all four hatchlings with worms, moths, and dragonflies. We try to help by putting out mealworms.

nesting downy woodpeckers

The "woodpecker" tree, on the south edge of the wild woods, is home to a pair of downy woodpeckers and their young. No clue yet to the number of hatchlings inside, but both adults are busy each day carrying worms and bugs to them. These may be the same downies we saw all winter as we surveyed for FeederWatch http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw

along the woodland path

 

Jack in the Pulpit

A quiet meander through the wild woods will bring you to the area where Jack-in-the-Pulpit blooms silently in the dappled light.

nestbox in transition

The 7 Chickadee eggs hatched on time, 5/5. The adult female tried her best to feed them all. Although the very warm Spring must have encouraged her to start early, a week of cold nights and the mysterious absence of the adult male left her on her own. She hunted and fed her hatchlings; we helped with mealworms from the pet store. But none of the chicks survived.  Now, a pair of House Wrens admire the empty nestbox.

After they put in a few twigs, the Chickadee came back for one last peek.