Today when I took out the trash, I noticed a bird fly out of the nearby bushes.
The bird made a real ruckus and landed on the nearby rocks and leaves in the forrested strip between our house and the neighbor's. The bird made so much noise in the dried leaves and by chirping loudly that I was surprised it wasn't simply flying away. Then I realized what kind of birds make that much ruckus: mama birds!I turned to the bushes and found a nest with two tiny baby birds in them. One bird was nearly sitting atop the other. Their little eyes stared at me and they didn't make one single peep. I knew they were alive because their eyelids blinked every so often. The photos are very difficult to make out.
I tried to photograph the mama bird, but each time I aimed my camera, she flew away another ten feet. She kept doing that until I realized that she was purposefully drawing me away from her babies. A good mama!
From consulting my birding books, I think these might be rufous-sided towhees, although the nesting description doesn't sound right because this nest was in a bush, not on the ground.
What's Cookin'? Banana bread to send with Chris to the office.
wow!! so neat. Isn't it funny how bushes are so in this season?? Maybe they have been like that all along right under our noses and we never knew. !? glad for you!
ReplyDeletei think our birds are dead. I am hoping they just flew away, but it looked like their nest got knocked over. we do have a lot of cats on the property. however, i couldn't find any evidence of bird remains anywhere so i am hopeful. :-(
ReplyDeleteOh no, Sarah! I know you didn't find any baby bird remains, but I don't think birds that young can fly, sooo . . . What did you tell the kids?
ReplyDeleteI told the girls when I first saw the birds gone, that I hoped that the birds had flown away. Later when I moved the car, I saw that the cat had taken them under my car to eat them and I knew for sure their fate. I did not tell the kids though. Dave and I are sad about it.
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