ups and downs of bird watching

who knew there could be so many flip sides?  Usually I try to focus on the positive not the tragedies (like having five mountain bluebirds freeze to death because of a freak June snowstorm).  Yesterday was a little of both.  On the up side, one Bullocks oriole pair brought their newly fledged young to our yard for a tour of the facilities (i.e. birdbath and grape jelly feeder).  They were the cutest and noisiest juveniles we've had in the yard for a while. 

 

Here's "Mom" on the right with two of the "babies" to the left.  They kept up a persistent chattering when she would leave (in search of nourishment for them) and even more chattering ensued when she returned, probably about who would be the lucky recipient of a meal.  This time the "baby" on the right won out:

 

Not to worry, there's more where that came from!   It's always fun to see the young come to the garden with their parents, isn't it?  I hope these two migrate safely & return next May to build nests nearby and visit our yard again.  Meanwhile, we'll enjoy watching them learn the ropes until it's time to leave. 

Now to the "down" side and a question.  How can there be so many mourning doves when they build such precarious nests??  It's most perplexing to me.  Almost every year I have a pair (or two) construct a flimsy nest and almost every year, the eggs (and/or nest) fall to the ground and all is lost.  This year is no different (although one pair is having some success in the front yard so far).  It's the nest belonging to the pair who built in the back yard that hasn't faired so well.  Yesterday I saw it hanging by a twig & gently swaying in the breeze ~ not a good sign.  I went out to inspect and found both eggs on the ground and cracked.   So much for that.  Never one to let things be, I carefully picked up the eggs and nesting material and arranged them in a corner of my tiered container:

 

With the cracks hidden on the underneath side of the eggs, you can't even tell this isn't an "active" nest.  Darn it all.  Why can't they just be better "carpenters??" 

Comments

[keewee]

Kathleen, we too have had our ups and downs with the birds in our yard. A family of swallows built under our carport,only one of the four chicks survived, the robin family fared better, with all chicks surviving.

[Joy]

Kathleen .. that strange quirk with the Mourning Doves happens here too ... one year they put a nest in my neighbor's rain gutter that I could see out my kitchen window .. it was like waiting for a tragedy to happen .. and eventually it did but I think well before the eggs were mature .. I remember looking out that window trying to make my impression to the mom "get out of there for god sake !!!"
Loved your pictures !
My passion flower is well beyond the support .. I have to put it in the raised bed by the deck now .. good grief !

[Sweet Bay]

What beautiful bird photos!

To answer your question about Pickerelweed -- Pickerelweed can take a lot of shade and still bloom. Mine gets a half a day of sun, or dappled shade all day.

[tina]

Those birds are too cute. Great shot. It is odd about the mourning doves. Careless indeed.