A little while ago, i noticed a small bird flying up to the door sill going out onto my deck. I remarked upon it, but otherwise took little notice.
Well yesterday, when i stepped out in the morning to check the weather, this bird was inbound and, spotting me, bore towards me in flight carrying worms in her mouth. When i failed to flee, she abated and repaired to the tree of the north end of the deck.
Immediately I realized that this bird, which had for some days been alighting above my door, had the while been nesting and was now returning with food for her young hatchling. Indeed, while I stood at the south end of the deck and watched, a mere chick cried out, head just breaching the top of the nest, while his mother perched not five feet away, watching me instead to determine my intentions.
Seeing now this intruder upon her home, she left off her errand, instead crossing the porch to fly at me, only to turn and land on a step at ground level below. After a few more feints, hoping to scare me off, she returned to the tree still holding the worms. As i failed to relent, simply standing at the far end of the deck, she made a dash for the nest, dropping the serving straight down the chick's throat.
While i snuck back inside to retrieve my camera, she made another foray. I returned camera in hand and waited for her to come with more worms. What a racket the child made, in a rougher and more shrill cry than his family generally makes in song.
Perhaps my naturalist readers can educate me as to the manner of bird nesting here. I could only observe this summer ritual and record what i could with my amateur tools. The bird is brown-coated with a orange belly and yellow beak. They're very common in this area and are the size of a child's fist. I own i took more pictures than would easily be shown here. The rest can be found in an album i put onto facebook.
As a bonus for my patience, while the feathery mother was off hunting, a chipmunk passed just below, stopping on the retaining wall steps before jetting down a hole in the hillside.
3 comments:
("Branch offices" on sidebar, heh heh, very good!) Note: don't know whether you get notified of comments, but I just put another comment on your capoeira post. And by the way, how do people's WRISTS hold up under all that stress? i don't see how a person could sustain that activity for many years....
Thanks for this great story and pictures, though I wish the pictures were larger. Geez, now I have to go on facebook, one more thing to do! I can't identify your bird for you from your description. Except for the beak color I'd suggest that it's a wren, if so then probably a Carolina wren (yes, they live out there too). Wrens do nest on parts of houses (hence the name "house wren" for one variety). Some years I have one nesting under the back porch here. Does the tail stick up at a sharp angle when it's perching? Is the beak long and curved? Do you have a friendly library where you can consult or check out a field guide? or maybe even buy one somewhere? It will last you for years and should include every bird you're likely to see in the Eastern US (you have to get the "East of the Rockies" version). Another bird that's known to nest on people's dwellings (eaves, under porches, etc.) is the phoebe, but it's grey. The Hydes often had one of these nesting under their deck, and Leah and I had one nesting outside our cabin that June at Pinewoods. Unfortunately for it, it had built its nest in a very peaceful place with no one around, until we arrived to open up the camp. Our first night it stayed in our cabin with us, by mistake. It got out in the morning and as far as I remember coexisted with us that month. We just kept that one window shut, I think.
Duh, I realized that i could click on the pictures and make them larger. Now that bird looks like a robin,and nothing else,though they're larger than a child's fist.... For a sad bird story, go to Shards...
Dude, when I started this reading this post, I thought I was reading mom's blog....
Kate
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