Never Dreamed I'd Make It When I wrote my first blog post in July of 2008, I was all about setting up an ecommerce site that would be close to my heart. I love spending time just watching birds and I've learned a whole lot about what works and what doesn't in the backyard. My neighbors think I'm insane because I'm the guy staring down nuisance birds in my backyard until they … [Read more...] about Passing The 100 Post Milestone
Search Results for: bluebirds
New BirdOculars YouTube Video
My Apologies After more than a year, I've finally published a short YouTube video that I think you'll enjoy. It's about my bluebirds coming back for the first time this morning to check out their old house. It started out as a male, female and at least one youngster and ended with one of the females deciding to do some serious house cleaning or something. It wasn't until I … [Read more...] about New BirdOculars YouTube Video
Losing My Backyard Centerpiece
The Center Of My Birding Activity I recently decided to take down the 40+ foot sassafrass tree that was in the center of my backyard. I held out as long as I could for my birds. With feeders and nesting boxes on both sides of the yard, it quickly became the hub of activity. If a bird came into my backyard, there was a 75% chance it would perch in that tree while deciding … [Read more...] about Losing My Backyard Centerpiece
A Landmark Bluebird Achievement
First Time In Four Years As I have mentioned before in my Dark Legacy post, for the last four years or so I have had a bluebird pair with some type of genetic defect. This theory was backed up when Julie Zickefoose suggested I crack open an unhatched egg and confirm there was no viable chick in it. They would build a nest in my box, lay eggs and then the heartbreak began. … [Read more...] about A Landmark Bluebird Achievement
What Did You Get Your Birds For Christmas?
Paying Them Back When you're looking over your Christmas list or lists, are you remembering those that provide you with so much pleasure year round? I don't know what I would do sometimes if I weren't able to just take a break from my at home business to watch the little ones feed and fuss at each other. It makes my heart glad to know I'm helping them to grow and prosper but … [Read more...] about What Did You Get Your Birds For Christmas?
My Dark Bluebird Legacy Lives On
I was so thrilled when a pair of bluebirds finally decided to make a home in my second bluebird box again this year. I hoped that my resident pair had moved on or died as cruel as that sounds. The reason is it is heartbreaking to see all their work go for near nothing. Thanks to Julie Zickefoose, I learned the pair probably had a genetic problem of some kind. These two have … [Read more...] about My Dark Bluebird Legacy Lives On
My House Wrens Have Disappeared
Where Have My House Wrens Gone? After my house wren pair set up a nest, laid eggs and fledged their first brood, I mentioned that I saw the male cleaning out the nest. Then I saw the female putting new soft nesting materials back into the nest box. When I checked around I was told this is how they do it and all was well. Convinced that they were just getting … [Read more...] about My House Wrens Have Disappeared
My House Wrens Are Taking Their Time
It seems like more than a month that the house wrens have moved in and set up shop in my back bluebird box. I've had chickadees and bluebirds in this box previously and they never seemed to take so long to fledge their babies. It's Simple Math Really I had read that house wren eggs take up to two weeks to hatch and 16-17 days to fledge from the nest but I think I've been … [Read more...] about My House Wrens Are Taking Their Time