I went into my neighbors houses while they were away and took pictures. I  knocked at the door and if no one answered, I went in with my camera to check out their housekeeping and furnishings.

At one house, some babies were home alone.  I took their pictures while they were sleeping.

Once the lady of the house ignored my knocking and was inside when I opened her door.  It was quite a shock for us both, but she let me take her picture without a fuss.

Here is Mrs. Chickadee stuck at home incubating those eggs.

She was probably glad for my company.

That fluffy stuff is fur from my New Zealand rabbit named Barley. How cozy? I love her colors.

 

 

 

 

Here are the babies that were left home alone.

I don’t get this free-range parenting.

I’m a helicopter mom, like my mother before me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw Mrs. Wren leave, so I took the opportunity to check out her decor.

Then I dropped by the Bluebirds’ house and…

What’s this? Darn cowbird. You brood parasite! You need to mooooove on.

Kidding aside, let’s compare these three nests of three different species.

All three nests were in birdhouses  connected to the deck on my home. They are the standard bluebird type houses.

The Carolina Chickadee lays 6-8 lightly speckled white eggs in a flat, soft nest with fewer twigs.

The Carolina Wren usually lays 5 brown-spotted, whitish eggs in a domed nest.  It looks like a bassinet made of twigs and grass.

The Eastern Bluebird  lays 4-6 light blue eggs in a loose, cup-like nest. All three nests included pine needles and moss.

The Brown-headed Cowbird (not really pictured)lays one white speckled egg at a time in the nests of other, usually smaller songbirds.   The foster chick grows more quickly than the biological offspring of the nest owner.   The cowbird chick out-competes the smaller chicks for food and sometimes  pushes his “siblings” out of the nest.

If you hear a squeaky, rattling gurgle-like sound, look  around.  If you see two strangers and one is in all black with a brown hood, alert your neighbors to the possibility of an impending invasion.

NO, not me with my camera.    I was referring to the cowbirds.

Follow the Flower!