Baby Bluebird: Day 21

I feel like a private detective, sitting in a van and snapping photos through a telephoto lens (except that I'm on the deck, crouched behind a pot of summer snapdragon) and I fully expect the neighbors to call the cops any minute.

When I came home from work, I heard the baby chirping and saw him peeking out of the hole. (Look closely at about the four o'clock position and you can see his foot grasping the opening.) Obviously (s)he is just about ready to leave the nest.

Here's the mother, apparently trying to coax the little one out with a tasty grasshopper. As of 4:45, he's still inside. I really hope I get to see his first flight!

Trash Dump, Duct Tape, Daylilies, and Dirt

It is said that South Carolina is too small to be a republic and too large to be an insane asylum...

I've spent the past few days in the Palmetto state, moving furniture. My grandparents recently moved out of their house, and the task of dealing with decades worth of stuff has fallen largely to my parents, with some small assistance from my brother and me. My grandparents have never thrown anything away, so you can imagine the enormity of the task. Suffice it to say that we are all on a first name basis with the guy who presides over the town dump and the ladies who run the thrift store...

There were some things worth saving:
More daylilies for my growing collection! There was a whole long border of mixed daylilies, so I rummaged around in the shed and found a shovel with a cracked handle held together with duct tape (see, I told you they never throw anything out!) and started digging. When I got home, the boss was speechless as I unloaded six garbage bags full of daylilies from my car. "You know you're going to have to divide those next year, right?" she asked.

"Yep. And a good thing too, because this isn't nearly enough for what I want to do." She shook her head and went back inside. I reminded her that it could be worse; at least I'm not pulling transmissions out on the front lawn.

I've lived here in NC for so long, I've forgotten what dirt is like. Not clay--dirt. As in black South Carolina dirt. Dirt so rich and soft that you can just chuck a plant out the screen door and it'll take root. Check out the difference between the clay that I work with in Greensboro and the Lake City dirt!








So this morning, while the temperature was still in double digits, I hacked through that red clay, baked to a brick-like consistency by this awful drought, and found homes for all the daylilies. I'll wait for cooler weather to divide them.

I checked on the baby bluebird when I got home. This is Day 11, and his feathers are clearly visible. He seemed really lethargic today; I don't know if it's the heat, or if something's wrong with him. At any rate, tomorrow is the last day I can check on him because after about two weeks, baby bluebirds shouldn't be disturbed lest they leave the nest before they are mature enough. (Unlike children, once they're out, they're out.) I'll check tomorrow and post one more photo.

Baby bluebird: Day 6

Heard a tiny "cheep" today when I checked the box! For a great series of photos showing bluebird growth, check out the Texas Bluebird Society.

Open Wide: Baby Bluebird Day 5

Sorry about the overexposure. I tapped the nest and the baby opened his mouth, expecting food.

Baby Bluebird: Day 4

Our new bluebird has made it to Day 4. He didn't seem too energetic when I checked this morning, but was stretching his wings a bit. His eyes are still closed, and he's still more skin than down. According to my bluebird book, about Day 4 or 5, the beginnings of real feathers will appear under the skin.

Being the only baby in the nest, he doesn't have to compete with siblings for food, so I hope that will give him an advantage in growing strong. (You know, we all want our babies to get into the right preschool, or their lives will forever be substandard...) The parents are very attentive: I see them in and out of the box all day. Mom and Dad still don't like me messing around in the box; they perch on the corner of the house and watch as I take photos, then when I'm finished, Dad goes and checks it out before Mom goes back in. Usually the male makes a big show of spreading his wings to intimidate me, but he didn't seem quite so freaked out today. Maybe he's learning to tolerate my curiosity about his baby; in return, I limit my visits to no more than two quick looks per day.

The Day 1 photo is still the best--I don't keep the box open longer than I have to, so I don't always get the best pose, but here (s)he is on Day 4.

Baby Bluebird: Day 3--Living to Fight Another Day

Eyes still closed, but a little bigger and stronger. Today when I opened the box, (s)he opened its mouth, obviously accustomed to receiving food.

Bluebird Baby: Day 2

Our bluebird baby has grown a few tufts of down since he hatched yesterday. Sorry this picture isn't as good as the previous one. I try not to spend too much time messing around the nest because it worries the parents. Wish him/her a safe night, and check back tomorrow.

Baby Bluebird Hatched Today!!!

We have a baby bluebird! He or she hatched sometime today. We started with three eggs, which the mother attended to for two weeks, then yesterday one disappeared. This morning, of the two remaining eggs, one was open, but the baby inside wasn't moving. When I came home this afternoon, there was one tiny baby, very much alive, squirming and stretching his little muscles.

It is miraculous to me that something this frail, tiny, and helpless can survive. I know that many don't; Nature has little regard for individual lives, and I realize that the odds are against this little one, but still, I don't see how any creature that starts out like this can live, but obviously many do. Proof, I suppose, that God knows what She is doing.

He needs about three weeks to grow up. It's going to be tough. There are all sorts of predators (and if a House Sparrow kills him I'm declaring jihad on them!) but here's hoping he makes it. Good Luck little one!