I have written much about the birds lately – mostly because I don’t have any nests right now – all the babies have left the nest and I cleaned out the houses and I’m hoping for round 2. The bluebirds normally have at least 2 sometimes 3 nests a season. I did want to tell you though that the Bluebird family is still around – I do see them a lot and I see to see them in groups of 3 – so I think the mom has 2 babies and the dad has 2 of the babies and they are staying together. I noticed as I watched that the parents are still feeding the babies. I took this picture – sorry it isn’t a very good one but you can see what they are doing –
This is the male bluebird and he would get food from the suet block while the baby waited on the top. Then he flies to the top and puts it in the babies mouth. So I did some reading and the parents continue to feed the babies for a couple more weeks after they leave the nest.
I see the bluebirds going into the bird houses – especially house #2 – but so far there is no nest building going on. I’m not sure how long they wait after the first babies are born – maybe until they can feed themselves which may still be a few days away since they seem to be learning still.
Yesterday I was sitting in my kitchen at the table and I have a big picture window that looks out to the back yard. Right in front of my window I have a fountain which the birds like to visit so I often get good pictures of the birds when they sit on the fountain – since I am inside the house I guess they don’t see me. Anyway I noticed a bird that sat for a long time yesterday. Here it is:
I was able to get a beautiful picture of this baby cardinal. See the fuzzy little feathers on its side – I know it has to be a baby. I’ve also decided that the babies are usually fat – more so than the adult birds. This one sat for a long time on the side of the fountain.
I had a Cardinal nest in the front yard earlier that they abandoned so they must have gone somewhere else nearby and built another one and now there is a baby.
And last but not least I wanted to share with you the newest visitor to my backyard.
I found this turtle on Sunday about noon. I heard all this noise and went to see what it was and found her. This is a much larger turtle than what I have had in my back yard before. I would say her shell from front to back is at least 6 or 7 inches. I’m wondering where I have a hole that big that she could get into my fenced back yard.
Anyway we were leaving the house at that time so I left her there and when I came home Sunday night I looked and couldn’t find her. On Monday morning I looked again and couldn’t find her. I wanted to check for holes in the fence – I don’t want the dogs to be able to get out either – so I went back to the area where she was. Guess what I found – her head sticking out of the ground! She dug a hole and was buried up under all the leaves and stuff in the corner of the yard. She only had her head sticking out. Now it is Tuesday and this morning she was still buried. I just checked on her and now she came out of the hole.
Does anyone know anything about turtles? I’m wondering if she dug a hole and laid eggs in it. I don’t want to look because she is still right there. I’ll look for her again this afternoon. But if anyone has any knowledge of turtles – let me know.
Thanks for stopping into to check with me today!
how wonderful that you found this turtle….i am a avid turtle lover we have had many over a span of 10 years all mainly box turtles….we found 2 crossing the road one day 10 years ago and picked them up put them in the backyard for my boys and low and behold they were a male and female and proceeded to have many babies over the span of time…….we almost are able to call ourselves turtle farmers…i would say we have about 40 different ones in the backyard, from adult to teenage to toddler to babies.
so that being said, what you have there is a slider turtle, she needs to be in a pond, lake, or creek….she has buried herself to stay cool, and needs water they mainly live in water but can come out whenever they feel like it. she and/or he has probaly however has not laid eggs and they are not real matural that they will dig a hole and lay eggs then cover it back up and never come back to the eggs….poor little devils just have to fend for themselves after they hit sunlight……
so you should be able to pick her up from behind on her sides put her in a box and take her to the nearest watering hole you can find….she will be soooo happy. if you don’t want to pick her up a shovel and a box will do the trick as well……. 🙂
hope it helped –
avid turtle lover—Jill
Love your bird blog and pictures…. you should contact the magazine Birds & Blooms and write a column for them….. it would be a great forum to post how you incorporate them into your love of scrapbooking and sharing…… If you haven’t seen a copy of Birds & Blooms, I have a few. Your pictures are usually better than some of theirs. Your knowledge on the blue birds is pretty extensive, too. Take care……
Great information from Jill….. perhaps your hubby can make you a little pond for your turtle…. the dogs might like the water, too…. you know the ponds from Home Depot…. great in a corner of your yard, landscaped with various size rocks and plants….. you would do a great job of this, like all your projects. Good luck with your little turtle….
Monika,
I have loved watching your birds as they nested, laid their eggs & then have flown from the nest.
How do you get such fabulous pictures? I have tried to get pictures of cardinals at my bird feeder outside my kitchen window, but it seems they hear my camera and fly away.