Things move fast in the bird world--I was surprised to find that the cardinal young had already left the nest day before yesterday--they came to the low shrubs that line the front of the house, and I was able to watch them for a while from the window. They look so strange with no tail and gawky legs.
Two bluebird nests have fledged from the houses I hung from pecan trees, and a third house had a successful chickadee nest. The Carolina Wrens have carried what seems like a bale of hay into a potted plant on the baker's rack as they construct their covered nest.
Martins are still busy feeding their young, but were interrupted for awhile this morning by the passover of a Cooper's Hawk which they ganged up on and chased out of sight. Many years ago before I had the plastic super gourds, a Cooper's Hawk landed on the aluminum house and cleaned out the babies from the apartments as they were about to fledge. I hope the gourds are more difficult for them to access--I have heard the owls in the garden at night this week. They like martin babies, too, and perhaps little unwary bunnies. I have not seen the bunny today, but there is also an enourmous yellow lab/greyhound dog that has taken up residence here the last few days, and nothing we have done has managed to make it leave--maybe it likes the taste of rabbit?
The hummingbird numbers are up and so I hung a few more feeders out for them. However, the yard is planted with nectar flowers that they love, so they are not really dependent upon the feeders.
