One of the my many daily blessings is the variety of birds I get to enjoy in my own backyard. Our backyard was set up as a sort of sanctuary by the previous owner and evidently the birds in the area greatly appreciate it. I would say I appreciate it it more. From my kitchen table, reading my morning paper I am constantly entertained by the symphony of sights and sounds from the avain world. Our regulars include Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Stellar Jays, Towhees, Hummingbirds, Mockingbirds, (and depending on the time of year) Warblers, Starlings, Tanagers and a variety of Sparrows and Titmouse. I previously wrote about the Woodpeckers who nested in the telephone pole at the bottom of my driveway and I was so excited when I got to watch a Mockingbird couple build a nest in a small vine covered arbor in my backyard. I watched as the Mockingbirds built the nest and waited to see or hear the results. Tragically the family was not to be as we found two of the babies on the ground and the third tangled in the potato vine that covers the arbor. There were no signs that they had been attacked by a predator so I don’t know what actually occurred but I was so sad to have lost someone from my family. At about the same time I noticed a couple of small birds I wasn’t familiar with furtively diving in and out under the eve of my shop. My curiosity paid off as I watched this couple start to build a nest using a small electrical box as a base. It looked like mud and sticks. It took them about a week and then I waited and watched. From my desk in my shop I would watch these small birds flit on the railroad ties outside my window. I could watch them no more than a few feet away as they nervously went about their business. I finally noticed them starting to forage for worms and insects instead of twigs for the nest and noticed new voices in the crowd. Sure enough, we had a squeaking, squawking nest full of fuzz headed baby birds. I still wasn’t sure of what type of birds thanks to my friend Randy we think they are Black Phoebe’s, http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/169/overview/Black_Phoebe.aspx not Rough-winged swallows as I originally thought. http://10000birds.com/rough-winged-swallows-california.htm
Anyway, they are cheeky little birds who have now tried to claim my yard as their domain and don’t want to share the yard. Myself, my dog Lucca, (who is quite confused by the personal attacks) and any other bird who ventures by are subject to a quick fly by and quite a scolding….
I got a couple of shots of the little screechers and thought I would share.
