This past Monday, at 6:30 pm, a large bird landed on the shepherd’s crook with an open seed feeder. It is very close to the living room window. This disadvantage is that it is backlit.
I spotted a large bird, navigating an unfamiliar branch – the metal shepherd’s crook – and processing how to get to the seed. Finally, after attempting various angles, he jumped down. I was successful in moving around in the house without spooking the bird, but not near my bird book.
With the help of a couple of books, I identified it as a White Wing Dove. I’ve not seen one before and I didn’t know we had them here. Estimating the areas from the range maps, Milam is right on the edge of the range.
Ten minutes later he/she is back sitting on a branch, eying the seed, and fifteen minutes have passed! As White Wing Doves enjoy small colonies, and are monogamous, I’m expecting his/her friends.
We hear a lot about purple martins (Progne subis) in this blog, since our Chapter member Donna Lewis is a dedicated observer of their lives and activities as she supports them by providing structures to nest in.
There are other types of swallows in Milam County, though, as most residents have most certainly noticed. Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are commonly found around our homes and also depend on humans for a little help with their nests. I have some of each bird on my property, but my few purple martins nest in abandoned holes in dead trees that we have left standing. I didn’t know we had them until recently, when my handy Merlin Bird ID app noted their song, then I actually saw a pair. So, I guess purple martins do nest in the “wild” at least a little here.
Here’s a purple martin photo by ME, from a structure in Temple, Texas.
But what about the barn swallows? Why aren’t they beloved by all, like purple martins? After all, they are quite beautiful with their shiny navy-blue bodies and striking rust-colored breast markings. And they eat lots and lots of flying insects and provide lots of entertainment while they do so. It’s like a swirling circus act when they’re all out hunting around sunset.
Barn swallows on my property
One reason people aren’t fond of them is that their nesting behavior doesn’t fit in with most suburban folks’ ideas of neat and tidy “curb appeal” for their homes. Barn swallows do nest in barns, when available, but they also nest under bridges (the same kind the Mexican freetail bats nest in), and, of course, people’s houses.
Swallow parent dodging hideous sparrow nest to go to her lovely mud nest.
When I lived in suburban Round Rock, many neighbors either invited people to come in through their garages or spent lots of time getting very messy trying to remove barn swallow nests. Many of the homes had two-story entrances, which swallows (cliff swallows, too) just loved to build their mud nests in. They also loved to shove baby bird poop out of those nests and onto people’s fancy potted plants or outdoor furniture. I will spare you a photo of swallow poop, since you have probably seen some.
Luckily, I don’t live in the Meadows of Brushy Creek on a crowded cul-de-sac anymore. And I am happy to let barn swallows build all the nests they want to around our house, which has many porch sites to choose from. After all, there is only one population of barn swallows left that still uses caves to nest in, and that’s in California, according to All About Birds.
It’s getting crowded in here!
Our birds have just finished raising their second set of nestlings since they arrived from South America in the spring. I noticed a couple of the nests had three adults feeding babies, and that turns out to be a common practice. The helpers were probably babies from the first clutch.
I gotta get out of here.
As the babies grew and grew (this is a very loud period on our porches), they began to have a hard time fitting in the nests. We always wondered which day would be the one when they’d fledge. Last week, I was happy to find two of them sitting on the light fixture where their dad usually hung out. Two others looked very un-ready to fly, but by the next day, everyone was swooping around with abandon.
Look Ma and Pa! We flew!It’s cool over here on the lamp post.We are NOT leaving
Here’s a funny thing about these birds. The whole time they have been nesting, they have completely ignored us humans and the dogs as we go in and out of the house, sit on the porch, or swim in the pool. But, after the birds had spread out and were practicing their skills, they started dive-bombing me when I went into the back yard or over to the horse pens. Each time they got to my head they’d make a sound, and I swear as they zoomed back up, there was a Doppler effect. It was really cool, but there was no way I could get a photo, since they always surprised me.
Another local resident that likes to dive bomb humans is the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Luckily, they hang out in the willows, far from me.
I am seeing fewer and fewer barn swallows this week. It’s time for them to head off to their non-breeding lands way to the south now that the young ones know how to fend for themselves. They will return in late January or early February. I’ll soon be able to power wash the porches and other poopy areas and enjoy the clean surfaces for six months. (It’s been recommended to put newspaper under nests, but that would not last long at the Hermits’ Rest, wind capital of Milam County.)
Another Nest or Two
I tell my family we are running an aviary, since house sparrows have been nesting away on the porch this year, too. I guess we were lucky they didn’t find us until this year. They are really chirpy and poopy and not native. But the nests are funny.
This mess is a sparrow nest converted from a swallow nest. The sparrows have to add their own special touches.
The nest of our third porch-dwelling species, the Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) – also known as my favorite small bird – is much cuter and more fun to watch. These wrens are well known for building nests near human habitations in odd places. We have had families in an old grill, in numerous hanging plants, and in a watering can, to name a few spots. Our current pair have taken up residence in the box that is supposed to hold the pool remote control. I had set a few other items in there to keep the wind from blowing them away, though, and this made the box irresistible to wrens.
The box, with remote control in front of it. Note lots of grass. That’s nest material.
I went to clean out the box and put the remote control back in and was faced by one of my most beloved sights, an angry wren. Oops. I backed off, and we are now giving the growing family their space. The eggs have hatched (I peeked and saw two), so now the parents are taking over from the swallows and putting on a show for us patio dwellers. The pace at which those guys catch bugs and take them to the nest is impressive. We are looking forward to more pretty, fun, and melodic wrens in the near future.
Honestly, I don’t know how anyone can get bored around here!
For the past few weeks, the killdeer at my ranch have been in a breeding frenzy. I have even spotted tiny new birdies down by my front pond.
Killdeer have a few interesting habits. When they create a nest, it consists of nothing more than a small depression on the ground, with eggs in it. While the eggs do a great job of blending in with whatever surface they’re laid on, they are just sitting there, exposed.
Killdeer sitting on eggs. Photo by Eric Schmidt, from iNaturalist.
The parents are vigilant about protecting their nests, though. They don’t want a hawk or snake to find them, and they’d prefer the livestock not stomp on the eggs, either.
Ignore the center of the driveway! Nothing there!
They spend much of their time while eggs are incubating making loud sounds and flashing their wings, pretending to be injured to attract predators away from the eggs. I can assure you it’s loud.
My serene butterfly and wildflower observation time has recently been accompanied by many killdeer trying to get me to go away from wherever I am (oh, and dickcissels are also bellowing, too). Those parents have got to get tired, because at least one pair led me all the way down the driveway and partway down the road.
Follow us! We are more interesting than our eggs!
I do wish they were a little more careful about selecting nest locations. So far, I’ve seen two on the pond shore get washed away in recent rains. The current one I’m watching won’t wash away, but I have to warn my family to stay on the driveway and not cross into the middle, because that’s where these two eggs are!
So once again our eave under the front porch has some darling little Phoebe babies. I am sure they are happy that they are not in the high winds we are experiencing now.
I love to see them every Spring. Of course, it means that the front porch and the small doggy yard are off limits to me and our dogs till they leave home.
I do get to watch them every day and see how fast they grow up. Observation is also the best way to learn about their habits.
Both parents feed the babies. One parent will wait on the fence while the other is delivering delicious insects of one kind or another. The parents are very watchful and get fussy if I open the front door to look closer at their children. So, I generally watch out the windows at them.
Phoebes are flycatchers, eating mostly live insects. But I have found that they also eat dried mealworms that I put out for the Bluebirds. That is very handy during weather events when insects are not flying.
This particular bird looks so sweet to me. I love it. It has the common flycatcher habit of tail-bobbing. Its song says its name ( phoe-be). This bird is found from Canada all the way down to Mexico.
So listen up and you will hear their happy song right now.
A bird quote from Doug Floyd.
You don’t get harmony when everyone sings the same note.
So, we all know how warm it has been. Maybe a little early for temperatures that cause both flora and fauna to be out thinking that it is Springtime already. YEAH!
Many of you will be tempted to start planting things in your garden. You better think about it. I am sure at least one more freeze will visit us. My advice… wait a little longer!
Which brings us back to many birds who think it’s time to build nests and find their partners for the new generation. They like Springtime too.
Every year since we have had this house, we have had Eastern Phoebes make a nest and raise about six little ones. Pretty muddy nests that make a messy porch for us.
We put plastic under their nest so it’s easier to clean up after they leave.
I love Phoebes. They have such sweet faces. Phoebes are flycatchers. They flick their tails upward when perched. They eat mostly flying insects.
The Barn Swallows try to run them off, because they like the porch also. They will swoop down after the Phoebes and me. All I can do is let them work it out.
I too am happy about the warmer weather.
Remember all our nature friends and be considerate of their lives.
Nature Along the El Camino Real 