Nature Study: A Bird Egg Mystery

Yesterday my little JJ ran to me to excitedly inform me the bluebirds were back and he saw a bird come out of the house. Lily piped right in, "Oh yes, Momma! I saw it too this morning at breakfast! Can we see?! Can we see?!" This was puzzling to me since the bluebirds' eggs had already hatched and we haven't seen them in several weeks.

We decided to take a peek and this is what we found...

 

 

See the two different types of eggs? This was a first for me. We spent the evening watching the nest to see what type of bird went in and it was sure enough our bluebirds. Apparently, bluebirds, like some other birds will hatch two sets of offspring in Spring and Summer.

 

Unfortunately, as I researched why there were two different types of eggs I came to some sad news. The other eggs are parasitic. They are most likely from a Brown-headed cowbird. The cowbird probably crept into the bluebirds' nest and actually destroyed some of their eggs. On top of that, the cowbird will hatch first and require more food as it grows larger than the bluebird hatchlings. Momma Bluebird will unknowingly care for the cowbird hatchlings as her own.

 

Removing the eggs aren't an option for the honest person since they are protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Act. It is possible the cowbird will destroy the nest if her eggs are removed as well. I'm also hesitant to remove them because the bluebirds may think I'm messing with their eggs. Daddy Bluebird can be quiet vicious. Which brings up another issue. One of the ways to deter a cowbird is to not visit a nest. Now, I'm left wondering if our baby bird watching is what set up our bluebirds for the parasite.

 

We'll wait it out and see. And next year not hang out at the birdhouse so often!

Outdoor Life: Fishing

"An observant child should be put in the way of things worth observing. ~Charlotte Mason
 (Vol 1, II, Out-Of-Door Life For The Children, p.69)

 

 

An Unexpected Visitor: Part 1

I can’t make this stuff up.

Yesterday, June 12 I sent this message to my friend, Trisha, on Facebook. She’s currently having a mouse problem.

Allow me to share my mice story. A few years ago I kept telling my husband that I was sure we had mice in our vents. I was positive they kept waking Anna up at night (she was still in a crib). And our cat would just sit and stare at the vents. He thought I was crazy. I kept on him. "PLEASE," I would say, "there is this terrible smell in Anna's room. I KNOW there are 'rats'!" FINALLY, months later, he looks and by George, there are mice NESTING in our vents! Our dog decided to warm himself under the house and tear down our duct work. The mice from the hay field beside us made straightway for our house. Eventually, we caught DOZENS of the little varmints in our vents and under our house. At night we could hear mouse traps going off! We even set traps in our bedroom vents. An exterminator was called and our entire duct work had to be repaired. I made Nate bleach every "rat" he caught in a bag because I was sure the Bubonic Plague was going to be passed on to my children. They even chewed through my DRYER vent (that same stinky smell) and was eating our cat food. Nate found one sitting on our trash can in the laundry area. Eww. All this to say...I feel your pain.

 

Like I said, I can’t make this stuff up.

Last night at 12:30AM, (or for you technical folks, “early this morning”), my husband comes into our bedroom with a flashlight in obvious distress. I, being dead asleep, bounce up in the bed, heart racing. And thus begins the “whisper yelling.”

“WHAT?! WHAT is it?”

 “I don’t know what we’re going to do about this. I heard a noise the other night and was worried the mice had gotten back in the vents. I heard it again and took my flashlight over there...and it’s a ‘possum. A ‘possum! We have a possum in our vents!”

 

“Oh my word! Couldn’t you have chosen a better time than 1:00AM to tell me this? How do you know!?”

“ I just looked and it’s either a possum or an 8lb rat! What are we going to do?”

 “Nothing tonight.”

So ceased the whisper yelling. I then hear him mumbling around the house and moving a case of water over the vent in case it can push through the vent. I couldn’t help but laugh at this crazy predicament. How in the world did an opossum get under our house? And then I started to panic, what if it pushes the vent out? All I could see when I closed my eyes was a big fat ‘possum waddling through my house! I started counting the vents in our house he could possibly escape from...eleven. At least eleven. Getting back to sleep was quite an issue...

(Stay tuned for how we handle our unexpected visitor.)

But What About the Wet Days?

"But what about the wet days? The fact is, that rain, unless of the heaviest does the children no harm at all if they are suitably clothed." Charlotte Mason, Vol 1, Part 2, pg. 87)

 

 

Another Step Into Our Days

I promised a new post! You'll maybe get a couple just to catch you up. I have a couple of videos I would like to share and a lot of pictures. I'll try not to bore you!

JJ is helping Momma bake banana nut bread. (with chocolate chips of course!)

Anna's upset. :(

Park day!

Our handsome soon-to-be Kindergartener.

Daddy is acknowledged for passing his P.E. exam!

TV watching in a box.

Lunch outside

Our pet you haven't met, Joshua Luke the rabbit.

The new kitten grew.

I took a book inventory of picture books.

And made a mess.

Mommy reads, too!

Another park day.

Math drills

Another handsome boy

Mommy and Lily go to a wedding.

Isn't she beautiful?!

Outdoor life

Working in the garden.

Wise words from Ms. Mason

Planning for next year!

This is a baby lady bug on Lily's hand!

Baby blue birds (no birds were injured in the taking of this photo.)

Mommy's obsession

More planning!

:)

Hope you enjoyed this step into our days.