The Backyard & Beyond  - June 2005

The continuing saga of the backyard Bushtits... 

Last month I reported about the pecking on the window pane as the Bushtit male defended his territory. I closed the mini blinds and he won the area against his imaginary foe and now the pair have built a nest in the neighbors climbing roses next to our sidewalk. They have worked so hard to build their hanging nest, collecting spider webs and bits and pieces of dry grasses and all that they have used to weave their delicate home. It has been fun putting my flowers for the year as the two twit from bush to bush talking back and forth the whole time. It will now be fun watching as they raise their young the next few weeks.

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     As they cross over into our yard there is the "OPEN" 24 hour a day "Hagen Diner" consistently offering suet to nourish the busy little couple.

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         Bushtit nest in rose hanging bush

    Another couple have returned to the yard again after skipping last year, Mr. & Mrs. Mallard. They use the pond to swim and then trek over to the ground feeder which I have now filled with cracked corn and millet. Our pond is not that big but they seem to enjoy it. The come in sometime in the afternoon and leave before dark. It makes me wonder why they come. They can not nest here but they do get food but why swim in the pond?

                                        Sherry Hagen,    Happy Birding