Special offer

Wordless Wednesday…Who the Heck Are You?

By
Home Stager

Wordless Wednesday…Who the Heck Are You?

 

Many of you may know that Larry and I monitor several bluebird boxes at Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve and our own home. 

Here are the 5 beautiful bluebird eggs as of May 22. 

 

 

Bluebird eggs take 16 to 20 days to hatch so we checked on the box on June 4. What doesn't belong in this picture??

 

 

We think it is a brown-headed cowbird egg. Long story short…mama Cowbird lays an egg in any available nest and then leaves to follow her food source. She does not return. The host mama bird incubates and feeds it. (See, it happens in the bird world too)

 


We think the bluebird egg is under the babies but not sure.

 

We returned 7 hours later and were once again surprised. 

 


We aren’t sure what happened to the cowbird egg but it certainly is interesting observing mother nature!

 

Posted by

Kathy Streib
Retired Home Stager
and Interior Redesign

In Person Consultations in Texas
for Houston & Harris Counties
and
Virtual Staging Consultations
for all states


Follow My Blog for Practical, Creative,
Easy-to-Do Styling Solutions
Whether You're Selling
or Want to Fall Back in Love
With Your Home
 

561-914-6224
Call or Text

Email Me

About Me
My Blog
   Facebook
Instagram

 

Comments (22)

Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Kathy. Mother Nature is surprising and full of lessons if we pay attention. Enjoy your day.

Jun 07, 2023 05:30 AM
Kathy Streib

Wayne Martin i agree! If we keep our eyes open- otherwise look ActiveRain how much we miss!

Jun 07, 2023 05:52 AM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

They sure are cute and they all look the same to me, haha.  Pretty neat that the mama bird will take care of whatever hatches, even if it is not hers.

Jun 07, 2023 05:51 AM
Kathy Streib

Brian England see the speckled egg??? That's the Cowbird egg. 

Jun 07, 2023 05:49 PM
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

How nice. I love the nature photos from your neck of the woods. 

Jun 07, 2023 06:13 AM
Kathy Streib

Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty our wildlife is a lot smaller than yours...at least the peacocks are larger!!!

Jun 07, 2023 05:49 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning kath7y,

OMG..I love all the photos and a perfect title. Mother Nature is so amazing..you never know! I've never see the Killdeer that Nina Hollander, Broker spotted!

Jun 07, 2023 06:17 AM
Kathy Streib

Dorie Dillard Austin TX I may have seen one but Larry had to point it out to me. We try to keep the Cowbirds from being anywhere near our nest boxes. 

Jun 07, 2023 05:51 PM
Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400
The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803 - Plainview, NY
Long Island Condo and Home Specialists

Mama birds are so incredible, and so are dads, aren't they Kathy. Sweeet photos!

Jun 07, 2023 06:30 AM
Kathy Streib

Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400 I've always loved observing all kinds of animals. You can learn a lot. 

Jun 07, 2023 05:55 PM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

We have a bird called a cuckoo in England that does the same, lays an egg in another birds nest and leaves it for the other bird to raise. It is where the word cuckold comes from because generally the cuckoo is a large bird and the nest is generally smaller birds whose babies then get pushed out of the nest.

Jun 07, 2023 07:25 AM
Kathy Streib

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543 Wow, now that's interesting!!!! It never would have occurred to me that the word cuckold come from that bird.  

Jun 07, 2023 05:57 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Kathy it is interesting how things work in the non-human world, and how consistent it is.

Jun 07, 2023 07:51 AM
Kathy Streib

George Souto I would love to be able to get inside the heads of some of these animals to know what they're thinking. Although maybe it has more to do with instinct. 

Jun 07, 2023 05:59 PM
Pat Champion
John Roberts Realty - Eustis, FL
Call the "CHAMPION" for all your real estate needs

I don't think I have ever seen bluebirds they are beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day.

Jun 07, 2023 08:42 AM
Kathy Streib

Pat Champion I never saw them until we moved back to Houston and I was born here!!! During mating season they are a striking blue. 

Jun 07, 2023 06:00 PM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Kathy and you and Larry do a great job of checking on your nest all the time.  Do the moms ever dive bomb you?

 

Jun 07, 2023 09:00 AM
Kathy Streib

Will Hamm they sure do!!! We checked again this afternoon and mama bluebird was dive bombing Larry. 

Jun 07, 2023 06:01 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Maybe the host mama kicked it out!

Jun 07, 2023 09:45 AM
Kathy Streib

Kat Palmiotti I hope she did. Mama Cowbird has been known to get rid of bluebird eggs to make room for the egg she lays. 

Jun 07, 2023 06:01 PM
Hannah Williams
HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Kathy Streib  I love that these birds come back year after year. What a delight. Love watching them grow with you! 

 I seem to have a Blue Jay that comes to visit 

Jun 07, 2023 10:14 AM
Kathy Streib

Hannah Williams we have them too!!! They love peanuts in the shell (unsalted)!!!

Jun 07, 2023 06:02 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Kathy, then there was LIFE, and oh my, someone laid an egg is someone elses' nest!

Jun 07, 2023 10:59 AM
Kathy Streib

Joan Cox  Can you believe that!   She lays it and takes off!

Jun 07, 2023 06:03 PM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much, Kathy, for sharing your photographs. 

I was not familiar with cowbirds or their practices.

Jun 07, 2023 11:13 AM
Kathy Streib

Roy Kelley I wasn't either until we put a nestbox in our yard. I guess mother nature protects all of her creatures. 

Jun 07, 2023 06:05 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

So now we just never know what happened to it?? That doesn't seem fair...you had us all invested in the outcome.  LOL

Jun 07, 2023 01:05 PM
Kathy Streib

Sharon Tara I wish we had a video cam there. We were out there again this afternoon and Larry thinks that the cowbird did hatch and the other bluebird egg is under the other birds. 

Jun 07, 2023 06:07 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

How interesting Kathy!  I wonder what happened to that other egg.  I'm sure you'll let us know.   You know I love  your posts about little baby birds!

Jun 07, 2023 02:26 PM
Kathy Streib

Anna Banana Kruchten Phoenix Broker I read that mother nature has seen to it that cowbird eggs take a shorter time to hatch. We think the cowbird egg hatched already.  Bummer. 

Jun 07, 2023 06:08 PM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

That is so amazing, Kathy.  Yesterday, while I was at the pool swimming, I talked for awhile with a guy who has a pond on his property.  The pond has both Goldfish and Koi.  I did not know the two actually cross breed.  But, what is interesting is the crossbred offspring don't reproduce.  They are kind of like mules.

Jun 07, 2023 05:46 PM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

CONGRATULATIONS Kathy, on having this blog FEATURED in the PHOTOS group!

Bgpic10272017202459 l

Jun 07, 2023 05:50 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Kathy Streib  loved the progression of the timeline with your photos, first photo I thought was an Easter Egg production:)Endre

Jun 07, 2023 10:44 PM
Leanne Smith
Dirt Road Real Estate - Golden Valley, AZ
The Grit and Gratitude Agent

Yes Mother Nature is indeed full of surprises. Appreciate the timeline of your photos.

Jun 08, 2023 07:55 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Kathy,

I love following the story of the hatchlings.  I saw your post about the possibility that the Cowbird egg has already hatched.  Very interesting storyline!

Jun 08, 2023 09:42 AM