Wednesday, June 22, 2016

A bird and a bee

 I saw a bird flailing about in this cholla cactus over the weekend. 
I felt sorry for it but wasn't about to stick my arm in there to set it free.

The next time I walked by, all was quiet. 
I assumed the bird either: a) managed to escape on its own or
b) impaled itself and was dead.



  Neither assumption was correct.



Way down in the middle of the cactus was the most beautiful egg
in an even more beautiful nest – constructed in part with Hank's tail hair.



I'm not sure how many eggs are in the nest. 
I didn't want to risk impaling myself to find out. 




I got out of there before Mama Bird returned and before I got stung,
but I'll keep checking back to see what hatches.








24 comments:


  1. My guess would be
    a) western blue bird (Are they small enough ??)
    b) western blue jay (again .. size)
    c) do you have any Robins ? Eastern Robins also lay blue eggs, and they CAN be speckled.
    (the ones in my neighborhood are notorious for picking bad/precarious spots to build their nests).
    This one does look much more secure.

    I also googled:
    wild bird eggs blue with brown spots (this option popped up as I typed the word 'blue').

    ... and there are lots of variations of eggs. Apparently lots of people are curious about the species of the blue eggs. .

    We currently have Eastern bluebirds laying in the nesting box. Their 2 eggs (from yesterday) do not have any speckles ... but I am sure I have seen some variation in colors over the years.

    M in NC




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  2. what a great place for protection from predators... beautiful eggs

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  3. Such a secure spot! I do wonder how the babies will fare when leaving the nest, but Nature usually has the best plan. Beautiful eggs!

    My eyes got misty over the Hank hair.

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  4. This is wonderful!! Mama and her babes are going to be safe from predators in there!

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  5. Those are so beautiful, like turquoise jewelry!
    I have a nest that fell out of a tree and kept, amazing how they make them. Hank is all around <3

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  6. Another reason for Cholla!

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  7. Really neat eggs! Please watch and keep us informed...

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  8. Lovely! And Hank's tail hair....*sigh* I look forward to your updates.

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  9. Smart mom with a security system in the nursery.

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  10. Pretty! Brave mama to risk being skewered several times a day. Beautiful Hank will always be there.

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  11. Beautiful eggs. And Hank helped. Of course he did. Wonderful Hank, always.

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  12. What a lovely surprise! Beautiful eggs, and they have the best home, with Hank there to keep them safe...

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  13. Curve-billed thrasher is my guess for the nest. I found this: The Curve-billed Thrasher breeds in arid places with sparse scrub growth and cacti, open areas in chaparral with prickly pears, and around settlements in arid areas. They frequently nest in cholla cactus, 3 to 5 feet up, or in low trees where they may nest up to 12 feet. These photos were sent to me by Kayla from Arizona.
    There's a photo of a nest with turquoise eggs. I had to scroll way down on this page, but found it here: http://thebirdersreport.com/egg-and-nest-identification

    If you can cut away the cholla later on, I see a souvenir nest as part of your decor. How special that Hank is part of it.

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    Replies
    1. I think you're right, Peg. Wikipedia's entry on the curve-billed thrasher has a nest picture that looks just like mine (minus the horse hair). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curve-billed_thrasher#/media/File:Toxostoma_curvirostre_-Tuscon,_Arizona,_USA_-eggs_in_nest-8.jpg
      And I see them around here all the time - they're big! I'm surprised they haven't attacked me while I'm being nosy.

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  14. Beautiful eggs and flowering cactus and memories of Hank. What a great find.

    Sydney - NE Oklahoma

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  15. Just like Justina used to say that Fergus was still around to herd the geese, Hank is still around to make sure life is beautiful. xoxo Oma Linda

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  16. I'm pretty sure that belongs to a cactus wren. It always amazes me that they can build a nest in cholla. And I might add....that is the prettiest cholla I have ever seen!

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  17. Gorgeous eggs. Keep an eye on the nest cause horse mane and tail hair is a real problem for nesting birds. Their feet get wrapped up and they can't get loose. We see so many tangled dead baby birds at the Thoroughbred brood mare ranch my friend manages.

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  18. My first thought was, "I wonder if she'll find a way to get that nest & save it, once the babies have left home (because of Hank's tail). It's something that I would probably do - but then, my daughter say's that I'm "an emotion bomb", so maybe I'm the only crazy old bat that would.

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  19. An American in Tokyo6/22/16, 5:55 PM

    Ooooooooo! How beautiful!
    You might be able to use the eggshells for some mosaics or something later on!!
    And the nest is beautiful, especially with Hank's "donations". ;)

    I can't wait to see the baby birds, if you can get a picture of them!

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  20. oush had missed this post! love but love the colours : green and pink and blue eggs. what a wonderful use of Hank's hair.

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