Snake in a Box

Peek-a-boo!

No, "Snake in a Box" isn't a Saturday Night Live song by Justin Timberlake.  This is what Bill encountered while we were in Ashville, North Carolina in May during our annual vacation trek to my father's roots in the mountains of western North Carolina.

I was at the church cemetery in Asheville where my great-great grandmother Martha "Patty" Bailey Tipton Cooper was buried.  I was there to take a photo of her headstone as well as fulfilling other Find a Grave.com requests.  While I'm taking photos of gravestones, Bill usually wanders around the cemetery, looking at headstones and patiently waiting for me to finish taking my photos.  By the way, do you know of anybody else who would be that patient with me?  Me neither.

Bill found a bluebird house, much like the ones we have in our backyard.  He took a peek in the bluebird house and was surprised to find a big black snake looking right back at him!  So the myths about snakes eating bluebird eggs (or even live baby bluebirds, God forbid) is probably true.

Bill made it his mission to get that snake out of the bluebird box.  Scary stuff.  I took a short video which I posted in an earlier blog which you may or may not have seen.  I missed taking the video when Bill flung the snake out of the box.  Did I ever!  That was some BIG SNAKE!  And it happened so fast.  So I missed the video.  However, I thought I had taken some photos also.  This morning while searching my photo files I came across these photos of Bill's encounter with THE SNAKE.  Scary stuff huh?

And just for the record, Bill didn't kill the snake.  He just got it out of the box.  It slithered (fast) on the ground near the bird box to the woods nearby.  I never saw a snake move so fast.

Mission accomplished Bill!

Bill gets the snake out

Then There Was One

The last baby bluebird - 15 minutes ago

As regular readers of my blog know, I raise baby bluebirds in my backyard oasis here in the coastal shores of southern Delaware.

I've been greatly concerned that the high heat and humidity of this past week would kill the second batch of baby bluebirds that hatched a few weeks ago in my backyard wildlife habitat.  There were four babyblue birds stuffed in that little bluebird house.  Every time I went past the blue bird box when I was refreshing the water in the many birdbaths I have lining by backyard, I would take a peek in the hole to the bluebird box and see gasping baby bluebirds.  I know from experience not to do anything but let nature take its course.  I suspected the baby bluebirds were at least a week away from flying from their nest.

Thus it was with some surprise a few minutes ago I peered into the hole and didn't see any gasping baby bluebirds.  Instead, this is what I saw:  a lone, terrified baby bluebird.  You can tell by the development of it's little wings that it isn't quite ready to leave its nest yet.

I'm wondering what happened to the other baby bluebirds.  I hope they're all right.  I know I have a fox out back.  Something knocked over my big cement birdbath.  It wasn't any bird that knocked over that birdbath.  Bill says he where the fox has dug holes in the compost surrounding my newly planted knockout rose bushes.  Plus, the baby rabbit that was nibbling on my petunias is gone. The petunias are flourishing now that they aren't providing an early evening salad for Peter Rabbit.

My little not quite an acre backyard oasis was quite successful this year in producing many batches of Purple Martins, swallows, bluebirds and (egads!) starlings.  I didn't know starlings were in my Purple Martin house until they were born.  By then it was too late for me to remove them from the birdhouse.

Soon our backyard will be quite.  No more the squawking of the Purple Martins and their many broods of baby Purple Martins.  No more swallows gracefully swooping over our backyard in the dusk of late day gathering flying insects that were unfortunately happen to be in their path of flight.

We're sweltering here folks under this unusual heat wave for this area of the country but the wildlife manages, with a little help from me.  I've been refreshing the birdbaths in our backyard at least a dozen time a day.

My neighbor Barbara just hollered at me from her back deck "Hey Ron!  What are you doing out in this heat!?"  I told her "I have to get water for my friends, they're thirsty!"  And indeed, they are.

I hope those baby bluebirds who left their nest today make it through the night.  I worry about them.

The Bluebirds of Happiness

Bluebird eggs May 1, 2011

At the beginning of May, when Bill and I left for our weeklong strip South, mama bluebird had just laid five perfectly oval blue eggs in the bluebird box in our backyard.  I was worried that the eggs wouldn't be there when we got back.  Last year when we left for our trip South, we left four young bluebirds in the box but when we came back the baby bluebirds and the next were gone, pulled out by the bored eight year old son of the Hispanic man who mowed our neighbor's lawn.  I vividly remember how angry, sad and disappointed I was that the stupid, mindless, thoughtless act of an unsupervised child destroyed a whole nest of baby bluebirds.  Especially after all the difficulty I had with keeping the sparrows out of that bluebird house.  The previous two years mama and papa bluebird had raised two sets of young bluebirds each season.  Last year they never came back.

Our Bluebird box in our backyard - home to generations of bluebirds

Thus it was with some apprehension that I left for vacation this year.  One thing, my neighbor no longer employed the Hispanic man to mow his lawn.  That kid is probably off somewhere else destroying something because of his bored curiosity.  I prefer not to think about it.

What was also ironic, that the bluebirds laid their eggs just as I was to begin a busy month of activity.  I knew once I returned from our trip south I would be working full-time at the hotel, until the new front desk clerk was trained.

I was very relieved when we returned from our trip and I saw that the bluebird nest was unharmed.  Mama and papa bluebird faithfully feed their young ones all day, every day.  In the past their were only four eggs so I could open the bluebird box and observe and record their growth.  This year, perhaps to make up for last year, mama and papa bluebird laid FIVE eggs in the tiny bluebird box.  I was able to open the bluebird box a few week before they got too big then I had to observe from afar.  I didn't want to take a chance of one of the baby bluebirds falling out of the box when I opened it.

Freshly hatched baby bluebirds

Growing baby bluebirds - the last time I opened the box to observe

Then yesterday, as I returned home from my last full-time shift at the hotel, I walked over to the bluebird box to see if I could still see a baby bluebird's mouth sticking out of the entrance to the bluebird box.  Much to my surprise (and delight), the bluebird box was empty!  The baby bluebirds were out.

Empty nest yesterday - they're gone!

Now wasn't that the perfect metaphor for my past month of hectic activity?  I began the month with the freshly laid bluebird eggs and ending the month with the baby bluebirds now having their freedom.  Just like me, I now have my freedom.

I love my job and hope to work at it as long as I can but I also want the freedom of enjoying and participating in my summertime activities.  I can't do that stuck behind the front desk at the hotel six days a week (then recovering the seventh day).  I am so happy to get back to my normal routine.  I'm back!

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

Bluebird eggs at risk yesterday with the arrival of the Demon Kid

Remember a few weeks ago that I posted that someone had torn out the swallow bird nest (with live baby swallows in it) when Bill and I were on vacation down South?  I did a little sleuthing and came to the conclusion that it was the eight year old Hispanic boy who was with the lawn maintenance guy that my neighbor Tom had doing his lawn.

My neighbor Tom's Hispanic lawn maintenance crew yesterday arrives

Bill had pointed out to me before "how cute" the kid was with his hyperactive antics whenever he accompanied his dad (?) to his lawn maintenance job.  Thus, it didn't take too much to figure out who opened the bluebird box that contained the live baby swallows.  It had to take someone about three feet tall to reach up and put his greasy little finger in the open and pull the wooden door down because the latch was still in place.  At first I couldn't figure out how the door got open with the latch still in place.  I thought maybe a cat or another animal got into the bird box.  But to have the strength to pull the latch?  No, couldn't be.

After running different scenarios through my mind, this hyper active kid popped to the front.  Yes, this would be something that a curious, hyperactive, unsupervised, eight year old brat would do.  I went back out to the bird box to look for evidence.  Almost immediately I saw a small indentation in the thyme that I have planted at the base of the bird box.  In fact, right at the very base is a wild rose bush.  The indentation was to the left.  Viola!  That's why he put his finger up to hook it into the hole that is the opening to the bird box.  Once he opened the bird box he was too short to see into the nest so he obviously put his stinking, dirty, greasy little paw up to the nest and pulled it out.  He was probably very pleased to find four naked, three day old baby swallows in the nest.  His short attention span was satiated if only for a moment.

When Bill and I discovered the bird box door was open the next morning after we returned from our trip, I immediately went out to see what happened.  I saw the empty nest on the ground.  No baby swallows.  No adult swallows.  Gone.

Not knowing what else to to, I put the neatly built nest (which was cushioned by many down feathers from unknown birds) back in the bird box, hoping the adult swallows return and lay more eggs.  The determined sparrows do it so why not the swallows?  Well, it was not to be.

The bird box remained empty for two week until a week ago when the blue birds returned. Hallelujah!  This was great news!  The blue birds had returned.  For the past two years the blue birds have raised two batches of baby bluebirds in that box.  This year, right on cue in early April the blue birds returned only to be met by a very determined sparrow.  The determined sparrow had already killed a swallow in that bird box plus in another bird box.  I guess the blue birds assumed it was too dangerous to build a nest in that bird box this year.  They left and the swallows took over.  Oh, Bill took care of the determined sparrow.  He trapped it and "disposed" of it.  One less sparrow in the world, hooray!

We figured if we couldn't have the bluebirds raising their young in that bird box this year, at least the swallows would have a chance.  That is until the ADHD monster arrived on the scene.

I told Bill "He'll be back."  Bill said, "No, I think that was a one time job Tom (our neighbor) had done."  I disagreed.  I said to Bill, "Oh no, that little destructive monster will be back."  And sure enough, yesterday the little hyperactive brat was back.  However, this time he was staying in the truck.

A ha!  Either his dad knew what he did or this ADHD kid caused trouble at some of his other job locations.  I wanted to go out immediately and have words with Miguel (or whatever his name is.)  Manual, Poncho, Pedro....whatever.  Probably Jesus pronounced "Hey Zeus!"

Bill said don't do anything unless he gets out of the truck.  I agreed with Bill.  I went to our second floor and kept an eagle eye on that truck.  Occasionally I would see The Brat popping out of the driver's window.  One time he was almost all the way out.  This kid has so much energy, he could hardly contained himself.  I figured now was the time to go out and have a discussion with his dad Jorge (pronounced Whore Hey!) or whatever his name is (Juan, Carolos, Fernando or Pablo - take your pick.)

As I was walking towards dad Jose (pronounced Hose Hey!) on his tractor, he stopped immediately and looked at me with dread.  He knew this was trouble.  The kid pokes his stupid little head out the driver's side of dad's truck, a HUGE smile on his face.  This kid is ready to do Major Destruction.  I say "Ola", which I think is a standard form of Hispanic greeting.  But then my Spanish fails me.  I know a few words like "Amigo", and "Gracias" but none of those words will apply to this situation.  I figure the best thing to do is speak very slowly in English (or as they say "Inglis") and do a lot of motioning with my hands.

The Little Terror has the driver's side door open, ready to pop out and cause mayhem

I got his attention.  Pointing to his brat in the truck I say "Someone opened that bird box (I point to the bird box) and took out the nest."  Pointing to his monster, I say "I have reason to believe that it was him!"  I continue (motioning my arms wildly hoping this would make him understand I am really pissed), "No! No! No!"  And pointing to destructive little monster that he has in the truck, I say "An this isn't funny!" (like he understood me.  Made me feel good to say it.)

I motioned again to the bird box and say as loud as I can "NO!"  I think I got through.  In fact, the look on Hector's face (or whatever his name is), led me to believe that he thought I was going to deport him.  I am certain he is an illegal.  He just had that look of utter terror when I approached him.

Once back in our house I continued to monitor the situation.  The Devil's Spawn kept popping in and out of the driver's side window.  Then about a half an hour later went to the door and said something to the kid and opened the door.  Damien sprung out and ran to the side of the house.  Obviously a bathroom call.  After pissing on the side of my neighbor Tom's house he ran right back to the truck and hopped into the cab just like his father Alejandro (pronounced "Alley Hand Dro") told him to do.

Note the Devil's Spawn running towards the tree to take a pee

After his dad finished the lawn mowing (along with another illegal who collected the grass and it in another truck), he opened the door of his truck to let his kid out.  Immediately ADHD kid was doing cartwheels on my neighbor's lawn.  Damn, this kid has about as much energy as that BP induced oil volcano in the Gulf of Mexico.  GET HIM OUT OF HERE!

They left around 5 o'clock.  I could finally take my afternoon nap, secure in the knowledge that a destructive, wild child wasn't going to destroy another bird nest.

The Illegals with their Monster Brat getting out of Dodge

This morning I went out to check the blue bird house and found that another egg has been added.  This make one more to go.  Bluebirds usually lay four eggs.  They take about a week to hatch and about four weeks for the bluebirds to grow into maturity.  During that time I am positive that Pedro, Diego or (oh no, this couldn't be his name "Angel" and Pancho will return.  When they do I will be ready for them.
I'm calling Immigration this time.

The bluebird nest today, a third egg.  Safe...for the time being.

And Then There Were None

Bill had a very trying day today. He called The Garage and his car still wasn't ready. He asked me to drop him off at The Garage at 12 noon and he would wait for it. Yesterday was our day to go to the Sam's Club in Dover, thirty nine miles away. We would have to do it today. But first, Bill had to get his '91 Jeep Cherokee out of The Garage. Of course when he went down they hadn't even started on the repairs. They did when they saw he was waiting. Two and a half hours later they told him they were finished. Frustrated, Bill paid the bill and stormed out of The Garage. Note, I refer to "The Garage" that way because that is the name of the auto repair business we patronize on Route 1, across from The Hampton Inn in Rehoboth Beach.

On the way home Bill noticed his "Check Engine" light was still on. They hadn't fixed the main reason he went in! That's why he took his car to The Garage. They found the brake problem when they took his car around the back of their place. A brake hose or something like that blew (I know I don't have that right but it was something drastic like that.) Well, the upshot is that Bill is so frustrated with this place he doesn't want to go back. Thus, in that mood we took off to Dover.

Before we left I wanted to check the bluebird box. I heard and saw more than the usual activity around the bluebird box and as I suspected, all the baby bluebirds were out save one. I took his/her picture before we left for Dover.

On the way to Dover we noticed that the traffic headed south was backed up. Ah yes, this is Friday afternoon when The Horde (tourists, weekenders, etc) descend on our fair beaches in coastal Sussex County. As year round residents we know to avoid travel on Route 1 both north and south on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. These are the days of the travel vans, SUV's and car with bike racks full on the back, and the young girls driving shotgun with their flip flop shod feet propped up on the dashboard ("Hey! We're at the beach! Time to relax and let loose and show everyone I'm one cool chick!") Oh how we love it. But, these are the folks that keep the economy going so I shouldn't be complaining. However I did see a cool bumper sticker:

"Welcome to the beach. Now go home."

Shopping at Sam's Club was extra fun today with the late Friday afternoon crowd. We never experienced that before and we don't plan to again anytime soon. Usually we go very early during a weekday morning but our schedule has been thrown all off kilter because of Bill's car getting repaired. On the way back we had to stop at the Super Wal-Mart in Milford because that is the ONLY PLACE in Lower Slower that I can get my Turkey Hill Decaf Orange Diet Ice Tea. THE ONLY PLACE. Again, shopping in Wal-Mart Friday afternoon is an extra special experience. The people, the people. I wonder sometimes do I look as strange and weird to them as they do to me? Man oh man. There are some doozies that shop at the Wal-Mart, especially the Jabba the Huts riding around on those motorized shopping carts in the store.

Returning home we were right in the middle of the Friday afternoon weekend rush to the shore. One thing I've never been able to quite figure out, what is the rush? Why do so many of our out of state tourists feel they have to break the speed limit, weave in and out of traffic to get to the shore to relax? What's THAT all about?

Well, we finally got home. Now it's unwind time. I checked the bluebird box and, as I suspected, it is empty. The last bluebird is out. That puts a punctuation mark to a very interesting day.

Bluebirds Growing Fast

The second batch of baby bluebirds is growing fast! I haven't been checking this batch as often as I checked the first batch. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that this bluebird box held four pastel blue eggs. Judging by the knowing eyes of the baby bluebirds this morning, it looks like they will be out of their nest sometime next week. Then the bluebird box will be empty until next year.

The Purple Martins continue to reproduce. I thought I had a problem a few days ago. One of the baby Purple Martins was on the ground at the base of the Purple Martin house but couldn't fly. For about four hours the young Purple Martin tried to fly but couldn't. Except for a few feeble flaps of its wings, it stayed on the ground, waiting for its parents to feed it. It's a good thing I don't have cats because they would have made quick work of that vulnerable young bird.

Bill was getting concerned that the young Purple Martin would die from the heat. He suggested that I put it back in it's nest in one of the Purple Martin house compartments. I wondered if this was the same baby Purple Martin I had rescued a few weeks ago who was also at the base of the birdhouse. The bird I rescued was so young it's eyes weren't even open and it had not developed any feathers yet. I pulled down the Purple Martin house and placed it in one of the compartments with other young birds about its same age. That is the same thing I did with this new baby Purple Martin I found, I placed it back in the same nest.

Alas, the next day there it was again, flapping around at the base of the Martin birdhouse. Bill and I decided to leave it there and let Mother Nature take it's course. Good news. About an hour later there was no baby Purple Martin flapping around at the base of the birdhouse. We missed the takeoff but that is apparently what happened. After a slow start, that baby Purple Martin is now soaring with its brothers and sisters. Mission accomplished!

Second Bluebird Batch

First thing I did when I got home from work at the hotel was to check my bluebird house to see if those eggs hatched. They did! This is the second batch this season. Last year the bluebirds used the same box to raise two batches of bluebirds. I'm very proud that I provided a safe nesting place for one pair of our native bluebirds. My father used to do this for years until he died in August of 2000. I have picked up where he left off. He would have liked that.

Then There Were Four

First thing when I returned home from Pennsylvania yesterday was check my bluebird box. Ah ha! As I suspected, it now contained four perfect blue oval eggs. The second batch of bluebirds is on its way!

The Purple Martin house is fully occupied with Purple Martins raising their young. One of the other bluebird houses is occupied by a swallow and her four perfect white eggs, which will hatch any day now. The house sparrows have found nesting places on nearby properties because I see them all around. I saw several dozen flitting about in their normal raucous activity as I took my walk a few nights ago. All is well in the bird habitat in our little corner of the world here on the Delmarva peninsula.

Ah One and Ah Two!

My resident bluebirds have begun their second batch. Yesterday the first egg was laid. This morning another pastel blue egg was added to their neat nest. By the time I get back Thursday I expect to see two more additional eggs in their nest.

Tomorrow I'm going to Pennsylvania to visit my Mom and attend the graduation ceremonies for the DHS Class of 2009 as a 50th anniversary guest. In a way I really don't want to go because I love my home here in Delaware so much I hate to miss even one day. But I do have some business to take care of in Pennsylvania and I would like to attend that graduation ceremony. There is only one time that I have the opportunity to be a 50th anniversary guest (DHS Class of 1959) and I don't want to pass up the opportunity. I'll take pictures and maybe even a video or two. We'll see. I just hope this isn't a bust and I'm viewed as some ancient fossil. Actually, I don't care if I am. I just think it will be interesting. Of course I'll probably be the only member of my class who attends.

This morning I found a new plant place. It's called the Sandy Hill Greenhouse and it's on Sand Hill road, about ten miles from where I live. I loved it. This nursery is my new plant center. Mark the owner was talking to me and he said this is his second year in the retail business. Prior to this he was in the wholesale business but decided to make a go of it in the retail trade. He said so far this year business has been slow but I predict he will do very well. He has a big nursery with a large selection and all his plants are healthy and vibrant. I told him his business will build by word of mouth. When we Plant People find a good place we put the Word out. I was advised by my friend MJ in Milton to check out this garden center. Thank you MJ!

I took the drive this morning to see if my check engine light came on again. It did. In fact it was on the whole time I went up and came back. When I got home I called my garage and told them of the problem. They told me to bring the car down. I go out to my car, turn it on and the check engine light isn't on now. This is going to drive me crazy. So I called The Garage (yes folks, that is the name of my garage) and told them that the check engine light wasn't on now. Hmmm.

There always seems to be some little nagging thing like this to get on my nerves. I'm going to have to put this out of my mind and enjoy my trip to PA tomorrow. What's good about my trips to PA is that I always come back here, my beautiful home in Delaware. To me each day I spend here is like a vacation day. I love it!

New Bluebird Nest!

New bluebird nest





















Purple Martin eggs




We have a new bluebird nest! After a delay of about ten days, mama and papa bluebird have built a new, neat nest. The bluebird pair is apparently the same because the Biggest Bluebird I’ve Ever Seen, is again perched atop the bluebird box. Of course there were a few forays into the bluebird box by the errant house sparrow but the Biggest Bluebird I’ve Ever Seen quickly took care of that unwelcomed intruder.

In a day or two I expect to see four small blue bluebird (what other color would they be?) eggs in the new bluebird nest. In about a month the new baby bluebirds will be grown and out exploring their new world just like their sisters and brothers are doing now.

The swallows have built a nest in one of the other bluebird houses. Their pure white eggs are nestled in another neat nest lined with white feathers. It’s interesting that each bird has its own unique nest. The Purple Martins don’t build so much of a nest as they line the bottom of their aluminum compartment with broad pieces of straw. The Purple Martin eggs are also pure white. Only the house sparrow eggs are a tan with brown dots. The house sparrow nests are a mess. Everything and anything is in their nest from trash to straw and plastic.

The Purple Martins quickly claimed the last compartment in their tall six apartment birdhouse when I removed the sparrow nest on Monday. From what I can tell the Purple Martins have already raised one batch of young ones and are now working on the second batch. I think the Purple Martins only raise two batches of young ones before they leave for the season.

This year, for the first time, both of the gourds hanging beneath the Purple Martin house area occupied by swallows. One gourd was occupied by another Taliban sparrow but it only took two cleanings to get that sparrow out of there. I think the house sparrows took up in my neighbor’s birdhouses.

Each evening Bill and I sit out on our deck and watch the Purple Martins sort out their pecking order. We enjoy their graceful swooping of the swallows over our back yard looking for a meal. The bluebirds seem to be more preoccupied with guarding their nest and feeding their young. They make no noise at all whereas the Purple Martins are always squawking about something. We will miss them all when they leave later this summer. Then the quiet in our backyard will be deafening.

Reflections on a Rainy Friday Afternoon

Yesterday was cloudy. Today a gentle rain falls. While the rain is good for the local farmers it isn’t helping my energy level to do something around this house. Gray skies and rain has a way of doing that to my mood. While I like to hear the rainfall on the side of my house and watch the rivulets of water running down my windows, it doesn’t encourage me to attack my storage room downstairs in the basement and finish unpacking the boxes I moved down here in November 2006. Yes, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I still have unpacked boxes from our move from Pennsylvania almost 2 ½ years ago. I have to wait for the mood to hit me. That hasn’t happened yet.

I don’t have to go to work at the hotel until Monday so I have the whole weekend off. Unfortunately, rain is forecast for the next five days. Bill and I just about have the two new raised flowerbeds ready to be filled in with dirt. We will have to put that on hold until clear skies appear again over our southern Delaware skies. I also work next Friday at the hotel then I’m off until the Fourth of July weekend in which I work those three days in a row. That means I’m off a whole three weeks! I would love to visit my brother in South Carolina and take a swing up to my dad’s roots in the hills of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, near Johnson City, Tennessee. However, I don’t have the money for such a trip nor the energy. I think at 67 I am beginning to wear out.

Yesterday I called my Aunt Mabel who is 87 years old. She’s not doing well. I remember something she told me years ago. She said she knew she was getting old when she was 72. She said that was when she realized she didn’t have the boundless energy she had all of her life prior to that year. My Mother said something similar around the same age. After hoeing eight rows of corn in my Dad’s vegetable garden, she told me “Ronnie, I just can’t do this anymore.” I now understand whereof my aunt and Mother speak. Yesterday I put in a good two hours digging up the area for the two new raised flower beds. It just about killed me. I took a two hour afternoon nap to recoup my strength. This is scary because I’m only 67. There was a time when I thought 40 was old. Of course that’s when I was 22 years old. Now that I’m an Old Geezer I think 67 is young. Ha! Actually I don’t feel bad about getting old but there definitely are more aches and pains now that I’m approaching my eighth decade on this earth.

Not to change the subject, but I will. The bluebirds haven’t set up their new household yet but I think that is because the bluebird parents are still looking after their previous batch. Yesterday afternoon I saw several bluebirds flying around my neighbor’s house. However, as the picture on this blog attests, the Big Bluebird is sitting atop the bluebird house. He has been chasing away all potential tenants such as the Taliband House Sparrow and swallows. I predict within two weeks a new bluebird nest will be full of five tiny blue eggs. This is one my great joys of living where I do so I can have a backyard habitat to provide a safe and secure nesting location for the bluebirds.

Yesterday I pulled down the Purple Martin house to check to make sure there weren’t any dead baby Purple Martins like I found last year. Two of the apartments had baby Purple Martins. They were so quiet when I open the front door to their apartment. The other apartments had nesting material but were empty of baby Purple Martins. As I suspected, those young Purple Martins had already taken wing. It’s interesting to see them learn to fly. At first they venture out only a few feet before they fly back to the Purple Martin house. Eventually, they soar higher and further out from the house until they’re just a speck in the distance. I don’t know how many Purple Martin batches there are but I do know they make the back yard come alive with their lively cacophony of noise.

The rain is falling against the window like it does in the movies. This is a good time to snuggle up to a good book in my bed and drift off to a Friday afternoon nap. Life is good in southern Delaware, even when it rains.

Then There Were None Left

The bluebird box is now empty. It only took one more day until the lone remaining baby bluebird took the plunge and left the bluebird box. Bill said he thinks he saw it on the neighbor's screen in porch roof, along with its brothers and sisters.

I cleaned out the nesting in the box and washed it down with hot water to kill the mites. I left the door open several hours for it to dry out. Now the box is ready for the next batch. Bill says he has already seen one of the adult bluebirds chase away other birds from the box. By this time next week I predict the bluebirds will have a new nest built in the box in preparation for the next batch of baby bluebirds.

I have three bluebird boxes in my back yard but this is the only bluebird box that is used by the bluebirds. The two other bluebird boxes are empty. I'm looking forward to the day when all three bluebird boxes are producing baby bluebirds. There is nothing like the feeling of seeing bluebirds in your back yard, flying around with sun shining off of their iridescent blue feathered wings. I'll take that experience any day over fighting the traffic on Route 1 to get to Rehoboth Beach to feed a parking meter and then lay on the beach and bake in the sun.

Then There Was One Left

Yesterday afternoon, as Bill was preparing to mow the lawn he noticed an increase in activity around the bluebird house. He went over to the bluebird house and saw a baby bluebird hiding in the cover at the base of the bluebird house. Bill came in and told me that one of the baby bluebirds was out of the box and asked me if I wanted to take pictures. I got my camera and rushed outside.

I had suspected that the baby bluebirds would be out ("pop") of their box and that is just what happened. The baby bluebirds were out trying their new wings. From my experience with raising two bluebird batches from this same box last year I knew that the baby bluebirds didn't fly right out of the box and into the wild blue yonder. They take a day or two flopping around in the ground cover and shrubbery around the bluebird box until their wings are ready for full flight. That is what was happening yesterday afternoon.

I cautioned Bill not to disturb the baby bluebirds too much or else they would flop right through the fence that separates our property from our neighbor's property. My neighbor doesn't have any ground cover for the baby bluebirds but he does have two dogs which he lets out in the afternoon. Those dogs would make quick work of any baby bluebird flopping around in panic on the ground in my neighbor's back yard mined with stale dog poop.

As I usually do when the baby bluebirds exit their box, I checked the box. Much to my surprise I discovered one baby bluebird was still in the box. Cowering in the corner of the poop filled bluebird box, the poor thing seemed to know it missed the train. This baby bluebird must have been in back of the bird box and didn't get feed as much as the other three baby bluebirds in the box. I did notice that the baby bluebird nearest the entrance was the biggest. I'm sure the parents tried to get food to the babies in the back but this little one must have really been far back. More proof that the random chance of birth order has consequences.

Initially I was concerned that the parents would forget the one baby bluebird left in the box but I'm sure they have encountered this situation before. The adult bluebirds continue to feed the three baby bluebirds that are out of the box. Bill has seen them also feed the one remaining baby still in the house. Maybe today the little one will join its brothers and sisters outside and start on its life adventure in this wonderful but dangerous world. This is the one time I'm glad I don't have cats that are roaming the grounds.

Ready to Pop

Those baby bluebirds, how fast they grow. They are ready to pop out of that blue bird house. Maybe today or tomorrow. I hope it's a sunny day when they make their grand entry into the world.

Yesterday I cleaned out two more house sparrow nests out of the Purple Martin house. I think that should do it. I haven't seen the sparrows rebuilding their nest. Maybe they got the message, build somewhere else.

Right after I took this baby bluebird photo this morning, I noticed the sparrow watching me from the perch on top of the bluebird house. Obviously trying to throw a guilt trip on me. Won't work buddy. You're outta here.

Baby Bluebird Update

There was a lot of activity around the baby bluebird box this morning. The parents are making more and more frequent food drops at the entrance to the birdhouse. Usually, this means that the baby bluebirds are rapidly maturing and might be out of their home in a week or ten days. I will try to take a picture every day. This is today's picture taken about a half an hour ago. When I opened the front of the bird box, they started to come forward for their food but then they took one look at me and probably thought "You ain't my mama!"

Bluebird Progress

Just a short blog today on the baby bluebird progress. Yesterday my Internet service provider, Verizon, was down for about 17 hours. That outage threw my schedule all out of whack. I worked a the hotel today. I just got off. I have three knock out rose bushes to plant and about ten geraniums to insert into planters. Then it's time to relax this weekend. Maybe watch a few DVD's, go out to breakfast with Bill, do a little yard work. One thing is for sure, I don't have to get out on Route One and join that parking lot. Oh yes, the Weekend Hord is descending as I type this entry.

The baby bluebirds are progressing quite well. I was concerned because there appears to be a dominant baby bluebird who is hogging the entry. I was afraid that the other four bluebirds wouldn't get enough food. However, I have observed the parents going around the dominant baby bluebird to make sure the others in the nest get their fair share. I guess the parents have dealt with this situation before. They know what they're doing.

More tomorrow once I get back on schedule. Thank you Verizon.

By the way, no surprises at work. The waters were roiling but seem to have settled down to a low simmer. Still not gone but not coming to a head either. Stay tuned.

Good Morning Sunshine

What do we have here? Why it looks like the dominant member of the baby bluebird Batch of Five. A short while ago I went out to the bluebird box to take my latest progress picture of the first batch of bluebirds this year and this is what greeted me. Apparently, Skeeziks here figured out this is where the food come in and he (she) is going to be first in line. I dare not open the bluebird box lest this one falls out. Mama bluebird was nearby keeping observing. I think she knows that I am not a threat to her babies.

The Purple Martins are doing fine in their house. The one lower apartment that I had such a devil of a time getting rid of the sparrows is now occupied by a Purple Martin family. Last week when I threw out the sparrow nest; eggs and all. That did the trick. The sparrows have been coming back with decreasing frequency looking in the other apartments for its eggs but no go. This afternoon I checked an apartment on the front of Purple Martin house. I haven't seen any Purple Martin activity up there. I pulled down the birdhouse and checked the apartment. Sure enough it was stuffed to the ceiling with straw, weeds, trash and whatever else the sparrow could find. Out it went. And for good measure I checked the other hanging gourd. Yep. Another sparrow nest. That one went out too. No eggs in either one. They're building new nests as I type this. I'll wait until they lay their eggs then I'll take the whole shebang out. We can fight this battle all summer but there is no way any house sparrow is going to raise their young in any of my birdhouses. Tain't happening.

Today was/is a beautiful sunny day for a change. Rain is forecast for this weekend though. I just returned from Peppers, a local nursery, with geraniums for my container pots. My neighbor put out a beautiful geranium planter this morning. I cannot let that go unchallenged. Yes, we do the lawn thing and we have a friendly competition in container planting. I love living in a neighborhood like this where we can enjoy one another's efforts instead of battling the deer like I did at my home in Pennsylvania.

The waters of unrest continue to roil at work. I can't go into much detail on this blog but I did want to make the point that all is not well at work. Things should come to a head this week. I hope I can continue to work there because I love my job and the people I work with. I'm good at what I do but sometimes that's not enough when other factors come into play to sap one's enthusiasm about going to work. My rule has always been if I dread going to work, then I'm in the wrong job. I hope things work out at work but if not, then that is the way it was meant to be. Life will go on. I have a comfortable and lovely home. I have more than enough to do around here to keep me busy. Of course I wouldn't be making as many trips to Peppers.

Now I'm off to go outside and enjoy some of this late afternoon sun. This is my favorite time of day in the summer. Just me, one with nature. No worries about living up to someone else's unrealistic expectations. This is the way I live my life at this moment in time.

Rainy Sunday in Lewes

On this gray and dreary Sunday in May I had little energy to do anything but read a book and take a long nap. After I did that I suggested to Bill that we hit the Dairy Queen again in Lewes for another take at one of those Banana Cream Pie Blizzard shakes. He agreed so off we went to Lewes.

It took awhile to get out of our development, located on the right side of Route 1. We had to wait for a break in the Horde traffic of vehicles , i.e., the weekenders returning to their homes in the after spending a rainy weekend in the Delmarva peninsula. Nary a vehicle going south on Rt. 1 but wave after head lighted wave of vehicles headed north on Rt. 1. Bless their hearts. I hope they left a lot of money during their weekend sojourn to our coastal shores.

Down the rain slicked highway we went, turning left on New Road for our entry into Lewes. Over the Canal Street Bridge to the Dairy Queen located on Savannah Road, one short block from the bay beach in Lewes. I didn't have to wait in line to order our 5,000 calorie concoctions that would ruin our appetites for the rest of the day (I'm still stuffed and it's 7:30 as I type this blog entry.) I assured the young lady that waited on me that sunny days are forecast for the coming week. She said "Anything to get rid of this boredom." Not a pretty day at the beach folks.

Thus armed with two medium gut busters (aka Banana Cream Pie Blizzards), I headed back out to the car. I asked Bill to hold my Blizzard while I cranked up the car to head down Cedar Road to the end of the canal where the Broadkill River meets the Rehoboth-Lewes Canal and Delaware Bay. We would indulge ourselves with our treats while watching the fishermen at the jetty. That all went well until one of the fishermen got a bite. Excitedly we watched as he reeled in his catch. I don't know what it was but it had what looked like wings. I think it was a sting ray. The fisherman got out a stick he had in his bag and beat it off his hook and threw it back into the bay. Nice. Now I really have an appetite. Another living creature ruined for the benefit of man.

We left the scene of the casual brutality. I didn't feel like going home so we took a ride down to the end of Pilottown Road. I wanted to see what was down there. Working at the front desk at the hotel I'm often asked questions about areas I haven't seen so today was a good time to see those areas. Hopefully I wouldn't see another fisherman pull some sea creature out of the ocean and beat it to death with a stick. We didn't. We had a nice ride and I found the University of Delaware's sea station (I can't remember the formal name of the place) at the end of Pilottown Road. Now I know. I still didn't feel like going home so I suggested to Bill that we visit our friend Big Bob who lives near Georgetown, Delaware. Off we go down Rt. 9 to Big Bob's hacienda.

Off we go down almost deserted, gray dreary roads this May Sunday in our coastal resort community. There was little evidence of the summertime hordes of tourists. Big Bob was home. We had a pleasant visit. I brought him up to date on the latest gossip. His partner Jim (aka "Big Jim") was at work. Thus we had a comfortable visit. No Jim Drama today. Maybe another day we can bear witness to one of Jim's hissy fits or meltdowns. We invited Big Bob over for dinner sometime in the next week or two when Jimbo is off at work. It must get lonely for our friend when he's left alone in his double wide without benefit of cable or a computer connection. And we always enjoy Big Bob's company.

Arriving home I checked out the bluebird box to see how this year's batch if progressing. As the picture on this blog shows, they are doing quite well. I have some good news on the Invasion of the Sparrows front. The Determined Sparrow finally gave up making a nest in that one Purple Martin apartment. The Purple Martins have taken over. The trick was to throw out the sparrow nest with the eggs in it. Prior to this I was just throwing out the sparrow nest. That wasn't working because they would just build a new sparrow nest. Next year I will only have one clean out of sparrow nests, after they lay their eggs. Not something I like to do but I have to make a safe place for my Purple Martins and bluebirds. The sparrows don't rule in my back yard.

Pictured also on this blog are my "Knock Out Roses", or as Bill calls them "Punched Out Roses." They are performing spectacularly well this year. Only problem is when the Japanese Beetles emerge in about two weeks. Then I will have a major problem on my had getting rid of those pests just like I did last year. I had to spray insecticides on my plants because it kills everything including beneficial insects like praying mantises of which I had many last year. I tried to pick off as many Japanese Beetles as I could last year but quickly became overwhelmed.

Sun is forecast for this week. Hallelujah! I know all this rain is good for the farmers but we're getting moldy with all this moisture. The dreariness of gray, raining days is draining the energy out of me. I'm way overdue in updating my "Tipton Tales and Trails" blog. I'm even overdue in a housecleaning but I just can't seem to get my engines started on days like this. I'm reminded of the old Beetles song on their Abbey Road album, "Here Comes the Sun." It can't come soon enough. Right now I feel like I'm in a yellow submarine.

Super Bluebird

Lots going on here in Ron's World. Today I'm going to stick with the progress of my baby bluebirds in their bluebird house which is guarded by the biggest bluebird I've ever seen. It's a Super Bluebird! He's been fighting off swallows and sparrows from his five baby bluebirds. So far he has been able to repel all attacks from the barbarians.

As you can see from the picture I took a few minutes ago, the baby bluebirds haven't opened their eyes yet. That will probably happen in the next day or two. I will keep the readers of this blog posted when that event happens. In about a week they will be covered in a soft down of blue hued feathers. In about a month they're out on their own in the big world.

I always feel guilty when I open the front of the bluebird box to take my progress pictures. But I think Super Bluebird understands because he goes away a short distance and watches from his perch from my neighbor's screened in deck. As soon as I finish taking my pictures and turn around to return to the house, he flies back to his perch on top of the bluebird house. He looks at me and I can sense he understands that I am not a threat to his babies.

One more day of work then I have a few days off until Saturday when I go in to fill in for another co-worker who has a class. Tonight I'm filling in for a co-worker who is vacationing in Ireland (must be nice.) I have to get up to Pennsylvania to visit my Mom. I also have to return some genealogical items to my cousin Elsie Mae. I borrowed her parent's funeral books back when the winds were blowing cold. The trees are now green and the temperatures are warmer. I haven't been able to travel to Pennsylvania recently because I had a cold, too much rain, and my erratic work schedule at the hotel. I foresee sunny days and a clear work schedule in my future and I better make the trip soon. If I don't my family members may disown me.

This is a short post because I have to get ready for work. These four day work schedule are a bit much for me. I've gotten too used to the freedom of only working one or two days a week, Mondays and Thursdays. Four or five days in a row is a killer. I guess I got out of practice. I'm glad I have a job and a job that I like. Except perhaps for the issues I'm having with the owner but that is another whole story. I haven't decided yet whether or not I want to post that drama on my blog. Right now I'm going to put all of that out of my mind and enjoy this sunny, warm day.

Baby Blue Birds

The baby blue bird eggs have hatched. All five of them. This is the second year the blue birds have nested in on of the three blue bird boxes I have bordering my backyard. It is the same box they nested in last year. They raised two batches of baby blue birds, five at a time, last year. They don't nest in the other two boxes. Occasionally the sparrows build make a half hearted effort to build a nest in the other blue bird houses but don't follow through. They prefer one of the apartments in the Purple Martin house. And that isn't happening no matter how many times they build their nest. But that is a subject for another blog.

This morning Bill and I visited the East Coast Garden Center near Millsboro on Rt. 24. I saw a pair of perfect rhododendron plants which I prompty purchased. I brought them back and planted them on the north side of our house, which gets some sun, but not a lot of sun which is what rhododendron plants prefer. Now that side of our house is complete. The pink of the rhododendron plants will perfectly compliment the cream color of the house.

It is humid this morning so I had to take a shower after I was done. I'm going to work this afternoon and the next three days. Yes, another marathon work schedule. Normally I work Mondays only but this weekend I'm filling in for Monica who wants to spend more time with her son before he ships off to Iraq next week. On Tuesday my co-workers Bob leaves for his first trip to Ireland. I would have liked to visit my Mother this Mother's Day weekend but that will have to wait until maybe next week.

I am so glad the baby blue birds have hatched. Now the summer season is official.