The Birds of MasterWorks Studios

The Grail Bird

2010-02-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

In 2004 there was a confirmed sighting of an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Arkansas. A man named Tim Gallagher from Cornell University, who had been tracking it for decades, read about a strange woodpecker sighting on a canoe club website, followed up on it and sure enough there it was. Previous to this discovery, it had been since 1944 that the bird had been spotted. Tim Gallagher wrote a book "The Grail Bird" about his search for and eventually finding the bird and his hopes for “one final chance to get it right, to save this bird and the bottomland swamp forests it needs to survive."

Here on the grounds of MasterWorks Studios we occasionally see a similar bird, the Piliated Woodpecker. John was on his way out to work on a bronze restoration project one January day and was able to snap this picture of the bird feeding on the suet feeder outside his shop window. The Ivory-Billed woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America with a wingspan of 30 to 33 inches. Our Pileated, the second-largest, has a wingspan of 26 to 30 inches. There are other visual differences in the birds’ appearance like the white and black markings on its face and neck.

There are at least two of the Pileated woodpeckers that have flown over and fed on our property since we moved out here over ten years ago. Like the bluebirds, we did NOT see this bird when we lived in the city and it was a treat to see the first time we spotted it! It has a distinct call too, almost seems primitive and a little eerie, but cool and we are so lucky to have it around! We wish some day we could see some babies!

Webster Dictionary defines “grail” as “the object of an extended or difficult quest” so after spending 30 years looking for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker I’d say it was an appropriate word to use in naming his book. It was encouraging news to hear of the validated sighting of the Ivory-Billed bird not only to Tim Gallagher but even to people that were only remotely interested in birds and wildlife! It was a symbol of hope that maybe all the horrible, discouraging news we hear about our environment isn’t the only side of the story. Maybe there is still hope!

As the Ivory-Billed was a welcome site to Tom a few years ago, our Pileated is always a welcome site to us and symbolic of our personal hope and trust in the future. We don’t see it very often but it makes itself known often enough that we know it is there. It reminds me that this time of year, when winter is lingering and days are gray day after day, week after week, we know spring is out there and will return. Flowers will bloom, trees will re-leaf, the ground will dry out, life will go on……

Bird Gifts

2010-01-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

From the time of the first cave people, we've been transforming bird images into artwork and putting them on items in our everyday lives. We've drawn them on dirt walls and pottery, weaved them into baskets and fabrics, painted them onto airplanes, billboads, kites and cars, hats and shirts and yes, even matchbooks. I am a lucky person. Not only do I have the awesome outdoor birds here at MasterWorks Studios to observe and entertain me, but I have awesome sweet human friends that give me bird "things" for my indoor collection!

I have birds on my walls, desks, tables and nightstands. It'd be safe to say they are in every room. Images of birds are on my coffee mug in the morning, on my singing bird clock throughout the day and on the walls of my halls.

Why is it we are so fascinated with birds? I believe it is because they are like works of art - beauty for the eye, ear and soul. And they can fly! I'm sure I'm not the only one that has had dreams of flapping my arms until I get them going fast and strong enough to lift me off the ground! Ann Murray sings "and if I could you know that I would fly-ey-ey-ey-ey....away with you!" In the Caribbean song "Yellow Bird" the singer laments "Yellow Bird, You can fly away in the sky away, you're more lucky than me...I wish I was a Yellow Bird, I'd fly away with you!"

Birds are living miracles. How do they live outdoors in below-freezing weather? How do even the tiniest of them fly for thousands of miles every winter and return to the same tree every spring? How does each one have its own beautiful song, totally different from all the others? There is nothing like the song of a bird for hope and insipiration and soothing of the soul. Emily Dickinson states it so eloquently on a bird bookmark I received recently:

Hope is the thing with feathers,

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without words

And never stops at all.

God, thank You for the beautiful gift of birds. And thank You for the beautiful gift of friends that bring joy to my heart and bird gifts to enjoy inside on this cold cold day.

Each has it's Own Talents

2009-09-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

This evening while I was getting ready to feed our dogs, Chip and Birdie, I heard that distinctive but rattling call. It was out on the top of the owl house - where lots of our bird visitors like to perch. The Belted Kingfisher was enjoying the cool evening as he happily preened and fluffed himself. He was quite content until he noticed me with my camera. I was obviously interrupting his ambiance as he would stop and stare at me every time I moved. Pesky people.

Besides the distinctive call and of course the obvious tufted head, the kingfisher also has another unique trait. It is one of those few birds that can hover over its prey until just the right moment then plunge headfirst into water to claim its reward. In the many years we have lived here on the grounds of MasterWorks Studios, I have NEVER seen the bird do this. All my bird books say it is true though, and I believe it. The books also say that the birds often live near streams and perhaps they use the hovering technique as they roam up and down the stream. Here on our property they fish from a pond so just sit in one place until they see dinner.
Whatever the case may be I always enjoy seeing this bird. It is different. It is a loner. The sources say it nests in the same cavity every year and I have never seen that either. It is elusive. We don't all follow the flock and please the crowds. Some of us just like to mind our own business and do our thing. But it doesn't mean we don't have talents! Each has their own gifts!! I appreciate you little bird, even though I scared you away. Come back any time!

Going....staying.....going....GOING!!

2009-08-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last time I wrote about the wren's building a nest in the house outside our computer window. It was interesting to watch the process so closely. The building activity slowly changed to signs that there were eggs as the female did not come out as often and the male would bring her little bugs all day long while she sat. Eventually we heard little peeps and twitters (the real kind!) and we knew the endeavor was a success.

For days the wren parents fed their babies from the time they awoke in the morning until they finally rested at sunset. Occassionally we would see the little open mouths at the entrance hole as parent would approach and every day the mouths stuck out farther. One day, two or three weeks after the feeding had started I was lucky enough to be present for a very special event.

The wren parents were not around. Various little beaks would stick out of the hole then retreat. But one little beak kept sticking out farther and farther and staying out longer. Eventually I saw the eyes, then the entire head of this bird. It was more than a baby, it almost looked full grown! If I moved it quickly retreated so I stayed very still and slowly more of the bird emerged. The picture on the right shows half of the bird exposed and I believe this was a magical moment. I don't know exactly how birds process information but if I may personify for a moment - wow! It's first eyes on the world outside of it's safe little world inside the box where food is served all day and it is warm and cozy with other hatchlings cuddled up next to you! It was obvious it was feeling the urge to jump out. It was making little motions just like the ones a perosn makes the first time they jump from a diving board. Yes, I'm going, No I'm waiting. Going. Waiting....going...going.....NO waiting...going....no....YES GOING!!!!!! The little bird took off and zig zagged to the nearest cedar tree. It could fly!

By now Mom and Dad had noticed the escape and hovered around. They found the brave little soul and continued to feed it and the babies in the house until after a few days they had all taken their maiden journeys.

It happens thousands of times every summer - baby birds leave the nest. But that day, as I shared the event with that special one I felt just like it must have felt. As that bird left the nest, soon I will be entering the world of job searching and I am just as cautious as that little bird seemed to be. It is a huge world out there full of unknowns. But I know I have to go. I will jump out and will probably zigzag like baby wren. Hopefully I will find a safe haven like it did and fly away strong and happy...not looking back but forward into a new adventure! Good luck to you little bird and good luck to me - God is with us both.

Nest Building Up Close

2009-06-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Recently I was reading an article from National Geographic titled “Minds of their Own - Animals are Smarter than You Think.” Of course they are, I've know that for most of my life. But the ways they learn are very complex and so very interesting. One of the cases cited was about a story we’ve followed for years about Alex the African Gray parrot that worked with Irene Pepperberg for about 30 years. The bird learned names for multiple combinations of shapes and colors and communicated appropriate words at particular situations as when other birds in the lab were practicing sounds and Alex would bolt out “Speak Clearly”!!” Yes, this is all true! Information gathered about HOW learning happens in the Alex studies was later applied to DVD learning modules for children suffering from autism. A truly awesome and inspiring story.

Starting about one week ago we had our own little demonstration of bird analytic skills and amazing feats right outside our computer window. One day while John was taking a break from bronze restoration he painted and put up the wren house in the picture above. After chasing off some wasps and bumblebees that tried to make this their new home, a pair of wrens found the little chalet and started building! It has unbelievable to see how tenacious these birds are. At daybreak they are up and at it and hardly take any breaks through the day (except for a quick song or two as illustrated by the photo on the right). Even though the temps were in the 90's last week they kept a steady pace. I wish the house was glass so we could watch the progress inside.

One of the most interesting things, that we never see when observing from a distance is that some of the twigs the birds bring up to put in the house are MUCH longer than the width of the hole. See top picture. We figured the male must have built before - he started off pretty savvy about getting the sticks sideways to push them through. But the little female must have been a first-time builder. She would come up to the hole with the too-long twig crossways and push her tiny body against the hole several times, turn around, try again, twist, contort and sometimes get it in. Sometimes she would just drop it in frustration but by the end of the week she figured out how to slide it in sideways - she became a pro!

By Sunday it seemed the birds had started bringing in softer materials to line the nest so I brushed out our dogs and left tufts of hair around the area. Soon they will start laying eggs and a whole new chapter begins. I can't wait to see fuzzy little baby heads sticking out of the hole but most of all I can't wait until winter when I can clean out the house to see this awesome creation that has taken over 100+ "bird-hours" to assemble!

Bird Nests

2009-06-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

Here it is June and again I am behind on the blog. WAY behind! Not that there hasn't been any bird activity - in fact there's been LOTS of that!

John is down at the studio working on a little bronze restoration and I thought I'd take a minute to take photos of these two bird nests I found while cleaning out the houses on the grounds here at MasterWorks in February. Did you know that there are about as many different nest styles as there are kinds of birds? There are even field books printed to help you identify nest and eggs. Many people have seen the neat hummingbird documentary that goes around the internet that shows the thimble-sized little nest they build and I haven't seen one of those yet. I hope to some day!

In the mean time I've got plenty of other interesting nests around here. The pictures are of titmouse on the left and bluebird on the right . We have lots of bluebirds as I've written about before. They make a good sturdy nest and line it with soft materials. On this example it has hairs and mossy material, perfect for tender, featherless baby birds! On the other extreme, you have the titmouse. Every year I say, while I'm cleaning out the birdhouses, "God, if I come back as a bird, please don't let it be as a titmouse. Why? Whatever birds think, I don't know, but for some reason the titmouse makes their nest out of sticks and twigs. That's it. Sticks and twigs. No soft lining, no fluff, just the nest. Here you go babies! They must be tough, or at least they are by the time they get out of that homesite!

Another interesting nest that I'd like to see some day is that of the Baltimore Oriole. From what I hear and read they actually weave a little bag from grasses and attach it to a branch from several spots around the opening of the bag. We had Orioles fly through one year and spend a few days and were they beautiful to see! But they did not come back and I think they nest farther south. That would probably be the place to find their unique nesting craftsmanship. Oh Dear Lord, how did you think of all these neat things! Thank you!

Take Me with You When You Go!

2009-03-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Snowbirds are abundant in the winter here on the grounds of MasterWorksStudios where John does his bronze sculpture restoration. I have been meaning to write about them since November when they first appeared but have not gotten around to it. On Sunday as I looked out my back door near our thistle feeder where John always "accidently" spills some seed on the deck so the birds have a little "extra" treat", there was one sitting there staring back at me. He waited patiently while I went and got my camera and held his frontal pose so I could explain how he got his name.

Actually the scientific name of the bird is "Northern Junco" and there are actually a couple fun theories how they got dubbed the "snow" bird. My favorite one takes into account that the birds are mostly ground feeders and that the lower part of their chest and body is white. Put this together with the fact that they come here only in the winter and you get the conclusion that the snow "stained" those feathers white"! Another popular theory is based on the fact that they come here from the north where there is lots of snow. Even though they do sometimes winter as far south as the Gulf states their breeding range is much farther north in the cooler climates of Canada and higher elevations of our northeast US.

Anyway, the thing the bird reminds me of the most is that old Anne Murray song that goes somethingn like "Oh little snowbird take me with you when you go....to that land of gentle breezes blah blah blah they warmly blow..." Sounds nice doesn't it? "Yes, if I could you know that I would fly y y yy...away with you!!!!!"
Don't worry, spring is almost here!

Robin Office Party

2009-02-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

One reltively warm February day the pond between John's bronze restoration studio and our house, which had been frozen solid for days, started to melt down in an unusual way. There must have been some particles on the ice that absorbed the warm sun rays that in turn melted small little holes into the ice. Of course we would not have noticed this subtle little act of nature, if it had not been for this gathering of robins that discovered it around 2pm that afternoon and decided to have a party! This little flock brought a new meaning to the old saying "gathering around the watering hole!" They hung out for hours around each little melted patch taking drinks and just "hanging out". They really looked like they were having discussions - what would robins talk about...topics of the day and the season - where the best dried berries were in the neighborhood, how far out of the neighborhood each one had wandered, who was seen hanging out with who that might be nesting up together this spring and where some of the best cat-free real estate deals were for safe, dry nest building? Whatever it was, a good time was had by all. Including us humans up on dry ground who got to experience this sweet little party.

Eagle Watching

2009-01-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

In Illinois and Missouri Eagle Watching is a popular winter activity. When the temperatures are very cold and the rivers farther up north freeze, then American Bald Eagles keep moving farther and farther south until rivers are open enough for them to fish. One of my favorite memories is of a cold but sunny day in mid-January when John and I had taken a day off from our work in the bronze repair studio and were driving down the Great River Road up near Marquette State Park. We had just been hiking and were on our way home when we noticed at least 30 cars parked along both sides of the road. We had no idea what was going on but knew it was some kind of spectacle. As we got closer we saw people looking up and little did I know I was about to witness a scene that I would remember with excitement for the rest of my life. The sky was full of large birds that I learned from someone in the crowd were Bald Eagles. As I looked through my binoculars I could see the white heads and tails - but only on some of them. It takes several years for the birds to develop this characteristic trait - before that they are all gray-brown.
There were birds soaring alone and birds in small groups. A few of the groups were the younger birds and they were exhibiting behaviors that I describe as "playing". They would start off together all going the same direction then one would intentionally bump into one of the others, that one would veer around in an arc and bump one of the other ones. This would be followed by more bumping, circling and soaring....eagle dancing!

The action in the sky was only half of the show. Out on the partially frozen river, a dozen or so large eagles stood on the ice near the breaks. Several were feasting on large fish that they had retrieved from the icy waters. This was quite a party!

No wonder people love to watch the eagles. We have been back many times and although we do not always see that much activity we usually at least see a few, even if at a distance it is always exciting to discover them perched in their high spots keeping a keen eye on the river. Oh, by the way, here at MasterWorks we have our own eagles....the ones you see in the pictures were made by our friend Lyle, the Neighborhood WoodWorker/Fisherman from Northern Minnesota. He does quite a fine job on his wood creations (he made the birdhouse in the background too) and I am proud to have some of his work. I wonder when he is working on the eagles, if he is thinking about the same thing they are...fishing, fishing and fishing! Oh yah shure! Yu betcha!

Underrated Bird

2009-01-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

There have been a lot of Blue Jay's on the grounds of John's bronze restoration and repair studio lately. Is it true that West Nile Disease killed off so many crows a few years ago that there is more territory for the jays and they have taken advantage of the available real estate? Whatever the case may be, I have been enjoying these colorful beauties. Sure, they are not as cuddly looking as the little chicadees or snowbirds or titmice. And some people think they are just plain mean. They are loud sometimes when they are threatened, but hey, if you are going to hold that against them, then you must also mention how territorial and aggressive western bluebirds can be and what about the constant fighting of the "sweet" little hummingbirds that everyone loves?!! After all it is a tough world out there and maybe there is something to learn from this bird. Speak up! Tell people what you think! Don't just sit back and be bullied by another creature just because it is five times your size!
This quiet moment for Mr. Blue was taken just before Christmas at our electric warmed bird bath. It was one of those frigid single-digit days and birds were flocking to our feeders and this water. Those prickly branches from the surrounding barberry did not deter one bird - in fact some of them waited their turns directly on the plant!

Is it Spring Yet?

2008-12-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

Last July I wrote about concerns for our bluebird family that always nested in the barnacle house in the corner of our vegetable garden because they chose an alternate location for their third nesting. I finally got around to checking inside this house over the weekend and can report good news. I did NOT find any mites or wasp nests or any broken eggs! What I found was LOTS of nice clean nesting material (mostly dried grass) which consisted of at least two 4-inch nests piled on top of each other. If the birds would have made their third nest on top of this collection the newly hatched babies would have been dangerously close to the entrance hole and may have made their first exit into the world too early!

It was always my theory that one reason it is an advantage for birds to build in a “deep” cavity (and the reason bluebird boxes are designed with the entrance hole approx 8” above the bottom) is because it gives the babies a chance to flutter around and play before they can even think about leaving the nest. This activity helps develop and strengthen their wings so when they do leave the nest the very first time they are more likely to be able to fly UP and get into a relatively safer place vs DOWN where they are much more vulnerable to danger.

At any rate I was glad to see everything in the box looking healthy. I did not mention that what prompted me to check the nest was that Mr. and Mrs. Blue have been hanging out at the box lately. When they are not joyfully fluttering in and out of the box, one sits on top of the house while the other (pictured above) sits on the dried mammoth sunflower stalk next to the house. They sing and chatter to each other the entire time and since the weather had been very cold, then warmed up, I’ve got to wonder if they think it is spring? Maybe. But perhaps, they, like me, are just enjoying the coming of the new season, reflecting back on the past growing season, contemplating their successes and failures and how we can do it all better next year. While I realize they deal with the elements of weather every minute of their lives I will do my best to look after them this winter by providing cozy nesting places and fresh water. At the same time I am glad to be indoors a little more, have the time for more inward reflection from my little window here at MasterWorks Studios, and just sit back and appreciate the awesome power and beauty of nature.

A Wise Visitor

2008-11-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

A couple years ago we had some big problems with water weeds in the fishing pond on the property here at John's marble base studio. Long story short, this past summer there weren't many fish in the pond but there were LOTS of frogs - big frogs, little frogs, tadpoles and every size in between. One day as John was headed to the studio he felt a presence of something but he wasn't sure what it was. As he gazed around the property, there on the south side of the pond, in the branch of an old dogwood tree that had been damaged in the ice storm of 2007, was a large barred owl. When I say the bird was large, barred owls can get up to two feet in length and weigh 1 to 2 pounds and this one was on the up side of these statistics! As you can see in the picture, the owl had focused it's sharp eyesight and keen hearing downward into the water. It had discovered the frog smorgasbord! Before he knew it John witnessed the owl drop from the overhanging perch into the water, snatch a frog with its massive yellow toes, bring it to shore for the feast, then return to the branch to position itself for the next catch. The process went on for hours.

This owl visited periodically for the feast until the frog population corrected itself and it moved on into the surrounding woods for its normal diet of small mammals, bats, birds reptiles, amphibians, insects and earthworms. Last evening after I fed our 3 dogs we were taking a leisurely stroll and my Springer Spaniel suddenly stopped and gazed into a tree. I saw a quick movement but could not hear a thing. After a few seconds I saw our owl lift off, spread its wings and glide out of the tree and around the corner of our shed without the slightest sound. They are such lovely creatures. Can we learn a lesson from the owl? Some people say the term "Wise Old Owl" is not really true - that the owl is really not an extremely intelligent creature. But I disagree. This owl is a reminder to me of some of the most important things in life today: stay focused, supplement your diet with local, seasonal foods whenever possible and fly quietly to leave a small footprint on the earth.

Other Flying Creatures

2008-10-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

Now that the hummingbirds have left us my attention turns to other things that fly the skies at MasterWorks Studios. For the last three years I have planted old fashioned heirloom zinnia seeds given to me from my St. Genevieve friends Charlotte and her mother Florence and each one of those years the beautiful yellow and black butterflies (shown in the image) visit the flowers in late summer. Various other species visit but it is not until mid to late September that the famous Monarchs fly through on their way to Mexico. How lucky we are to get to flag them on their way and what an amazing feat for these almost-weightless creatures to travel thousands of miles to overwinter and reproduce every year.

Before I sign off today I'd also like to honor another one of my new favorite flying things, the honey bee. Now I am NOT talking about the nasty little bees I call "sweat bees" that have given me the only two stings I've gotten in my life! The "sweat" bees are about the same size as the honey bee but are more of a yellow color vs the honey bee's golden tone. No, a honey bee is a very sweet creature that merely tries to make a living moseying from flower to flower gathering pollen to take back to the hive to make honey. As I was cutting back some perennials the other day I got one of those zoomed in views through some branches of one of these little fellows buzzing around a trumpet shaped flower, landing then tiptoeing around and all the way inside the flower until he disappeard. A few seconds later he emerged, covered with pollen. It almost weighted him down as he took off into the blue fall sky! The whole episode was almost as sweet as I know the honey he creates will be in my tea tomorrow morning!

Bye Bye Birdie

2008-09-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

It's mid-September, the time we say goodbye to our hummingbirds for the season as they prepare to migrate south. When we moved and set up John's sculpture restoration and repair studio out into the country an elderly neighbor told us that "out here" the hummingbirds have always arrived about the 15th of April and left September 15. Give or take a day here and there, she has been correct! It is so interesting and fun to observe the birds - from the first time we hear the buzz of the tiny wings in the spring until the last drip of nectar has been sipped in the fall, they provide better entertainment than any money can buy!

The season starts with a few birds - hungry and active from their long trip from South America. The activity slows down in early summer while they are nesting and finding nectar from real flowers. At this time we always wonder where the tiny, thimble-sized nests are, if we'll ever be lucky enough to see one and ponder how really tiny the babies must be.

Wondering is soon replaced with watching again as the babies start feeding, buzzing, bombing and chasing each other around the house. Occassionally they will hover at our window to let us know the feeders are empty and then play guard and chase when it is refilled. The little bird on the right, who we nicknamed "the Queen" stood her ground on the feeder for days in late August. Perhaps she was feeling the shorter days, cooler nights, or whatever magic it is that tells the birds "it is time to get plenty to
eat and plenty of rest because you have along journey ahead." God bless you and protect you on your trip little birds - we look forward to seeing you next year!

Splish Splash Birds Love Taking a Bath

2008-09-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a beautiful summer here at Masterworks Studios and as September arrives it is still warm but the season is definitely winding down. Leaves are turning colors and although we can still hear various bird babies calling parents from their hidden perches in our giant cedars, all of them have left the nest. Looking back over the season one of our most joyful bird memories was the day John decided to turn over the old cement birdbath we had down at the Studios many years ago, scrub it out and fill it up with some refreshing cool water. It did not take more than an hour before a few of the little bluebird babies from an early nesting were enjoying a nice bath! Many birds have enjoyed it since including these two big fat robins that took a dip just yesterday.

We have provided water to the birds for several years in a heated "bath" close to the house but the birds do not visit it nearly as much or seem to enjoy it as much as this little retreat out in the more secluded "woodsy" area of our property. We may have to consider adding a heater to this special little watering hole over the winter!

More Bluebird Nesting Surprises

2008-07-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned last week, bluebirds have nested here on the grounds of John's sculpture restoration and repair studio for at least the past 12 years. For the last few years we've hosted the birds for three nestings each year in one of the Louisianna cypress and Gulf barnacle bird houses similar to the one on our back deck being used by the wren family I mentioned on June 16. This year however, when the parents came back for their second nesting they seemed unsettled. They went in and out of the barnacle house but at the same time spent as much time exploring a house on our porch made by our friend Lyle. It seemed like something was not quite right with the barnacle house and that possibly they were looking for a new location. Sure enough, after a week of going back and forth they finally settled into the porch house and the picture shows Dad getting ready to enter the house during the consturction phase of the nest a couple weeks ago. At this point in time they seem to be sitting on eggs so we're glad that at least they are settled though we are still perplexed as to why they did not select the usual locaiton.

Of course one possibility is that there is a broken egg in the old nest or possibly it had gotten infested with mites. We will wait another week or so to check in the box for this sort of problem and try to resolve it. In the mean time my theory is that I planted my mammouth sunflowers a little too close to the front of the nest. At the time the birds were checking it out the plants were only a few feet tall but now they are over 5 feet tall and completely block the entrance. Birds and other animals seem to have instincts for things like this and I believe it is one of those cases where they just knew the plants might be a future liability - a way for predators to gain access to the nest and also hamper their own view of the nest and quick entrance and entry into their home.

Bluebirds Find "Apartments" for their Babies

2008-07-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

In central Missouri bluebirds are well into their second nesting and at MasterWorks Studios we have been blessed with bluebirds nesting in various places on our property since we moved to the area twelve years ago. Especially enjoyable is a pair that selects a spot in the corner of our vegetable garden where this "barnacle house" is posted. The birds do overwinter in the area but we don't start seeing them on a regular basis until March or April when they start making irregular visits to the house to claim it as their official spot for each upcoming season. By mid April they are usually starting to build thier nest and by sometime in May they are busy sitting on eggs and eventually feeding babies. Some years we have been lucky enough to see the sweet little baby heads peek out before their first flight out of the nest but this year this first group must have been a strong little flock. Before we knew it they were up in trees testing their wings and discovering the big world while all the time staying close to Mom & Dad in hopes of keeping their regular insect "deliveries". Bluebird parents are very serious though about the cutting apron strings and getting started on second and third nestings each season. They can sometimes be what seems a little rude to their young as they chase them away after teaching them all the required survival skills.

This year however John observed a different twist on the routine. From his shop window he could observe this gourd house we had put up over the winter and for several days noticed bluebird activity. We assumed a new pair of birds were about to start a nest but after closer observation realized it was the same pair from our garden site luring their young to the shelter as if trying to find them a little "apartment" where they could feel safe and rest - a little "home away from home". The babies actually did go in a couple times while Mom and Dad went ahead with their second nesting back at the house.
Next week: More Bluebird Nesting Surprises

Not One but TWO Wren Families

2008-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Monday again, time to get out my MasterWorks hat and webmaster tools and get busy. Reminding me that the first thing on the list is to report on the birds, "Mr. Music" is seranading me at the kitchen window. Mr. Music is the father of the family I wrote about last time. Believe it or not, in two short weeks, he and Mrs. Music sent off their first set of babies and are already setting on a second batch of eggs. The picture at the left shows Mom feeding one of the babies after a cool maneuver we had never seen before that I call "the handoff". One parent would fly by with a bug, and while in full flight hand it off to the other one that would be stationed at the hole. The bug then got passed off to a seemingly always-hungry baby.

On Saturday June 21 we woke up to find all was quiet at the house and we knew the babies had finally taken off on their maiden flights and were learning to find food on their own. The following day, as John walked to his shop he spotted what he though might be Mr. Music entering the birdhouse on on our back porch. After closer observation we discovered that the house contained another whole family of wrens. This batch was still in the feeding stage and as of this morning are all still occupying this sunny location.

Next week: Bluebirds Find "Apartments" for their Babies

Wrens - Today's Activities at the Nest

2008-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

As the webmaster for my husband John's bronze and sculpture repair business, MasterWorks Studios website, every Monday I sit down to take a look at what needs to be done in the day ahead. Before I take this seat however, a few other things must be taken care of! These tasks include feeding our three dogs Chip, Birdie and Buster, our two parrots Donovan and Missie, seeing John off to the studio, watering the garden and tending to our outside birdfeeders. This time of year the rounds also include checking in on all the nesters on the property.

Today my attention is drawn to a wren family right outside our kitchen window. Mom and Dad have been feeding for over a week now and we can hear baby racket each time one approaches with a fresh green worm or other tasty morsel. The parents picked a great location - this little house made from Louisianna cypress and decorated with Gulf barnacles is 20' from our winter woodpile which hosts an endless supply of meals for the growing family. The little parents do not seem to get a bit of rest during the day! At least the babies are all inside the house for now. I always think about how nerve wrecking it must be when the babies first jump out, are discovering the "world" for the first time and the parents must keep track of them all going different directions. What a miracle they perform. When will the adventure start for this sweet little family? John thinks he saw a baby face peep out yesterday so their time to leave the nest must be approaching. Stay tuned!