Another Mystery Nest, Or Perhaps A Burrow?

Now what kind of bird or beastie uses that?


It all started when I forgot the hoe. I'd walked out to the garden carrying gloves, trowel, the watering can and, oops. I'd forgotten the hoe. Drat, back I go in the other direction. Wow, the grass coming out of that mound reminds me of the Meadowlark nest. Of course that was coming out of raised substrate and this is a mound. Wait a minute, just what is that "mound" doing in the corner of the sidewalk anyway. Hmmm.

Up the step, to the hoe and I look down. That looks like a grass mat. The needles didn't just wash into the corner of the walk in the rain. The Evergreens are in the front yard and far back to the side in the backyard. Too far away and uphill over the mound of earth besides. Bunnies? No. That mat wouldn't cover many baby bunnies so too small for them. Maybe the needles blew there?

Nope. It's woven in a circular pattern. Nature tends towards circles. (Human building tends towards straight lines, ever notice that?) Definitely a mat.

I move some of the grass aside.
AHA!!! There's the hole! Big enough for a variety of birds but I haven't seen any ground nesters around and that heap of dirt came from digging. Digging birds? I'd have noticed a Burrowing Owl, the holes too small and the thought too far fetched. Drat, I'd love to have Burrowing Owls in the backyard. What about a Chipmunk? I've seen lots of Chipmunk holes and it 's the right size but I've never seen one covered with a mat? Perhaps it's only covered with a mat when there are baby Chipmunks involved?

What do you think? Here's a view with a trowel for perspective.

Donegal Browne

The Cowbird and The Chipping Sparrow

Walking past the patio door, I heard the most intense baby bird begging sound. I looked out and there was a rather large gray chick, with a huge red gape, being fed by a Chipping Sparrow.

Wait just a minute, those birds don't match. Is that chick a Cowbird.


And indeed, it is. The chick follows Dad Chipping sparrow into the flower bed. It stands on a rock surrounded by foliage that obscures its view. Dad does an evasion and heads for the bottom of the Spruce tree.

Cowbird chick waits. Dad goes over under the Spruce and begins feeding several of what look like through the branches, chicks of his own species.

Dad makes several runs back and forth to forage and goes back to the Spruce. Cowbird chick begins to doze.

Attentive to all his chicks, Dad then returns with a snack for Cowbird chick who begs intensely.

Dad is off again but Cowbird Chick remains on the look out to start his intense begging movement and vocalization the second Dad comes into view again.

There's another mouthful for Cowbird Chick.

Cowbird Chick continues heavy begging. Chipping Sparrow Dad checks out the activity level at the bottom of the Spruce tree where the other chicks are gathered. Then heads out for another foraging flight a few feet north of the flower bed.

C.C. catches sight of where he is going this time and alertly watches Dad forage through the leaves.

Keeping his eye on Dad, C.C. then begins to walk towards the foraging area. Then he begins to scramble faster. If he makes it to the foraging area before Dad takes off, perhaps he'll get a double helping as he had under the bird feeder by following the adult.

Then he is gone. Dad is on the fly and C.C. follows.

I now realize why one Chipping Sparrow in particular begins to forage before dawn and is still foraging after sunset. He is not only raising a full or nearly full brood of his own progeny but is managing to keep the Cowbird Chick fed as well. He is working overtime but it is working. So far he's managing to feed everyone.

Donegal Browne

A Couple From Eleanor and a Feel Good from the NY Times

Eleanor Tauber, frequent contributor of her lovely photos to the blog, delivers Red Admirals...


and a young Catbird, whose red coverts are showing seen in Carl Swarz Park.

Plus, check it out in the New York Times---(How come I don't live there? Maybe if I wore a pig suit and ran down Broadway...)

NEW YORK REGION July 7, 2007
Rounded Up in the City, Then Coddled in Style By KIM SEVERSON
Farm animals found running loose in New York City often end up living at Farm Sanctuary, 175 acres of vegan nirvana in the Finger Lakes region.

Donegal Browne