Titmouse 2005 |
 This
is a mother
Titmouse sitting
on her nest in a
birdhouse in the
backyard. This
is the second
year the
birdhouse has
been up in this
location and it
is the second
year that a
Titmouse used
it, so I guess
they like the
location. The
birdhouse is
mounted about 4
feet high on a
post in a
privacy fence
and faces almost
due west. Both
years bluebirds
investigated the
birdhouse, but
they decided not
to use it. To
see a larger
picture of
mother on her
nest
click here. |
 The
Titmouse babies
hatched a couple
days ago. On May
8 2005 I looked
in the box and
mother Titmouse
was not on the
nest so I could
take a picture.
You can see that
the babies are
more or less
naked, just a
little fuzz here
and there. To
see a larger
picture of the
babies
click here.
The next box has
a top that will
open up so you
can look in.
When you open
the top up the
babies will
usually start
looking up with
their mouths
gaping open. I
guess that mom
has filled them
up for this
picture because
they seem to be
napping. As they
grew you could
here them
chirping in the
box, begging for
food. Mother and
father stay very
busy for a few
days, especially
in the few days
before the
babies leave the
nest. |
 Here
are the babies
just a day or
two before they
left the box.
You can see that
there are five
healthy baby
birds in the
box, from five
eggs that were
laid. It was a
good summer for
the Titmouse
family, but mom
never did get
used to us
opening the lid
to check on her.
Because it
disturbed her so
much we never
looked more than
once a day, and
then only for
perhaps half a
minute. For a
larger picture
click here. |