Blackbird Nest: Good News, Bad News
Just before sunset this evening the borderline nest of Red-winged Blackbirds showed that two hatchlings were alive, but the other two eggs have disappeared, see photo. There were four eggs two days ago, and there were two eggs plus two hatchlings yesterday. There’s no way to know whether these two hatchlings are from the other two eggs or whether they are the original duo and the other two eggs have somehow disappeared. In any case, there were blackbird moms hovering around and after a quick snapshot, below, I got out of the way.
As I reported earlier, this nest is just inches from the mowed edge of the fennel forest. When the birds built the nest, it was protected by about three or four feet of fennel, but park management had staff cut down the fennel along the paved pathway, with the result that this nest is now in a perilous position.
Pingback: Park Week 5/19
Pingback: Females Are Here — Or Are They?
Pingback: Fennel Fever
Pingback: Blackbird Has Dinner for the Kids – Viva Cesar Chavez Park