What's this?!
Not too long ago (June 9th), I noticed there was a nest in my currant bush! Naturally I had to do some observing and googling to figure out who laid these eggs! I was really excited to be able to watch these babies grow and fly off. This would be my first-ish experience really seeing the whole process of growing wild baby birds!
Brewer's Blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
Brewer's Blackbirds are really neat looking birds and make the most odd songs, really fun to listen to because it almost seems like they never make the same exact sound twice.
I actually didn't even know there was such a bird, I thought they were Red Wing Blackbirds at first, they're exactly the same shape! I thought I just missed the red or they were discolored. Ha. My mistake. However, now that I'm older, I really do take the time and try to figure out what sort of nature is around me - I feel that I am really benefiting from this practice.
Male and Female Brewer's Blackbirds, images courtesy Audubon.
Description
As you can see the adult male Brewer's Blackbird is completely black with yellow eyes, but in full sun they are an iridescent purple, green, and blue - too bad this pic only shows it a little. While the males are gorgeous, I really have an appreciation for the female's brown/grey coloring - I actually even find it more beautiful! When she's sitting on the nest, she's basically completely blended in.
Range & Habitat
Brewer's Blackbirds are found, in my flippin' currant bush... The jerks... They are also permanent residents of the western US, but in winter some can be found in the south east, and even occasionally the eastern part of the US during migration. They have readily adapted to be in human-based habitats. Taking well to cleaning up our crumb messes left on sidewalks, they deserve a gold star.
Audubon tells us that they're VERY adaptable to almost all habitats:
Fields, prairies, farms, parks. Occurs in many kinds of open and semi-open country, including shrubby areas near water, streamside woods, aspen groves in mountain meadows, shores, farmland, irrigated or plowed fields. Often around human habitations, foraging on suburban lawns and in city parking lots.
Food
These guys like to eat whatever they can get their grubby beaks on, insects, seeds, grains, and some berries (I guess I wont be getting any currants this year...). Pretty opportunistic feeders, I am sure they prefer to eat our garbage left behind, hey, it's easy pickins!
They’ve also been recorded eating small frogs, young voles, and a few kinds of nestling birds ranging from Brewer’s Sparrows to young Ring-necked Pheasants. Around marshes, you may even see them walk on lily pads to hunt aquatic insects. (All About Birds)
My goodess...
Behavior & Life Cycle
Brewer’s Blackbirds are social birds that nest in colonies of up to 100 birds. The first females to arrive choose a nest site to suit them, and later arrivals follow suit. (All About Birds)
...I have noticed a sudden influx of population... At first it was just four birds, two nests... Now, I have been seeing them multiply, there seems to be at least 4-5 couples now...
They're really not terribly picky about where they make their nest. This nest here is currently about four and a half feet off the ground in a currant bush. The other nest I know of is less than 3 feet off the ground in another bush. Sometimes you will even find nests in tall grass, or even high up in tree tops.
A Brewer's Blackbird couple are monogamous even though after their babies have left the nest, they part ways again until the following nesting season. A female can lay from three to seven eggs in one batch! The egg colors vary but typically are looking similar to the ones I showed above, the light grey/blue with the green/brown spots. They usually sort of blend into the nesting material. The eggs are then incubated by only the female for 12-14 days.
After hatching, the babies are fed lots of juicy grubs and aggressively protected by both male and female. I tell you it's aggressive because they dive-bomb me and my poor dog, who just doesn't even know what's happening - so confused, multiple times a day.
It's really annoying to tell you the truth. The first few times they were just going right above my head, fine okay, but yesterday, THEY TOUCHED ME. THEY FLUTTERED ME! I sprayed them with the hose today. Honestly, I WOULD avoid the area... if it weren't right by my water spigot that I have to use multiple times a day... They seem to be getting more and more aggressive as the chicks mature.
iPhone - June 24
These little crap nuggets don't know how good they got it here on Farmstead Smith! I provide them safe sanctuary and fresh water, daily! I purposefully haven't gotten barn cats yet because of these crap nuggets.
Yet, they still dive bomb me when I am not anywhere near their nest! Even when I am all the way on the other side of the house, in fact! It's starting to get bad ESPECIALLY since more are coming in!
iPhone - June 28
It looks like they should be flying the nest here soon, fingers crossed. Oh crap, I just read that they can have two broods a year... What am I going to do!?
Next year...
Well, lemme tell you. As much as I love the fact that I have birds nesting near my house, I am going to do my best to deter them from nesting right by the house next year. I do not like feeling nervous to use my water. I plan to get some reflective things, properly trim up the currant bush in hopes that they'll decide to nest in the tree tops!
Guys, have you been dive bombed and fluttered by a protective bird before? I had to ask my husband to turn the faucet on tonight...
I don't bother them to take photos. I make sure no adults are around and snap a very quick photo and run away. Though, if they do see me, and I know they have - they don't attack when I am at the nest. I guess they just give up like "Well Fred, the children are done for. It's over..." or something, cause they don't bother me. Haha
Photos by me using my iPhone 6s, unless stated otherwise!
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- Nature on the Farmstead - These posts will be educational and informative about the nature that happens on my farmstead. Look forward to posts about wild animals, birds, wildflowers and plants, insects, and more!
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