I'm so sorry. I know how that feels. It's very hard to watch that especially how much wildlife means to us. It's heart breaking.

It probably wasn't the vulture who killed the babies. It probably was a Crow or possibly even a Jay.

Even once the babies are dead, the Mocking Bird parents will continue to 'protect' baby for quite a while until they finally give up.

Hopefully, the parents will try again but in a much safer place.

Maria, Saintp is right. The vulture almost surely did not take the birds from the nest. More like a jay or crow, and then when the parent birds dive bombed it, it dropped them. Then the vulture showed up to take advantage of the opportunity.

And of course, you can have your yard sprayed if you really want to, but I don't think the ants had anything to do with the other deaths, either. I think they found the dead birds and, like the vulture, made a meal of them.

Just remember if you spray for ants, you will be killing tons of other beneficial insects, and possibly even the birds you are trying to protect. Mockingbirds EAT insects. If they eat poisoned ones, they will be poisoned, too.

Just something for you to think about.

Marcia

I had something similar happen last year with my beloved cardinal pair. They put a nest in a small tree, right at the level of the fence. I fear a possum that often walks along the fence took the eggs. It was pretty heartbreaking to realize the nest was empty.

But that's nature. And the cardinals found a different place for their nest this year. I haven't found it yet, but I still see them in the yard, so hopefully they're safer this year.

I agree with Marcia. Don't spray for ants if you're concerned about birds. The more natural bugs and fruits you have in your yard, the more birds you'll have.

Susannah

I guess it's the circle of life, but I was heart broken when a pair of Cardinals built a nest in my Cassia tree. The Momma bird sat dutifully on her nest of eggs until one morning I went to check on her and found some sort of black snake up in the tree. I guess it got Momma and the eggs because we never saw her again. The male Cardinal kept coming around calling to her, but she was gone. How sad.

It IS sad when you've come to "know" a bird or other wild animal and something happens to it. I think you'd be a mighty hard person not to feel badly about it. But you also have to acknowledge that other critters have to eat, too. Doesn't make it any easier at the time, I know, but it IS the way it is supposed to be, and we have to learn to accept it.

Hope another pair of cardinals has found your yard by now!

Marcia

Doesn't make it easier though, remember my earlier story about how excited I was to see an otter again until it killed and ate four baby ducks? After having everyone practically in tears I didn't post again but that same day I also saw a pair of gallinules with five baby chicks...since that day there's only one chick left so it looks like the otter had quite a meal. I'm use to seeing this situation with the herons but I always thought otters were fish eaters....

This pair of Mockingbirds are still at my backyard today, I am listening to their singing right now. Yes, tomncath, I know how it feels when you try to love ALL of them. I love snakes, yesterday taped two Black Racers in my backyard. It's mating season, I think. But Racers eat everithing that moves.
I think you are right, Marcia. I saw my mockingbirds attacking crow in the forest behind my backyard. Funny, I never saw it before. Maybe it lives there but didn't come to my backyard because there was nothung of interest fo it there.
Maria

Tomncath, as I said in my post above yours, I know it doesn't make it easier to watch. But it should make it easier to accept. Mother Nature does know best in most of these situations, even though we hate to see it sometimes.

Crows are notorious for stealing baby birds, as are jays, Maria, so I think you have your answer. And again, I hope you will think long and hard before treating your entire yard. It will not be good for the mockingbirds. They can recover from one lost clutch of babies, since they usually nest at least three times each season. But they can't recover from wide spread poison or the loss of all the insects they eat.

Just food for thought, is all. Not trying to tell you what to do, but just wanting to be sure you consider all aspects first.

And I hope today is a better day, bird-wise.

Marcia

Marcia, you convinced me. I won't treat the backyard. Actually, Mockingbirds convinced me, they are walking there right now, picking something from the grass here and there. I was just in an awful mood yesterday. First were dead chicks, then my own "chick" droped and broke my beloved digital Canon. Anybody knows about Canon service in FL?
One more thing: I know it's against the law to kill vultures in FL. What about crows? Are they under protection too?
Maria

I'm glad you have changed your mind about treating your entire yard. I think you have made a wise decision, and your yard and garden will be healthier for it.

Crows, house sparrows, starlings, and some blackbirds do not receive the same protection as most birds do, however, there are laws in general about cruelty to animals, so you have to be careful not to break any of those. Personally, I wouldn't kill a crow for doing what crows do. The mockers will be fine. They have already forgotten their tragedy and will be busy getting ready to start a new batch, hopefully in a better place. If every single egg hatched and grew to an adult bird, we would soon be overrun. Nature plans for some of them to be food for other animals. Again, not fun for US to see, but it is part of that famous circle of life.

Just my own thoughts, as always...

Marcia

Marcia, I couldn't agree more, and you express it so eloquently, my dear! And Maria, good for you that you've changed your mind. All of the creatures on our beloved planet have a purpose. If it weren't for the crows and hawks and other birds of prey, we'd be up to our butts in mockingbirds and cardinals. If it weren't for the vultures, there'd be so much disease that humans probably never would have made it to where we are today. It's the balance of Nature, and while it's shocking to us at times, that circle of life has worked successfully since the beginning of time. Checks and balances, and all that jazz. Actually, it's quite awesome!

Well, I hate to say it but, I wish my racers would eat my bunny! LOL. I can't kill the bunny. I do respect nature. But wow, that circle of life would really come in handy right now.

Mystery deepens. Today about 5pm I was outside and heard awful bird's hubbub from the forest. Of caurse, I went to investigate. It was a lot of different birds screaming. Some pretty big brown bird was on the ground eating something. It saw me before I saw it and took off. I only saw it disappearing behind the trees. It is a good flyer, fast and quiet. It is smaller than Turkey Vulture and lighter. It was invisible on brown pine needles. I would say it was the size of a big owl. Hawk, maybe? All what's left were these feathers:


{{gwi:862502}}


It looks like it was an unfortunate dove - I have a lot of them. I have a dangerous predator around!
My Mockingbirds are building a new nest!!! It's inside my tangerine, only about 15 feet from my porch and from my son's swings. And it's only 4 -41/2 feet from the ground. I cannot believe it! This is a young tangerine with green and thin branches. I hope they know what they are doing!
Maria

Sounds like you had a visit from a hawk. I have them hanging around in my trees from time to time, and the birds will lie low when they are here. Once in awhile, they get a dove, but most of the birds are too fast and too smart for them.

Again, they are doing exactly what they are supposed to do. The smartest birds will outwit them and pass along their genes to the next generation, which will result in more smart birds, or faster ones. Whatever strategy worked to keep them safe will get passed along. That's the system.
Often, the birds they are able to catch are slower for a reason...ill health or age. Those get weeded out of the gene pool.

Marcia