can not believe my eyes!!!!

16 years ago

I posted about my Chippers jumping out of the nest at 6-7 days old. I gathered the 3 Chipper babies and the cow bird baby that jumped out of the nest and hung them in a bucket from the same tree. This morning the cow bird baby was gone. The 3 chippers were doing well. Tonight the cow bird baby is back in the bucket!!!!!! This is a 4.5 ft weeping Larch (kinda like a pine) it weeps to the ground. Did this cowbird baby climb back in? How is this possible? The Chipper parents have calmed down now, I guess because their "big baby" is back with the rest. What the heck do I do now? I have never heard of a baby of any kind climbing back into a nest. I need the chippers to grow and go. I could remove the Cow bird baby and cage it where it can still be fed and heard from by the cow bird parents and still allow the chipper babies to be fed. I can plop it back in the nest/bucket at night????? What do you think? This is a real head scratcher for me.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

aleksandras
16 years ago
I have seen this before. I had a video camera in some open cup nests and saw how babies would get out of their nests and jump in branches nearby close to fledge time. However, they would return to their nests later.
bbcathy
16 years ago
Lisa the cowbird parents will not feed the baby. They lay their eggs in other birds nests. They do not care for their own young. It will take all the food and some if not all of the Chippers will die. The cowbird babies mouths are red inside telling the foster parents that it has not been fed lately (lie) so they will keep feeding the cowbird.

I have seen babies of various species that were unable to fly climbing (hopping really) from branch to branch around up and down in trees. That must be what happened. He really wants to be fed! It's crazy
Cathy
Related Discussions
First sprouts z5
Q
Comments (5)
Wonderful sprouts, I just found my first for this year this morning. Flax, I haven't sown it before so didn't know when to expect it. Happy dance.
...See More
Scotts Organic Fertilizer
Q
Comments (5)
Well I did find it, but it was not being pushed by the garden center, which is surprising considering the price is $17 a sack. I did not have much time to read the info on the bag so did not see NPK which is usually in big letters. I will look again when I have more time to see what it contains to make you so happy using it. Al
...See More
I can't believe my eyes !!
Q
Comments (8)
The Florida native incarnation of rudbeckia hirta is rudbeckia triloba, but it is definitely not that. Here is a close up of rudbeckia triloba...see how the flowers are rounder petaled and very small? They are only a bit over an inch wide. (Ignore the deformed ones in the center of the second photo...they are an aberration). Also, rudbeckia triloba and rudbeckia hirta both have large, coarse, hairy leaves. This looks like it has smallish, smoother leaves, if I'm picking out the correct ones from Felix's photo. Here's a pic I found online for beach sunflower. I can't say for sure, but it still looks way more like this than it does like rudbeckia triloba. Anyone else want to weigh in here? We need some opinions... Marcia
...See More
I Can't Believe My Eyes!
Q
Comments (3)
My shooting stars have done just that! They are stunning! Virginia bluebells and phlox everywhere. This is about three weeks early on some of the things in my garden. Really can tell the ground didn't freeze deeply and that we've had a very warm spring so far. I have music for you :) Love to see you soon! -Marie
...See More
lisa11310
Original Author
16 years ago
Cathy I know the Cowbirds wont feed it, but the chippers will. Cowbirds may attack the chippers if they dont hear their baby being fed thats why I though a cage under where the chipper babies were would work BUT no cow bird baby this morning, it's gone again. I also only see 2 chipper babies. SO either the smallest chipper has died and is under the grass or nest in the bucket OR the strongest one has left the bucket. Either way it's not good. The 2 in the bucket still have very little to no tail feathers so I need to do every thing I can to keep them in the bucket, maybe a bigger bucket? I hate to disturb them again. Will keep you posted.
lisa11310
Original Author
16 years ago
Counting the first day I saw them, Wednesday,(that may have been the day after they hatched)They COULD be 9-10 days. Possible the one baby was fed well and was ready. It was nearly taking flight when I tried to catch it. A closer look tells me that is the chipper baby that is missing, secondly I saw one of the parents taking a green worm off a bit and up in a tree. My guess is that these 2 remaining babies may not have made it had I not caused the premature fledge. Looking at the bucket they would have to be able to fly at least 6" to get out. It will be intresting none the less, to see how this all ends up. I sure hope these little ones make it.
aleksandras
16 years ago
Babies can jump out of a 6" basket easy. My thrasher babies were in a flower pot with walls at least 1 foot high.
joepyeweed
16 years ago
I'd probably humanely dispatch of the cowbird.
aleksandras
16 years ago
That was illegal avice!
lisa11310
Original Author
16 years ago
Joepye...I did think about it. The baby sat there in my hand looking at me, scared, cold........I couldnt. Hubby was not home or he would have. I know, I know.....other babies will die if this one lives. We may never know the fate of this baby, at least it's 3 nest mates were (so far as I know) saved. Believe it or not our Chippers outnumber the Cowbirds this year about 4 to 1.
lisa11310
Original Author
16 years ago
Alex these babies are hardly even 2 inches big no way they can hop that far UP. Thrashers are HUGE compared to these babies
blutarski
16 years ago
not illegal advice unless cowbirds are endangered.
lisa11310
Original Author
16 years ago
Chipper baby #2 left today. I feel bad for the one remaining baby all alone. It is just getting its tail feathers and should be ready to go tomorrow, Sunday at the latest. The parents are still around so I know they are feeding it. I also saw a chipper baby in a tree, I don't know if it's one of the "bucket babies" but I would like to think so.
aleksandras
16 years ago
Blutarski, did you ever hear about Migratory Bird Treaty Act? Here is a quote from bluebirders favorite site :

"Like it or not, cowbirds are native, so they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This means that eggs can not be removed from nests without a permit"

Here is a link that might be useful: Cowbird Eggs in Nestboxes
lisa11310
Original Author
16 years ago
The end is here! Chipper baby #3 left the bucket late this morning! Amazing how much little feathers can grow in 24 hours. I hope the Chippers consider this a successful nesting as all 4 babies have left the nest(including a Cowbird). It's up to God now. I am confident the babies have all made it to the trees as there is no more "chippping" around the nest/bucket. God bless little flyers!