Since the topic is birds, I'll take a moment to report on my latest bird protection measure. Have been trying a shade cloth to see if it will keep the birds off. While it is very easy to install (doesn't snag) I'm pretty unhappy with the results so far. The shade cloth seems to delay harvest and reduce fruit size. The peaches under the cloth act like they are in the interior of a peach tree canopy (in other words not as good quality). It might be ideal for blackberries, but I don't intend to use it anymore to cover peaches. Although netting is harder to install it doesn't have the problems of shade cloth.

OMG, Evelyn! If you knew how many baby mockingbirds I hand fed while working at Audubon, you'd die! People would bring in baby birds all day long, and you couldn't convince them to leave them alone, so my job was to take care of them and get them prepared to be released back into the wild later on. One of the reasons we do not encourage people "rescuing" the baby birds is that there comes a time when the bird has imprinted so strongly on the parent bird, it will not take food from a person. You can cram it down their throats, but it will just sit in the crop area and not be digested. So removing them from the parent's care is often a death sentence. Now if a whole nest comes down (like during a storm) sometimes there is no recourse but to rescue them and try to feed them. And I know techniques have improved GREATLY from the days I was involved in bird rescue. So the odds might be better now. But lordy, lordy...I must have handraised at least 200 baby mockingbirds in a couple years time. Not to mention jays, grackles, thrashers, titmice, and maybe 1,000 mourning doves! (My least favorite baby birds of all time.) Anyway, your picture is a trip down memory lane for sure. Saintp, the length of time it takes an egg to hatch varies from species to species, but usually it is not very long. A week or ten days, often. I'll see if I can find out about bluejays. I don't remember. Maybe I never even knew. But the info is probably out there somewhere. Will get back to you later. Marcia

Digger, that's so sweet that you let them continue to build their nests in your garage. I so enjoy watching baby birds grow up. (Speaking of which, have you guys been watching the Decorah eagles?? WOW!) I have a pair of beautiful little birds, maybe a species of sparrow, that have built a nest under my porch, over a window. They're gorgeous - dark navy feathers on their heads and back and an orangish yellow breast. They're making a horrible mess with all the bird poop, but watching them is worth a cleanup day when they're done. GG, I'm with you. Every year, in late winter, my mom and I have a little competition - who sees the first robin, which is our indicator that spring is here. I won this year! Denise in Omaha

Robins are birds that I enjoy viewing, but not as they try to build nests under our porch lights which are on both sides of an area right by our front entrance door. For three days my husband has removed the straw, twigs, etc in order to prevent a completed robin's nest. They put the straw, twigs, etc. up, he takes them down immediately. Today after reading these posts, I sprayed the area with ant and roach spray that I use when the ants try to visit too close to our outside walkway. Two robins just came with straw in their mouths, but they flew away. I hope this is a long-term solution. This is the first time that we have had this problem in the nineteen years that we have lived here. I am already tired of the mess on our porch and the potential health hazard presented if the robins succeed in building a permanent nest. We have plenty of trees that the birds usually choose for their nests and are still quite welcome to do so. However, why our porch this year is a puzzle. Thanks to all who have posted for their solutions. To the haters, because one does not want a bird's nest in an area that he/she frequently uses in his/her home, does not label the person as an animal hater. Why should my quality of life be compromised daily upon trying to enter my home for the sake of a bird's nest? The answer is that it shouldn't and will not. We will win this fight and reclaim our safety and keep our good health.