Egg in the Grass
As I was mowing the lawn the other day I noticed an odd looking blue object out of the corner of my eye. I thought perhaps it was a piece of candy or something blown in by the wind.
I went back and looked and found this pretty blue egg in the grass:
Blue Egg in the Grass, f/2.4 1/50 4.3mm ISO 64
– click for viewing full screen
I looked around wondering where the egg had come from and noticed the birdhouse had been blown around by a recent windstorm. The duct tape fix I had applied last year had weathered over the winter and now the birdhouse door was facing the wrong way. It looked very difficult for the birds to get in and out of it.
The birds hadn’t been by the birdhouse all morning so I figured that they may have abandoned it or were not using it yet this season. I got out the ladder and fixed the birdhouse with some bailing wire so it wouldn't move to far in the wind.
The birdhouse with the bailing wire fix, f/2.4 1/1291 4.3mm ISO 50
– click for viewing full screen
I thought I might clean the birdhouse out while I was at it so I started removing a nest that was in it. I figured it was left over from last season but looking closely I saw a little blue egg in it just like the one on the ground:
Blue egg in the nest, f/2.4 1/17 4.3mm ISO 250
– click for viewing full screen
I left the egg in the nest and other egg in the grass and started to put the ladder away. Somehow it didn’t seem right to leave the egg in the grass so I picked it up and held it. It almost seemed like there was something alive inside.
It felt like the egg should go back in the nest, so I placed it in there with the other egg. I figured the bird would toss it out again if it wanted to.
The next day I saw mama starling (I assume it was female) poking her head out of the birdhouse and looking around. I was very happy to see her there.
As near as I can figure, I thought that the mother bird may have tossed the egg out when the birdhouse got turned around by the wind. With such difficult access she may have felt it would be too hard to try to raise two chicks inside the house.
Rather than have them both grow up without enough food she could have made the decision to push one of them out.
I’m not sure what was really going on, but mothers make hard decisions all the time and fathers do too.
Thanks for reading! I always value your support and comments. The pictures were taken by me with my Galaxy S9+
That is very cool that you fixed up their house! Wonder if the mom tossed it or was it maybe a coon that tried to take it and dropped it?
I see some of that moss you were talking about on your shingle there in the pic.
I kind of doubt that a coon went after it because the nest is really deep down inside the house. There aren't a lot of coons around here that I have seen; I know they are around though. It is a bit puzzling, but from what I've heard about birds, I think the mom tossed it. It might have not been fertilized, that might also have been a possibility. At least the birdhouse is fixed up now so access is much better to raise the chicks (and fertilize eggs, lol).
Yup, I need to fix that moss I guess. There's always mañana, lol.
Before opening your blog I think this is a blue duck egg. In my area of Aceh, usually blue duck eggs are drunk raw to increase endurance for hardworking men. I like your block.
That's an interesting custom. I'm not so sure I would like raw egg like that.
Before there were so many issues with consuming raw eggs I used to like to eat eggs raw on hot cooked rice with a little soy sauce. The raw egg does cook a bit when you put it on the hot rice and stir it up.
I agree with your opinion @lightsplasher, consuming raw eggs is not good, what else is excessive what else for the less exercise.
Very touching and emotional story, I think the egg have fallen down due to the storm and poor bird was helpless and look, destiny appoint you dear brother, for helping these little angels!
Thank you dear brother. We will have to see how things go.
That was awfully nice of you to save the potential baby bird. Over here in Connecticut we've been having a lot of wind lately. There are downed tree branches everywhere. I guess the weather may be changing in more ways than one lately.
Thanks, yes I'm not sure sometimes what the best action to take is but hopefully what I did was helpful. The weather sure have been changing a lot. The ocean currents near Greenland are changing from all the fresh water from the melting glaciers.
This is a truly interesting little tale. You trying to rationalize what that bird might have been thinking... Do you just put up a house for birds generally and they find their way in naturally?
Yes, it is tough to know what they are thinking but there is a lot of information about birds from people who have studied them. I try to keep the birdhouses cleaned out after the season but the birds don't seem to mind building on last years nest. They just find there way into anyplace that they think is suitable. Once the starlings nested in my vent pipe and that was a big problem. I figured they might like a better house so I put up the birdhouse and they have really liked it. It is fun to hear the little birds asking for food when they are young.
I find this truly fascinating.
Blue egg
Wow haven't seen this one in ma life
Amazing. Keep the Good work God bless
The color did look neat to me. Thank you.
You are welcome
Seriously you are talented
Hopefully both chicks will make it and your yard will be filled with starling song. They do sing beautifully:) We have some that hang out by the Vancouver Art Gallery, they are all accomplished performers:)
They are really amazing birds and make a big variety of songs. I like to see them flying around together. I guess that some people don't like them because they are not native to the area and are aggressive or something. They like to eat a lot of bugs, which I think is good for the garden.
I think they are a fantastic bird. I am awed at their ability to catch food in the air:)
.hi my best friend, how are you today today my friend, hopefully your day today well that's okay I hope it is ,, oh yes my friend send me something for you my friend, may my friend very happy to receive it,
.this photo intentionally I take for my friend @lightsplasher hopefully my best friend @lightsplasher very happy to receive it, thanks,
https://steemit.com/esteem/@abdurrahman7/greater-than-flies-are-considered-disgusting-animals-and-need-to-be-avoided-because-they-carry-various-diseases-de1fee6b24644
Nice flower pictures and flies are very important to clean up the remains of animals who have died.
this bird egg exactly the same friend @lightsplaser.dengan chicken egg.
.hi, my friend is very interested in the way of friends telling stories in this post, I was very touched to hear this story, extraordinary friend is good hearted fellow creature
Thank you. :)