Backyard Tales – 2013 Edition
The last two days, a bluebird couple has been exploring one of ours bird houses. The male goes first, flies around and perches on its top and from there looks around, checking everything. The female comes then and enters the house. Hopefully they will like it and will nest there, like last year.
I would like them to realize that in real state what is important is location, location…
This particular bird house is in a very good neighborhood, inside a small but nice and secure backyard, with plenty of food and water nearby. And that without even mentioning about the mealworms that the landlords get for them after the babies are born.
All in all not a bad place for bluebirds. 
This photo is from last year.
Orchid Daze
In two more days, on February 6th, the Atlanta Botanical Garden will open its yearly orchid exhibit. This year promises to be different, a “surprising juxtapositions of fanciful flowers and playful objects inspired by surrealist imagination.”
I think it will it suit me perfectly.
While we wait, this is my own Orchid Daze portrayal.
Backyard Tales – Bluebird chicks
This picture is from yesterday. It seems to be four of them and one egg that still hasn't hatched. They are tiny and cling to each other when you open the door.
Both parents take turns feeding them, in and out all day long. I got them some mealworms but I don't know if it's going to work because there are other birds which also like them and right now, until I can figure out something, it's a first-come first-served affair.
Backyard Tales
Hear ye, hear ye. Wild life enthusiasts rejoice! Let it be known that from this day on our backyard will be known as the "Durand's Bird Sanctuary", a fitting name for a place so full of wild life despite being really small.
Besides the bluebirds and chickadees nesting in our birdboxes, we discovered also in our Japanese maple, next to our grill, an American Robin nest with 4 eggs. No more barbecues until the little ones hatch. 
American Robin eggs
I looked yesterday into the chickadee box. At least three babies have hatched and I think that probably the bluebirds too, because I have seen both, male and female, entering and leaving the bird house several times today. I’ll check tomorrow.
Backyard Tales
It seems I'll be able to observe the hatching of a new generation of bluebirds firsthand. The couple that has been checking our birdhouse and its neighborhood have finally decided to make it their own.
When I checked several days ago there was a little blue egg there and since then, they have been in and out several times each day. The male comes, look inside the birdhouse and then the female goes inside while the male perches on top and watches for any threat. He also checks on her from time to time. I may very well have to retract my previous comment about the male-female roles in the bluebird world. (Backyard Tales in facebook)
