Several weeks ago I posted about the roller coaster ride we'd been having that week-end with all the birds checking things out at our place. Well, we ended up with one very determined male ASY and after about 4 tries, he finally ended up with a female who decided she liked his taste in digs...we also had another asy pair for about a week or so, but they seemed to move on. There's a lot of older style open hole housing around here and the birds seem to like them better even if they might be a bit/or alot run down. We've tried to stick with the SREH and Pete and Tilly don't have any problem at all with them, but we've notice others just sometimes balk and back off.
We have had a subbie male hanging around the past few days and we're hoping he'll decide to stay. He's interested in a different house, which is probably good, especially if he stays single. As many of you old timers advise us newbies, the one male will do a great job of bringing in other birds and it's true with both Pete and the new subbie, they have brought alot of other birds around to visit.
Anyway the big news for us is that we did a next check this a.m. and found 3 perfect eggs in Pete and Tilly's nest...we're so excited and just plumb tickled to death, so she probably started laying on Friday, unless she laid another one after we did a check this a.m. Only did it then because we saw them both leave and thought it was a good time to do it.
All predator guards are up and in place, now we're just going to wait and watch and be terribly hopeful that all goes well. Right now, we aren't seeing sparrows and the starlings land on the perches about once a week and move on, they know they can't get in.
One question we do have, tho, should we try to do any supplemental feeding for Tilly while she is incubating the eggs? Her male is outstanding and extremely protective of her, but we want to make sure she's getting enough food. We are providing egg shells on the porch of the house and I have seen her nibble at those.
At any rate, we are extremely pleased that we've made it this far in our first year and are definitely hooked on this hobby; we've never, ever seen anything like the way they behave with us...they aren't our birds, I'm convinced we're their people. They meet my husband at the gate when he comes home, Pete will fly around the yard until he finds me if I'm out doing yard work and we always have our little morning conversation.
I think by having alot of the birds, it might be hard to learn all of these little personality quirks they have, so we just feel so totally blessed to get to experience our one "for sure pair" in such an intimate way. We are having the time of our life with them.
Sure hope all first year newbies have good luck this year, not to mention so many of the old times on this forum who remain "hopeful". It's so easy to understand why they yearn to bring these incredible creatures into their lives. Sure hope every single wannabe out there gets their wish in 2006!!!
Lori Patton
South of Killeen, Texas
Newbies in Central Texas have eggs!!
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Guest
Congrats! The mother to be will take care of herself as far as food. Mine leave on/off all day for a bite(or is that a beak?) and return to incubate.
It only gets better year after year.... soon, you'll run out of names, or writing whos in what cavity, so you'll remember!!
Best of luck this year
Chuck
It only gets better year after year.... soon, you'll run out of names, or writing whos in what cavity, so you'll remember!!
Best of luck this year
Chuck