New neighbors

Last summer and fall, I was so excited to figure out that the five baby birds growing up in my garden were Eastern Bluebirds. Ben and Jon stayed at my parents' with my dad while I went to the MOPS convention in August. -While they were there, Dad "helped" them build me a bluebird house, I hung it on the fence in the garden, and I've been hoping they would come back and nest.

I was beyond thrilled to see a male and female checking out the house, but each time I opened the roof, I was a bit disappointed to see nothing inside. This week, I heard a racket in the garden one morning, and looked out to see those two bluebirds chasing away some bluejays. I peeked a few days later, and, sure enough, they had started a nest. It has been fun to watch her go in and out with her beak full of small twigs. I can see from the backyard, but its even more fun to sit on the stairs in the house and watch out the window that is right near the birdhouse.

Today, I watched the male and female dive bomb a squirrel who was getting a bit too close to the nest, and that inspired me to 1.) get my camera, and 2.) come up with better names for our new friends than "male" and "female."

Here is Sialia, the female. I had to laugh when she peeked out of the house to look at me. Her head kept tilting with her questions of what I was doing. I hope to soon get a picture of Silas, the male, but I haven't seen him around today. My dad should be happy with the names I chose :)

PS - the scientific name for the Eastern Bluebird is Sialia sialis; that's how I chose her name.