Six Surprises

I was anxious to check the nests when we got home from vacation. The bluebird laid her first egg today, but I can't really get a good photograph of it. The chickadee was resting on her nest yesterday when I checked on it. I am really excited that we have another type of bird to learn about this way; in the last two years, we've watched bluebirds and housefinches nest and hatch, and we watched an unhatched nest of mockingbirds. This is our fourth nesting species in the same small area! These eggs are about the size of large jelly beans, and the indented area they are resting in is about the size of half an extra large chicken egg.

The incubation period for Carolina chickadees is 12 to 15 days, so I'm guestimating these little speckled jelly beans may hatch just before Easter.