Sometimes it pays to leave junk laying around your yard, because you never know who or what will make use of it. This year, on May 21, a prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) popped out of a decorative birdhouse in my yard which overlooks the preserve.
I watched the male and female build a nest, bringing what appeared to be Thuidium sp. moss strands in for nest lining material. But after two weeks I noticed the birds seemed to have abandoned the bird box. I figured it was fun while it lasted.
Prothonotary warblers are riparian, or wooded floodplain loving birds that nest in tree cavities. Fifteen years ago it was a treat to hear or see one of these birds along Ohio Brush Creek. But in the past few years, they have become more and more abundant.
After a couple weeks of wishing the birds had stuck around the yard I had a surprise. I walked out of my back door one day and had the feeling I was being watched.
In a decorative cup-like vase that was hanging on a porch post, a tiny yellow head peaked up and watched me pass by. Around June 7th, the same prothonotary warbler had made another nest in this cup!
Not only did they make a nest in this cup, but they made another nest in a matching cup hanging on another post on the other side of the porch!
I can only assume that one of these nests was a "dummy" nest to fool predators or parasitic birds like brown-headed cowbirds?
Over the next couple days I watched and photographed as the 2 birds hastily made 2 nests, not knowing which one they would use. I placed a camera on the nests videoing some of the action (or lack there of).
The birds lined both nests with mostly mosses, grasses and soft plant parts like the pictures above.
It became a dangerous task to walk out of the door and across the back porch as these birds were flying in and out with great speed.
On June 10th, there was 1 egg in the "real" nest!
On June 11th, another egg was laid, and on June 12th a third and final.
Unfortunately, on June 14th, a brown-headed cowbird was caught on video moving in and laying an egg at 5 in the morning.
Also unfortunate, I left home for ten days on vacation. But all I seemed to miss from the videos captured were hundreds of trips by the male bringing food to the female while she sat with the eggs.
Around June 26 the chicks had hatched. Both parents spent their days bringing food to them starting on June 29th.
On July 2nd I checked the cup and all the birds were gone. I never got to see the fledglings. Apparently, the birds grow up quick! But it was an exciting month monitoring the birds and the surprisingly few interactions they had with other animals. Videos captured rogue cats, raccoons and a rabbit walk by the porch under the nest cup. And, beside the cowbird, only one other bird interaction occurred with a wren that picked the wrong place to land.
I knew there would be a good use for these decorative cups I hung on posts many years ago. I just didn't know who it would be useful to. I hope these birds return next year and make use of more junk laying around my yard.
Enjoy this short video of my summertime neighbors, the prothonotary warblers, as they worked around the porch and yard.
Posted by: Mark Zloba
