A week ago I posted a notice about Apartments for rent in Costa Mesa.
Well, it's time to put out the No Vacancy sign!
A day after posting I noticed some nests on the 2nd floor, including 1 next to my door.
The 2nd and 3rd floors have these light fixtures that, if nothing is missing from the set-up, are perfect for the ingenious nest-building talents of a very common American Bird: The Sparrow/Finch.
3 of the fixtures fit the bill, and 3 happy couples apparently have taken up residence and, after some snooping by yours truly, it can be revealed that they each lead healthy sex lives: Each nest has 3 whitish brown eggs!
These birds are quite protective of their new homes, and though they may fly off to the nearest phone lines if spooked, they will just as often stay in the nest as people pass by on the walkway, especially in the evening, and night.
While I have no idea what type the info I found leads me to believe they are a breed of Sparrows:
House Sparrows are the most abundant songbirds in North America and the most widely distributed birds on the planet. House Sparrows are not actually sparrows, but are Old World Weaver Finches, a family of birds noted for their ingenious nest-building abilities.
The breeding season for House Sparrows begins early in the spring or even in midwinter, and each pair may produce up to four broods a season. The male House Sparrow's bond with his nest site is stronger than his bond with a mate he may lose a mate, but he won't give up his nest site. Although they usually prefer to nest in a cavity, House Sparrows will settle for any nook or cranny they can find.
The male constructs a bulky, dome-shaped nest of coarse grasses, weeds, hair, and feathers. The female lays three to five white/brown speckled eggs and incubates for 11-14 days. The young sparrows fledge after 14-16 days. They are not migratory, but flocks of birds move about within a 1.5-2mi. area. House Sparrows are primarily seed-eaters, although they eat some insects during the summer. They will also dine on garbage. Feedlots and farmsteads are particularly attractive to sparrows as they provide an abundant source of food, as well as shelter and plenty of nesting sites.
The above comes from The North American Bluebird Society website.
I've only had a close look at what I think is one of the females ( all brownish gray coloring ) , but am "somewhat" sure this is the species that has taken up residence here.
This is for the birds.
Outragseous that they don't have
to pay any rent!
;)
Posted by: jaspar | 05/30/2005 at 07:21 AM