House Finch

[Meaney]

I have got a hanging basket plant right outside my door, and just noticed that their is a nest inside of it. I beleive that it is a house finch, with the male having a redish colored head, and the female being light brown in color. Anyways...I have been peeking inside the nest daily, since it is below eye level (not disturbing the nest) and I noticed that the first 2 eggs were blue colored almost like a robins egg, and the next three eggs were bigger and more brown speckled, not too sure if that is common or not. But anyways, I should get some pictures posted when I get a chance, just though I would share a little story.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Meaney, for sharing that. Your description sounds like house finches, and the egg deal sounds like a cowbird has laid some of its eggs in the house finch nest. Cowbirds do a lot of that, allowing the other species to raise their young. I don't think they pay fledgling support, either.

[Meaney]

TOO FUNNY!

since I posted this, she has laid another egg.

[McGurk]

Not only do the cowbirds' chicks get raised as the others, they will push the natural parents' chicks out of the nest. Talk about home invasion!

[Meaney]

ok, checked this morning before I took the wife to work, and noticed that the 3 blue colored eggs that I guess to be the cowbirds eggs were not in the nest...they were on the ground right below it with a beak hole through each egg!

house finch 1 cowbird 0

[Steve Foss]

Hah, not all those smaller birds are doormats for the larger cowbird.

[Meaney]

they finally hatched!

[MN Shutterbug]

Great. Now where are the photos?