Central Plateau, North Island

Central Plateau, North Island
View from a friend's farm

Wednesday 25 December 2013

Another Six Hungry Little Mouths to feed in the Orchard

Christmas Day has dawned, cloudy, grey, and some light rain.

Santa has been here overnight, and the tree is decorated, with  lights flashing, tinsel and all else, it is truly  complete with an angel on the top… and gifts wrapped up have been delivered. I think Santa Sacks are at the doorways too.

The Best Present of All

Mrs Blackbird in the grapevine, with her babies

Mrs Blackbird

Mrs Thrush sitting carefully on her babies.Mrs Thrush with wings out wide

Waiting for my dinner

One little baby ready for dinner.

Mrs Thrush had 3 babies on 22nd December, they now  have  a little downy fluff covering their tiny bodies. She is a wonderful Mum, and fluffs her wings out so wide to cover them.

Mrs Blackbird has had one baby a day for 3 days, too tiny to photograph yet.She is so good too, sitting carefully, and her wings spread wide, her babies are so tiny.

Not a Dad to be seen anywhere, the Mums are doing all the trips out of their nest to collect tiny insects and maybe worms.Literally a flying visit, done so quickly, so the littlies do not get too cold.

This is nature’s delight for Christmas at our place, truly a miracle.

Quotation of the day by Lao Tzu

“ Nature does not  hurry , yet everything gets accomplished”

Greetings from Jean

17 comments:

Carol Mattingly said...

So beautiful they are and surely a treat to watch them.

Linda said...

This is delightful, Jean! A real Christmas gift. I love your photos. Merry Christmas to you.

Jenny said...

That is so nice, little baby birdies in time for Christmas.

Georgia said...

If my mother were alive she'd be urging you to name the babies. Merry Christmas, dear Jean.

camp and cottage living said...

Now that was a sweet gift from Santa, Jean.
Merry Christmas!

TexWisGirl said...

oh, i hope they get some help feeding, soon! bless them!

Nancy J said...

Hi all, yes, a perfect gift from nature. The mums seem to be doing OK with feeding, I have seen them come back with tiny insects, Mrs Thrush is very noisy if I go too near, and Mrs Blackbird flies off, so visits have been few, until the little ones get more feathers. Maybe some more photos in a few days. We have had our Christmas meal midday, and there are LOTS of leftovers for another dinner tonight. Hope you all have a great day tomorrow. fine weather, happiness in your hearts, peace and joy. Greetings, Jean.

Lori Skoog said...

Jean! Thank you so much for all your visits and sweet comments. Right now you must be very busy enjoying Christmas with your family! I'm sure it's a Merry one. Just caught up with your posts....love the quotes and the new boys in the neighborhood. I feel the same way you do about the people I have met from all around the world through my Journal. You are a great contributor!

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

·´¸.·´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´ .·´ Merry, Merry Christmas, Jean! How lovely to have so many new lives around you at the time of year we celebrate a birth! I hope your day today was both memorable and enjoyable!

Barb said...

You got some special gifts this season, Jean! Happy New Year - can you believe it is soon 2014. Hugs for you & Hugh.

Jim said...

Jean, this is such a lovely and magical Christmas gift! And wonderful photos too I may add.
I trust your day has been 'merry and bright'!

Ashling said...

What a miraculous Christmas gift; so glad you were blessed with that. Thank you for sharing!

Tanya said...

Love the thrush pictures! How did you manage to get so close? Are you using a telescopic lens? But even so... to get such great shots!

Nancy J said...

Thank you, all my friends, This was really a true gift for Christmas... all doing well so far. Tanya, my Canon 550D has what they call " A Good Crop Factor" and I wasn't very close at all, just managed to be almost tall enough to take a photo between the leaves. Then cropped it. Mrs Thrush is sitting firmly, so I'm not disturbing her at all to get baby pics. Mrs Blackbird's babies are all skin, hardly any down, but are several days younger.I can see into her nest more easily, it has tipped a little forwards after some strong wind the other day. No pics, I don't want to scare her. Fond greetings to all, Jean.

Hannah said...

Amazing photos, I can't see into any bird's nests closely enough to take photos. Once before blogging I uncovered a Junco nest on the ground. The babies kept their heads perfectly flat and the nest looked like a circle of down, very camouflaged. I didn't get a photo. How nice to be having summer now, I enjoy the warm green views.

Here I Am Carrie said...

Oh you even get babies for Christmas. What a joy to watch. I know I had 2 bird nests last summer I watch the whole progress. Oh also love your header...

Nancy J said...

Hi Hannah and Carrie, the thrush babies are growing so fast, tiny blackbird ones still so very small, almost translucent pink ,and the tiniest down. Hope I can get some photos of them feeding later on.The header, thanks Carrie, I need to have another go and have 6 or 9 photos evenly spaced out. Oh well, another day for that. Cheers, Jean