Today was a crisp, cool day on the Flatwoods Park Bluebird Trail and we have a total of 59 eggs (50 BB, 5 CC, 4 TM), and 11 chicks, all Carolina chickadees. See attached spreadsheet for details. Attached are pictures of 5 CC eggs in box F52, 5 CC chicks in box F17, and 6 CC chicks in box F31. Notice the change from the chicks in box F17, that are newly hatched, and the chicks in F31 that are about 1 - 2 weeks old, that are already showing the black color on their heads. Also attached are pictures of 1 BB egg in box F35, and 4 BB eggs in box F56. One interesting battle that is going on this week is in box F37. Last week there was one BB egg in the nest, and this week, either a CC or TM has taken over the nest and is building their nest on top on the BB nest. This will probably not end well for the TM or CC, because the BB usually wins because he's bigger and more aggressive. We'll see what happens next week.
In addition to the bluebirds, chickadees and titmice, I also saw bobwhite quail (picture attached, taken from my car), ground doves, 2 flocks of wood ducks, wild turkey, anhinga, catbirds, palm warblers, red-shouldered hawk, and a ruby-throated hummingbird in the native garden. On the way to the park I saw 2 families of feral pigs, about 15 pigs in all, and in the park I saw 4 deer (picture of one attached, taken from my car).
Attached are pictures of some new native plants I saw. Very dainty Hatpins (Eriocaulon compressum), Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata), which is the host plant for the Gulf Fritillary, and the State Butterfly, the Zebra Longwing, and Mullein (Verbascum virgatum).