Live, from the nest, it's baby bluebirds
I'm a sucker for critter cams, the tiny cameras that give us a window on wildlife from the comfort of our computers.
This year's obsession is from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which has a camera and microphone trained on a bluebird nest on the grounds of its Harrisburg headquarters. The live feed is at www.pgc.state.pa.us. Click on the “Bluebird Nestbox Cam” icon on the homepage.
In late April, mama bluebird laid five eggs, which began hatching on May 13. It appears four babies are moving around; the unhatched egg is most likely infertile.
Biologists believe the four chicks may leave the nest and fly on their own by the end of this month or early June.
Game commission staff suspended fishing line over the entrance to the bluebird box to keep away house sparrows, known enemies of native bluebirds that steal nesting sites. They also added an infrared camera so that human visitors can peek in after dark.
It's cool. It's great for kids. See the babies before they fly away and make mama bluebird an empty nester.
