The Junco Nest

There is a Junco nest in the planter by our front door. Today the babies are nine days old and are very active, so they may fledge at any moment. It has been interesting and entertaining to watch the activity from start to finish.

The construction began about three weeks ago when I noticed a pile of dirt on the ground next to the planter. Over the course of several days, I noticed several Juncos flittering around and noticed the start of the nest.

The building started in the outermost corner of the planter, near the arm of the chair. I didn’t think that was a safe location, so slowly, over several days, I turned the planter so the nest was less visible and in the corner, just below the sign and doorbell.

The eggs hatched on Wednesday, June 17th. Both parents have been very busy keeping the little ones fed.

It is amazing how fast they grow and change color! Within one week they looked completely different.

We are feeling quite protective of theses little hatchlings. We haven’t used the front door, and have been extra quiet when we are in that part of the house. Our condo association had scheduled pressure washing of the buildings, followed by window washing to be done last week. So my husband, theTravelersketcher, made a large sign indicating that the nest was there and should not be disturbed. Thankfully, the maintenance workers avoided the area. We can clean the area once they fledge.

There have been other nests in the planters by our front door in the past, but the babies have not survived, so fingers crossed that these little ones make it out of the nest alive, possibly even today!

Stay safe and healthy,

Tricia