Incubation period for BlueJay eggs?

I let my cat, Pepper, out on the deck the other day and this female BlueJay came swooping down from the sky at her. The bird stood there furiously squawking until I let the cat back into the house.

Then, I noticed that the next few times I went outside, the bird was still around... still squawking. Once she even swooped down at my head.

I told my daughter that the bird must have a nest nearby. Then, over the weekend, I was looking at my gas grill and thinking about firing it up to cook some steak and I noticed twigs hanging out from under the cover. I put two and two together and realized THAT's where the nest is.

I didn't want to do anything to disturb the nest, so I shone my flashlight into the hole on the side of the grill and sure enough, there's a nest in there. :rolleyes: So, no steaks for us for a while.

I was just wondering if anyone knows how long it will take for the little critters to hatch? My ex-husband said to just turn on the grill. :eek: But, I can't do that! I have even forced my cat to remain in the house for several days because I'm afraid she'll kill the mama bird.

The whole situation is driving me crazy.

Females lay 3 to 6 eggs that are light greenish to olive and spotted with brown. The incubation period is from 16 to 18 days, or so Google tells me. *smiles*

So, steaks for you may still be a ways away, considering the bird will still behave the same way until her babies grow up and leave the nest.

We have a pair of bluejays that dive at my kitty's head every time she is in the front yard....brave little things.

Well, I just learned that what I thought was a "bluejay" is really a mockingbird, according to my neighbor, and I think he's right.

http://www.wildbirds.org/images/mock2.jpg


We hadn't really seen her around for a few days. And, in fact, on Friday, I came home from work to find a half eaten dead bird and feathers all over my front porch. :( So, I was afraid my cat had eaten the mama bird.

I was afraid to open the grill because I was afraid I'd find hatchlings who would be hungry and I wouldn't know what to do for the poor things. I really don't know what I was afraid of, but I was afraid to open my grill. :p I tried bribing my daughter to do it, but she wouldn't. So, she recruited the girl from across the street who came over and bravely opened the lid of the grill yesterday.

We found a completely empty nest. Not even any egg shells. I'm thinking she never used the nest after the cat hung around the deck so much.

It was a huge nest that covered the inside of the entire grill, and even went way down under the grid part. It took me a while to clean it out, but I finally got all the stuff out and then burned a hot fire to clean it.

And tonight, we finally grilled some burgers. WOO HOO!! But, while we were eating, two of those birds came swooping down on us again! We felt like we were under attack. There must be other nests nearby.

So, I googled for information about mockingbirds and this is what I found on a Florida website. They are a very interesting and... ahem... assertive bird:

"Many Floridians have experienced the wrath of the mockingbird defending its nest. Fiercely territorial, male mockingbirds have been known to recognize individual humans and will selectively attack them while ignoring other humans who pass by. Although we rarely intend to disturb nests, this behavior is not completely in vain. In southern Florida it has been noted that the strength of attacks against potential predators is directly associated with nesting success.

During the two-week period that the nest is in use, it is best to avoid the area and to advise children and visitors do the same. As a native, non-game migratory song bird, the mocker is protected against harm or molestation by local, state and federal laws.

In addition to their renown bravado, mockingbirds are revered songsters. These birds have extraordinarily diverse repertoires acquired through imitating the calls, songs and parts of songs of other birds, other animals such as dogs and cats, humans, mechanical sounds, and even the sounds of other mockingbirds."

I did read on one of the sites that it's best to avoid contact with the nests or the mother may indeed abandon the eggs.

Anyway....i don't know how much we're going to be able to enjoy grilling out this summer, or even sitting on the deck with those protective birds swooping around our heads. It'll be interesting.