Balcony Birding
I would love to create a welcoming backyard habitat filled with native plants to attract all kinds of critters, but that's hard to do with only a small balcony! Regardless of the size or the suburban neighborhood, my balcony has hosted multiple pairs of breeding birds over the last few years, including American Robins and Carolina Wrens. And once the birds began nesting, I started to provide fruit and nuts to supplement the adults' diets. Then came the hot and humid days of late summer, so I added a bird bath as well. Northern Mockingbirds, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, and American Goldfinches are all frequent visitors to the bird feeder and fountain throughout spring and summer. And in early spring, I put out at least one hummingbird feeder which attracts multiple Ruby-throated Hummingbirds through late fall.
At the first signs of the American Robins nest building, I setup a Wyze security camera to monitor the process (thanks to my brother-in-law for gifting me the camera; I'm not at all sorry that I moved it from monitoring my front door for security to my balcony to watch birds). One camera became two, so I could capture different angles, which eventually led to four cameras covering the nest and all corners of my balcony! Now I have eight cameras (not all on the balcony), and a few other smart products by Wyze (definitely recommended), like light bulbs and smart plugs.
Below is the story of each nest, with images and video clips, so that you may enjoy my little bird families along with me. Happy balcony birding!
At the first signs of the American Robins nest building, I setup a Wyze security camera to monitor the process (thanks to my brother-in-law for gifting me the camera; I'm not at all sorry that I moved it from monitoring my front door for security to my balcony to watch birds). One camera became two, so I could capture different angles, which eventually led to four cameras covering the nest and all corners of my balcony! Now I have eight cameras (not all on the balcony), and a few other smart products by Wyze (definitely recommended), like light bulbs and smart plugs.
Below is the story of each nest, with images and video clips, so that you may enjoy my little bird families along with me. Happy balcony birding!
2020 American Robin Nest
Meet George and Mary and their brood of four: Petey, Janie, Zuzu, and Tommy. They built a nest in a large pot of mint
2021 Carolina Wren Nest 1
A pair of Carolina Wrens beat the robins to the balcony this year. I eagerly welcomed Frankie and Lola.
2021 Carolina Wren Nest 2
Frankie and Lola nested for a second time this season.
Last updated March 2022.