Outside my kitchen window is a lilac shrub. There are two song sparrows that are continuously flying from the lilac directly into the kitchen window. This is a bay window and they are flying into one of the side windows that is set at a 45 degree angle. Sometimes they hit the glass head-on, other times they land on the sill. Then they walk up the side of the window for no apparent reason. I have checked all over for a nest, and can't find anything. Any ideas what to make of this behavior? I also just had the windows cleaned (Friday), and that particular window is now totally tracked up with little bird footprints. I thought at first it was just so clean they couldn't figure it out. That is certainly not the case anymore! Weird.

Deb, this probably isn't the most appealing suggestion, but what if you just hung some brown shipping paper or something similar and blocked that window from the inside and see if they keep doing it. If not, then they must either see something inside your home, or some reflection or light play from the outside that attracts them. At least you can narrow it down, before they end up braining themselves on the window. Maybe they want to build a nest, and they see a plant or something in your home that they want to pick at to build it?

Well, now the sparrow is focusing on my gazing ball. It hops from the rungs of the support up to the top of the ball, either sings a little trill, or pecks at its reflection. Over and over and over. I think this bird got into some fermented berries or something... Here's the general area showing the gazing ball, the bottom part of the kitchen bay, and a bit of the lilac to the left.

Ya know, Deb, those balls in the garden protect you against all sorts of evil spirits, especially witches, they say, AND they attract fairies, according to lore of yore. Sure that's just an ordinary bird you got there?????

My God, you have a gorgeous property!

Hmm. I guess that's why I've never wanted a gazing ball...
Sounds like your bird is trying to defend his territory against that other bird he sees in the window and the gazing ball.

ctcarol said:Hmm. I guess that's why I've never wanted a gazing ball...

Afraid you wouldn't be able to get back in the house????

Yep.

Like Carol said, it is most likely being territorial with its own reflection. I don't know why some birds do this and others don't. Just yesterday I had to go out and cover up a gazing ball with a basket because a female cardinal would not leave it alone. Some years certain individual birds just fixate on these things and will totally exhaust themselves trying to get at "the other bird".

Yes, I think that must be what this little bird is doing. Flits from the lilac to the window, back to the lilac, over to the ball. Over and over and over and over. Poor little thing must be exhausted!