Huddle up

Two baby barn swallows at the parking garage for the Denver Botanic Garden in downtown Denver.

Baby mockingbird playing hide-and seek

Exploring My New Surroundings

Baby Red-bellied Woodpecker calling out for its parent on a nearby branch

Time to Fly

This was the first year that Tufted Titmice built in our bluebird box. It was so much fun to watch and photograph them. We knew the babies wouldn’t be in the box much longer when they started coming to the opening asking for food.

Canada goose gosling

Canada goose gosling near a pond. Mom wasn’t too far. They are very protective of their young.

Mallard duckling

Mallard duckling. This little one and its brothers/sisters came right up to me to say hi. Their mom wasn’t even concerned.

Look at these!

Gosling

Adorable

Gosling

Hey, Wait Up!

Gosling

Great Horned Owl Fledgling

Baby bird 2

Mother and Baby 2

Ducky Day-Care!

Mother and Baby

Baby tree swallows

Tree swallows waiting for food.

Baby bird 1

Hatching Interuptus

At Bacardi Bottling Corporation, we have 22 acres of native warm season grass and wildflowers, a perfect haven for bluebird nesting boxes. We have eight boxes that we monitor through the breeding season and this nest box, the Mango Mansion, is very popular with the resident Eastern Bluebirds! Every week we check to see what activity is happening and this particular week, we saw three hatchlings and two eggs in the box. The little limb at the bottom of the picture speaks of the vulnerability of the species at this stage of life. The vision of environmental corporate responsibility at an industrial site is reality at Bacardi Bottling Corporation!

Cute little tough guy

After I realized what I was seeing wasn’t a coconut shell in the walkway, I stopped to get a closer look. I was able to take a couple of photos while being “dive-bombed,” “flapped” and “squawked at” by Dad grackle.

Young Loon Talking

A young Loon stays close to Mom.

Reflection On The Pond.

A young mallard swims along with its own reflection.

Going wading

This American Avocet chick was looking for food in the shallows.

Common Nighthawk “Nestlings”

Not really in a ‘nest’ but adorable nonetheless. Nearly stepped on these two cuties while out hiking – blended perfectly with the surrounding rock and lichen. I zoomed my camera lens in on these two while I was standing at least 10 meters away; I never would have seen them if one of them hadn’t fidgeted a bit while I happened to be scanning the rocks ahead of me. Took a few shots and walked away to give them space.

Like my Donald Trump look?

Juvenile Green Heron.

Bald eagle nestling

Taken in mid-May on Skinner’s Butte.

Three little swallows sitting in a nest

A nest perched just outside our motel room, proved entertaining to watch as the Barn Swallows chattered for their next morsel from mom and dad.

Baby Loon’s First Excursion

First excursion onto a lake by this youngster, while the sibling stayed in the adjoining swamp, protected by dead branches and reeds. Mother Loon accompanied the more adventurous one.

Don’t wanna a take a shower!

This cute baby ran away to the border of the river when he watched us!

A pretty cute new born bird

A little King!

This king vulture was waiting for his mom, it is too dificult to see in the picture, but she was on the canopy watching us! I was walking into the forest looking for a natural pool for my son, when we watched, spent a lof of time just watching! and taking some pictures.

Grumpy Beak

A mockingbird built her nest in our front yard– and aggressively defended it from all passersby. After departing from the nest, the fledgelings stuck around for a couple of days. Their high-pitched begging calls were audible from inside the house!

Hard work, getting out of my nest!

Baby sparrow in spruce.

Baby sparrow

C’mon & Feed Me!

A baby Northern Cardinal awaits the next meal.

Gray Flycatcher nestlings

15-day old Gray Flycatcher nestlings in a nest located in a ponderosa pine sapling.

Baby Eastern Kingbird

Patiently Waiting

I’ll take that first flight when you feed me…maybe

Hummingbird Haven

The nest was located within the Boyce Thompson Arboretum (an Arizona State Park) and a wonderful place to observe birds. Taken with Tamron 150mm – 600mm lens.

I’ll take care of you!

2 young piping plover chicks on a great big beach.

Early morning

Few day old gosling with parent at sunrise. All the others were tucked under her wing but this curious baby stayed out to explore

Mud Creek baby robin

A baby robin snuggles with its unborn siblings in nest

Growing up

The two Barn Swallow nestlings showing care and respect for one another as they begin to learn their new strengths.

Baby got Back

After eating commenced, parent and cygnet went to the edge of the pond. Adult stood on guard while cygnet preened.

Broad Winged Hawk Babies

These babies have good eyes and seem to be looking for me, even though I am a good distance away. This was taken with my spotting scope and phone camera.

Barred Owl – waiting on mom

Barred Owl – Waiting on mom to bring me some food.

Basking in the sun

Baby Great Horned Owl watching as mom catches a few rays on this sunny day.

Baby Wrens

Trial and Error

This baby goldfinch has the right location but ooops, not the right feeder! After closer inspection and observing the other goldfinch, it eventually made it’s way to a more productive feeder. It must have been thinking it found the ultimate “table for one” as the other finch were scrambling for prime position on the tube feeder. Well little one, we all have had those “ahaaa moments” that turned out to be boo-boos.

New to the World

I was able to witness two cute Carolina Wren chicks leave their nest. One had already left and was quite noisy. The chick in the nest in the background was hesitant to fledge, and did not do so until after we left. The parents cheered them on from the nearby woods as the fledglings walked around and flew awkwardly. It was a very cute and memorable experience!

I’m hungry!

Graduation Day

After 2 weeks living in a mailbox, the last of 4 to leave the nest stands on the brink of the great unknown, pondering his next move – or more likely “hey – where’d everybody go?” Minutes later, he was off to join his siblings.

Wood Duck ducklings

Baby Doves

Cozy Napping Goslings

After swimming in the pond and grubbing in the grass, the goose parents took their brood to the edge of the pond for a snooze. The cute little goslings were all piled together into one big ball of fluff, while out of camera range their ever vigilant parents kept watch for intruders.

Baby Red Tail

I live next to a cemetery and get to see this young one mostly because the crows are going after it.

I want my food?

I saw that pretty cute baby on the sand while I was looking for a Giant Amazon River Turtle eggs.

Bad hair day

Hello World

Robin Fledglings

duckling

Baby American Robin

Image captured while sitting outside one evening. The mother Robin was simply walking along in the grass and the baby followed. My fiancé Jeff clicked instantly as it approached. We’re both avid birders – with compiled lists and participation in counts year-round. This was an amazing moment and we think it’s the cutest baby of 2015!

Melissa Metro & Jeffrey Sheridan
New York

Reflections on Growing Up

The mother, with her very curved beak and the father, with his straighter beak, watch as this baby ventures into the reeds alone.

Newly Hatched Robins

This is there second day alive, and there mother was close by giving her alarm call about a hour later, the other egg hatched.

It’ll be OK little sister.

I had been filming this nest for 5 weeks and fledge day was near. I watched them try, hesitate and try again, but they just were not able to fly. I didn’t take my camera off them for many hours and during that time, this precious moment appeared.

first flight

Up to No Good!

Just another day in the Daniel’s backyard sanctuary!

Front Door Neighbors

These two cuties have taken up residence in the wreath on our front door! The humans are carefully using the back door in order to leave this family in peace!

Along for the ride

Baby loon on mum’s back

Curious Chick

I have heard about the artificial burrow that US Fish and Wildlife and Cornell Labs are installing at Salton Sea to help protect the Burrowing Owls, but this was the first time I saw one that was being used. I had arrived at the burrow before sunrise under the cover of darkness and lied flat on the ground with my long telephoto lens. This nest location is very close to the road and the parents are fairly tolerant, but I wanted to impose minimum stress on them. I did not know that they had chicks, so when this chick emerged from the burrow right after sunrise, both the chick and I were surprised to see one another eye to eye.

Baby Baltimore Oriole waiting to be fed.

I was talking to my neighbour when this little one flew into the bush beside me and I happened to have my camera handy. I left quickly as mama oriole was wanting to feed the baby.

Young Robin exploring his world.

this little guy was having a wonderful time pecking in the mud. The adult was near and it kept looking up to see if it was still there. Then it spotted me. Oh, oh, caught.

Say’s Phoebes, 1 hour out of the nest

For the last 18 years, Say’s Phoebes have nested on an outside stereo speaker,under the eaves of our porch. Some years we get one brood, some years three. The birds in the photo are from our second batch of this season. For the first few days, they spend the daylight sitting on this wicker chair and the night back in the nest. After 2 or 3 days, they’re gone.

Blue Bird Eggs Hatching

Nap time

Moma robin an little one resting on a warm summer day.

Piping Plover Chicks

Baby wood ducks

Baby wood ducks so lucky to see

So Fluffy!

Fluffy baby robin just left the nest and had been hoping around my backyard for a few days. Took this pic in my kitchen. Baby robin is sitting on my lawn chair taking shelter from the rain in front of my patio window.

Twirling with Adorableness

Baby Mockingbird out of the nest
exploring the real world dancing and practicing using those little wings.

Where do we go from here?

I woke up to a lot of chirping one morning to find five baby wrens just left their nest box.

Where are my brothers and sisters?

After coming out of his nest. This little guy was having a hard time flying to the top of this fence to join his siblings.

The tiny ones

Hello there, Baby Kestrel

A neighbor had two nesting boxes that were taken over by two pairs of kestrels this year. We think this little one was one of those chicks. The babies find the posts on our deck and rest a bit before trying to fly again.

Getting too big for the nest.

Adorable Fledgling!

One of the four baby Chipping Sparrows after it had just fledged

Getting ready to leave the nest!

Fuzzy Killdeer

A little Killdeer stretching its neck to get a better look over the grass . . .

Walking on Water

A Wood Duck duckling runs across the surface of Sequoia Park’s duck pond in order to catch up with its mother and siblings.

Baby rufous hummingbird feeding on columbine

Immature female rufous hummingbird feeding on columbine flowers in the rain.

Friendly chick!

After Bath Fluff

This Western Bluebird Fledgling enjoyed a bath and fluffed himself on the gutter of the roof after. He was pretty silly!

Almost Ready

This bold little guy was the first of 4 out of the nest the next morning, but the last to actually fly!

Baby Killdeer

I visit the same piece of land quite often to go birding. Recently, I was seeing two adult Killdeer in a field, and they would do their typical “broken wing” dance when I would get near them. I figured a nest was nearby so I kept an eye on that area over the next few weeks. My patience paid off when one morning I returned to the spot where the adults would frequent, to find 4 tiny, fuzzy balls of fur with long stilt-like legs following their parents along the road.