Great-Blue Heron Nest

Here I am!

Almost there

A Herring Gull chick is almost out of his shell

Coming Out Party

A chick working its way out of its egg.

What a Face!

This is a Herring Gull chick. I was visiting this gull rookery as a part of the Field Ornithology course I took on Hog Island.

Parent Eastern Bluebirds on top of nest box holding insects to feed to their babies inside

Photo taken July 16, 2015. We put this nest box up on April 24, 2015, and we were finally rewarded with a successful second nesting attempt by Eastern Bluebirds. Both Bluebird parents proved to be diligent and devoted to feeding their babies inside the box. The female had laid 4 eggs, and all 4 babies fledged on July 22. More information at http://barnswallowfriends.blogspot.com/2015/07/nesting-bluebirds-bugs-for-babies.html

Female Eastern Bluebird on nest box holding insect while male feeds his insect to babies inside

Photo taken on July 16 2015. We put this nest box up in April. Tree Swallows claimed it on May 1 and built a nest inside, but Bluebirds arrived on May 10 and hijacked the box from the Tree Swallows. The female Tree Swallow had not yet laid any eggs. The female Bluebird of the pair that hijacked the box laid 5 eggs on May 19 to May 23, but ended up abandoning her eggs, and they did not hatch. The male Bluebird continued to guard the box and attracted a new female, who arrived on June 12. The new female apparently removed the 5 eggs from the box and laid 4 eggs of her own on June 18 to 21. On July 22, 4 babies fledged from the box. More information at http://barnswallowfriends.blogspot.com/2015/07/nesting-bluebirds-bugs-for-babies.html

Male Eastern Bluebird on nest box holding grasshopper, preparing to feed babies inside

Photo taken July 16, 2015. Four eggs were laid on June 18 to June 21, and four babies fledged on July 22. More information at http://barnswallowfriends.blogspot.com/2015/07/nesting-bluebirds-bugs-for-babies.html

Female Eastern Bluebird on nest box preparing to feed baby inside

We just put up this nest box in April. I took this photo early in the morning of July 22, 2015, the day the four babies fledged. I did not observe them fledging, but by evening the nest was empty. More information at http://barnswallowfriends.blogspot.com/2015/07/nesting-bluebirds-bugs-for-babies.html

Dinner time

I would sit and watch the family in my carport for the past few days and finally got the best pic ever.

Let’s Sit Together

Great horned owlets sitting together above the nest

Lunch Time

Steller’s Sea eagle feeding it’s chick

Great Horned Owlet

Nest of the King

Kingbird watching over the nest

Nest transplantation

Where I work a tree was being taken down when the nest was found. The landscapers ‘transplanted’ the nest in another tree. I was concerned about the babies, so after work I sat in my car and watched to make sure that Momma robin found the nest. Shortly, there she was. With a worm in her mouth, she stepped on the nest and the nest fell to the ground. I was very sad until I remembered that I had zip ties in the trunk of my car. I used a dozen ties to secure the nest. I placed the babies in the nest and once again I was in my car waiting for Momma. Sure enough, she showed up with dinner for the babies. All three babies fledged the following week.

You look better upside down

Baby Loon under her wing

Baby Loon Wing Flap

Red-necked Grebe – Many mouths to feed

A Nest of Dreams

As a beginning birder I was thrilled when two Bullock’s Orioles appeared in our Colorado yard. The young female spent weeks carefully weaving her nest as our cattle dogs sat mesmerized. Sadly, four days after her eggs were laid a hailstorm destroyed her future family and home. The young Oriole pair circled leafless trees and their chosen nesting area for several days before leaving our home. Now it is our turn to be patient for their return.

All Nests Great and Small

Beautiful Blue

Stuck in the Middle

Lunch is on mom.

Blue Jay does a good job feeding her plump offspring.

Mute Swan Cygnets

Mute Swan Cygnet

Bullocks Oriole and Nest

Along Snake River, Centennial Park, Melba, ID 26 June 2015

Hungry Chicks

Anhingas Feeding

learning life skills

dinner time

happy family

osprey nest

Baby Kingbirds on Nest

Baby Kingbird

Baby Kingbird on Nest

Adult & Baby Kingbirds

Kingbirds nesting on Dyer Pond, Wellfleet

Papa Blue – Feeding Time!

Babies are going to love this

Red Tailed Hawk caught a Gray Squirrel in the middle of my yard. I happened to be looking out the window for the Orioles that had been visiting our suet when I saw him/her. I watched and photographed for a while then the hawk was startled and took off, with the squirrel
.

Grape Jelly is Soo Good

Adult Baltimore oriole teaching young bird to eat grape Jelly which we put in many small branchings in our Pear Tree. The adults, sometimes mom, sometimes dad have also fed the baby suet and even some sunflower seeds.

Who new Grape jelly tasted so good

Both Dad and Mom have been bringing the baby to our pear tree to eat Suet
, sunflower seeds, and most of all Grape Jelly. Baby looks a lot like a female goldfinch but is about 2x the size.

Building that Best Nest

Bluebird building nest in nest box. Six eggs were laid.

Spotted Sandpiper

Bummble Bees its what for Dinner

Treasures in the mud

River Nesting

Osprey and Chick

Osprey and chick in Everglades National Park.

House Wren

They won’t stay dry outside the umbrella!

Ready to Launch

Two new Mourning Doves on the day they are ready to leave their nest in a planter in our patio.

close to home

Somehow the bird made a pocket on umbrella to make a nest in a place that gets a fair amount of foot traffic. 3 feet from grill and 2 foot from the house.

Baby House Wrens

Hello, Gorgeous!!

This female Goldfinch was down by the water searching for food when she caught sight of her reflection!!

Strangest Nest? Probably!!

I am not kidding you, they are actually nesting in this gutter!! I stood there and watched them go in and out about 3-4 times in 60 seconds!! Carrying food!!!

House Wren Feeding Time

I was only about an arm’s length away from the nest when I got this photo. These little birds are fearless!

I love my mommy soooooo much !!!

While visiting Nickerson Beach along the south west coast of Long Island, I was amazed at the number and types of breeding shorebirds …. common terns, oystercatachers, skimmer terns, piping plovers … all of which were there in great numbers tending to their nests and young in the dune and sandy areas. This photo is one of thousands I took of common terns on their eggs and with their chicks … where this chick seems actions speak louder than words about how much it loves it’s mommy.

A Mouthful!

One of two Brown Thrashers that made a nest in our palm tree this Spring. This parent is making one of many, many trips to feed it’s baby.

lunch

Robins feeding time

Feed me

Being fed right before fledging.

Seeing the World, Finally

A Colony

Swallows flying in & out of their mud nests

Baby Wood Ducks underneath Mom

Killdeer Nest

An adult killdeer shades eggs in the nest on an exceptionally hot day.

Insects on the Menu

While in Gardens Park one day, I was focusing on a kite in a tree when all of a sudden another bird appeared and there was a bit of a commotion. I managed to get a couple of shots off and when I looked at them later I saw from the first picture that a parent kite landed on the branch with an insect in its mouth and junior was on the way to claim it. The second picture (this submission) shows the parent bird looking on as junior clutches the insect in one foot and prepares to eat.

Swimming Lessons

Mom and dad black-bellied whistling ducks take their two offspring on a tour of the pond in Gardens Park.

Mama Mallard

One spring after the asparagus harvest was through, a mallard hen took over the asparagus bed with her nest.

Cute Quack

This mallard duck baby is telling it like it is while paddling around Pappy Elkins Lake.

I am Fledgling…see me fly!

This was the last of our tree swallow babies and I caught this little guy by chance fledging! It was one of the best moments of my life and of his!

dinner time at the rookery

many egret nests in some pine trees make great bird watching

great egret family

There are several pine trees with many egret nests. What fun to watch!

Dinner and Dessert

This nest was about 10 yards into the tree line next to my flower garden. I watched the parent catch the worm and then it seemed to keep looking for more instead of heading back to the nest. When I saw this, I had to laugh at the efficiency employed in keeping so many mouths fed!

Overcoming Obstacles

While the marker ball on a power line is a very safe nesting spot, feeding takes a little more work on both sides.

Safety For More Than Just Helicopters!

Around the perimeter of a field where emergency helicopters sometimes land, there are orange marker balls to indicate power lines. Every year, a swallow family moves into one of them and raises a little family 🙂

Feeding time for a baby red-shouldered hawk

Ma or Pa with a torn piece of snake feeding a baby about 14 days of age.

Just checking

Red-shouldered hawk male or female since the adults are identical with two offspring about 14 days of age. nest is in a high sycamore tree.

See? I will take care of you!

Rescued Hummingbird

Hummingbird rescued after flying into my patio door. I gently picked him up as he was stuck in my deck. After a few moments of sitting on this shot glass of nectar he finally flew away. He survived. I was ecstatic to see him fly away. Nature is so amazing.

lunch time

robins decided to make a nest by my garage in some old wood and gutters ,I was able to watch them until they all flew off

Hello there.

Hungry Mouths

Four hungry mouths compete for the last morsel of food from their mother.

Long Stretch

A baby American Robing stretches to get another morsel of food while his siblings wait.

White Eastern Bluebird eggs

Unusual occurrence of pearly pink/white Eastern Bluebird eggs.
In monitored nestbox. Clearly an EABL nest. Adult EABLs have been observed defending and tending nest.
The first white EABL eggs observed in 15 years in 50+ nest box trail.
A fourth egg was laid after this photo was taken.
Photo on July 5, 2015; estimated first egg on July 3, 2015.

Just Hatched

A House Finch built a nest on the top of a set of wind chimes on our front porch. Her first hatchling calls out in hunger waiting for her mom to return with some food.

Prairie Surprise!

The Prairies of Minnesota are homes to many hidden treasures. Hidden in the tall grass, a Blue Wing Teal secretly incubates her future brood.

Great Architecture

A Mother American Robin patiently sits in the perfectly level nest she helped build on the slanted downspout under the protective eaves of our home.

screech owl in tree cavity

I never would have seen this owl if I hadn’t heard a flock of chickadees scolding it.

Screech owl’s cozy house

This screech owl roosted in the house I put up all winter. His camouflage was perfect.

Eastern Bluebird eggs

Second Eastern Bluebird clutch of the season in this nestbox. Photo June 23, 2015.

Violet-Green Swallow Stare Down

This Violet-Green Swallow baby was giving me the great Stare Down on Day 20, just too cute for words! Only 5 more days in the nest.

Violet-Green Swallow Feeding Time

Daddy Violet-Green Swallow making a quick pit stop to deliver bugs to one of the babies.

Violet-Green Swallow – 11 day old babies

This was the last time I opened the nest box, the babies were so active on day 11 I knew I wouldn’t be able to see inside the nest box again.

Violet-Green Swallow Feather Nest

My Violet-Green Swallow Family had a gorgeous nest full of beautiful feathers. This picture was taken when the hatchlings were about 3 days old.

Red tail Hawk

The Red tail Hawk nest was viewed from the 3rd floor of the Huntsville Public library.
An extraordinary event to watch and photograph,the nest was built in a pine tree 7ft
from window which gave an excellent opportunity to view without disturbance to birds.

Western Screech Owls in Wood Duck box

Ready to Fledge Bluebirds

Soo Tiny – Chickadee Eggs

Flickers Are Really Hummingbirds!!

This baby Flicker decided to take a drink from our hummingbird feeders one morning. we have a series of photos of it trying different feeders.