Feeding Time: Eastern Pheobe

After seeing a phoebe searching for a nesting sight around the house in early spring, I put up a small nesting shelf in a protected area over our garage door. A nest was built, eggs laid, young hatched and eventually left the nest. At one point the feeding seemed non-stop during the day. With a ladder-blind some yards away and a 300 mm lens this photo was taken as the parent was feeding one of the young. All young left the nest a couple of days later.

Feeding Time: American Robin

In 2015 we were fortunate to have a pair of American Robins build a nest and raise young in a large maple tree next to our deck. With a ladder blind and 300mm lens I was able to photograph the family for a few days. This photo was taken in late afternoon with natural sunlight shining on the hungry young.

Rain Storm: Mother robin protecting her young

In 2015 we were fortunate to have a pair of robins build a nest in a very large maple tree next to our deck. We watched (and I photographed from a ladder-blind and 300 mm lens) the parents feed and raise the young. One very stormy, rainy night, while I was protected under the deck’s roof, I looked at the nest and shot this one photo of the wet mother doing all she could to keep her young dry and warm. The next morning all were fine and things were back to normal.

Basking

Watchful

Mealworm eating contest

This beautiful male bluebird has fathered 11 babies this year. He deserves a super sized helping.

Supportive

Loving Home

These mute swans demonstrate that nesting is a partnership.

Bluebird Dinner

Female Eastern Bluebird brings baby a spider for lunch.

Under my Wing

A young American Oystercatcher seeks the safety and comfort of his parent. Jr. is getting too big to fit but mom does her best to comfort him.

Piper

Baby piping plover chick ventures out from the safety of the nest and spreads it’s wings.

Feeding the little ones

Bluebirds meet Red Bellied Woodpecker

I was taking photos of blue bird babies and their parents in my front yard when a red bellied woodpecker flew in. The baby blue bird was mesmerized by it.

Fly away Bluebird!

My Bluebird babies fledged 4 days apart. How lucky I was to see the female leave the nest the final time!

Baby bluebird peeking out

A Deer Fawn being Delivered to the Nest

A parent bald eagle delivers a fawn to its nest where there are 3 juvenile eagles. This nest is located along the Yakima River Canyon Road …. a spectacular drive south of Ellensburg. I have followed it for several years … and this was the third consecutive year that the pair had nested there. Over the years watching and photographing the adults bring food to the nest, with exception of this delivery, all were fish.

catbird eggs

we had a catbird nest for the very first time in our front hedges. we could find it easily because of the cellophane wrapper they had with it.

Whoo Are You?

Great Horned Owl nestling at Castaway Island Park.

Flying Fish Food Service

A parent landing with its catch at its nesting area with a highly animated hungry sibling and the other parent squawking its homecoming excitement. These Terns nest on the roof of an abandoned warehouse near the Port of Everett harbor.

Blue herons building the nest

In a local heron rookery, I observed these too bickering over where to put the sticks.

determination

while watching for eagles at their nesting area, this one came in and was tugging and tugging on this branch, he was determined to get it, he was unable to get it.

Parent Feeding its

Caspian Terns nest on the top of an abandoned 4 story old building near the Everett Harbor. This parent caught a fish and then landed where this fledging was sitting in shallow water to transfer the fish to its sibling.

hole in one.

while watching a mother swallow feed her babies, she continually would knock one or two off the branch, finally one of them was able to snag a meal.

WE’RE HUNGRY!

A tired-looking Little Blue Heron parent and its hungry fledglings

Nest-building time

A Snowy Egret in breeding plumage selects a stick for the nest.

:Curious Kids

A pair of Roseate Spoonbill fledglings peek out at what is going on around them in the rookery. Sadly, the pond that surrounds their home has a very large alligator that has made a quick meal of more than one fledgling that’s either slipped or been pushed out of the nest and into the water.

A female Red-winged Blackbird bringing lunch to her babies!

Red-winged Blackbirds have been nesting in a field nearby, and I have been able to photograph them catching prey for their babies. This female Red-wing Blackbird has caught a pretty good size bug for lunch.

A baby Robin just getting ready to fly out of the tree his nest was in.

I was able to observe a nest of Robins in a tree right up until they fledged. This picture was taken only a couple of ours before this last Robin flew out of the tree.

Killdeer eggs hatching

I came across a Killdeer nest just as the eggs started hatching.

Osprey pair in nest

By the side of the highway along the flooded Salmon River, a pair of Osprey guarded their nest.

Take a big bite

The live beetles are crawling up to mother bird’s face while the baby bird trying to eat them. It looks as if the mother was saying “Hurry up, and take a big bite!”

great Blue Heron with twig

Watched this heron build the nest, one of eight in the stand of trees.

Cleaning up after the chicks

Removing a fecal sack from the nest area.

Dinner is on the way!

Taken in our farm yard.

Out of the nest

This photo was taken within a few hours of the chicks leaving the nest. The chick was able to fly over 20′, but couldn’t land on a branch. Landing on a log was fine. The photo was taken on the evening of 7/25. The chicks were hiding until one was spotted in a patch of clover on the morning of 7/31. It had grown tail feathers, but didn’t seem to understand it should be looking for food. The parents are still gathering food for them, and chasing other robins and Steller’s Jays out of the area. The parents are the most protective pair of robins I’ve had nest around my house, even chasing squirrels and a rabbit away from the nest area. They were more tolerant of dogs and people, though they vocalized their displeasure if a person got within 10′ of the nest. This is the second brood for this pair of robins this season, reusing the same nest.

Mom back yet?

Dew Drop Day

Spreading their wings

The robin chicks are spreading their wings. The first chick left the nest the day before this picture was taken, these two left the nest a few hours after this picture was taken.

Mouthful

The robin’s nest is under the eave of a house. The robin chick is just opening its eyes, and is getting a mouthful. There were 3 chicks in the nest.

Whoooo Are Youoooo?

I was walking through our friends’ pasture in MN when an adult Great Horned Owl swooped down ten feet from me and caught a Garter Snake about two feet long! Watching it, the owl led me to the owlets and I was able to capture this photo.

Open Wide! Feeding Time!

I had been trying for days to get this photo of the hummingbird feeding its young, when on the last day I was going to be able to watch the nest I was blessed to get the photo of my dreams.

Early Morning Sunshine

Early one morning I was photographing this hummingbird nest that my family and I discovered when I saw the sun coming through the tree branches, lighting up the bird, and I captured this photo.

Peaceful Morning in the Birches

My family and I were staying on the shores of Whitefish lake and we discovered this humming bird nest and early one morning as the sun was coming up I was blessed to get this photo.

Feed Me Daddy

Daddy bluebird feeding baby at our backyard feeder.

Nesting Red Tail Hawks under attack!

I watched a mated pair of Red Tail Hawks near my home throughout their courtship, nest building, and hunting to provide food for their babies. These birds were under serious attack from Red-winged Blackbirds. The birds were just defending their nests, too, but the attacks soon became relentless! The male Red Tail Hawk had at least 6 Red-winged Blackbirds chasing him when ever I watched him hunting for food. They would even jump on him, and pull out his feathers. I found one of the feathers after this photo was taken! As soon as the babies were out of the nest, the hawks no longer came into the fields where they were being attacked.

Dinner is here!

Barn swallow feeding time

Morning Quiet Time

Geese families return yearly to the ponds near 1st Street and Taft Avenue to nest and raise their young.

Northern Flicker, Blue Jay and a Sparrow

I was thrilled to see the a Northern Flicker, a Blue Jay and a Sparrow eating peacefully together at our bird feeder!

Mealtime!

I am a nine year-old photographer and birder, so I was excited to find my first Red-breasted Nuthatch nest. I waited in the heat with my camera poised, waiting for the perfect photo opportunity. When the mother came, I quickly clicked, and was rewarded with this photo.

A Bit Ruffled Up

When I spotted this immature sparrow sitting on our stair railing, I took a few photos.

Serene Siblings

I was wandering along a trail by a river when the beautiful evening light that was casting a golden glow on these ducklings caught my eye.

A Moment of Peace

This duckling in pretty evening light caught my eye as I was wandering along a trail by a river.

One brave bird!

This Killdeer was nesting between the railroad tracks next to a commuter train platform. I find it interesting that in a place so dangerous to humans or predatory animals she found safety for her nest. Her nest was in the open but I’m sure went unnoticed by the vast majority of people using the platform and those who may have noticed it wouldn’t dare venture close to it for fear of the rail traffic. Commuter and freight trains regularly passed virtually right over top of her.

Fresh Food!

The goldfinches visit our backyard every summer. They ignore the bird feeder and prefer to eat directly from the sunflowers!

Baby Goldfinch

Another Cute Baby Carolina Wren.

I saw this cute baby Carolina Wren on top of a pile of more baby Carolina Wrens (his brothers and sisters). By the time I got my camera they were everywhere! He flew next to me and I took some cute pics of him.

Curious baby owls

These three baby Western Screech-Owls were looking out of their nest cavity and wondering what human passers-by were doing along Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail in Lafayette, California. They fledged the next day.

I love you.

Grandpa

This is a baby eastern bluebird waiting for it’s parents to bring food. It fledged a soon after this picture.

Looking Blue

The Blue parents take a short break in the evening after feeding 5 ravenous kids since daybreak

Feeding Time – Nuttall’s Woodpecker

Glen Canyon Park in San Francisco is like my backyard. I am supposed to know all resident birds. Somehow this Nuttall’s Woodpecker family eluded my detection until noisy feeding activities got my attention.

Crawfish Etouffe for lunch

We were thrilled to see a loon in one of the ponds at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. We have seen them eating fish in the past, but this hungry loon ate a large fish and then showed us his crawfish!

Dinner special: Green Worm

This catbird was quite comfortable with me watching, but baby would not come out of the brush.

Cardinal feeding Cowbird

I did a double-take when I saw a male Cardinal feeding what was obviously not a young cardinal. When I realized that the young was a cowbird, I understood that the bond between a parent and its nestling goes beyond appearances.

I am home!

These majestic Bald Eagles build a nest in an urban environment – next to Curtner Elementary School in Milpitas, California. What a treat for locals following their nesting cycle!

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler in it’s nest in the cavity of a tree.

Beligerant Baby Blue Jay

This baby Blue Jay was not the least bit intimidated by my dog barking at it.

Remains of the Day

My resident Sharp-shinned Hawk feasting on a Mourning Dove

Stare Down

This Red-tailed Hawk and Mr Squirrel were having a stare down contest while perched only 3 feet apart in the same tree. The hawk must have already eaten.

Like my nest?

At Fort Scott, The Presidio, San Francisco, California, there are a number of nesting birds. None of them surprise me as much as this atypical Allen’s Hummingbird nest. It is not a cup, but a large and elaborated creation.

Mountain Bluebird Feeding a Spider

White-crowned Sparrow Fledgling

Calliope Hummingbirds

These two Calliope hummingbirds are ready to leave home.

Dramatic Display

Great Egret courtship display at sunset . . . I never tire of seeing this.

Calliope Hummingbirds

A mother Calliope feeding her young in my neighbor’s yard.

Peaceful Evening With Baby

Great Egret parent and chick sharing a beautiful evening as the activities of the day at the Smith Oaks Rookery come to a close.

Pink and Fluffy Cuteness

There is always a lot of excitement at the Smith Oaks Rookery at High Island, Texas in the spring. These three Roseate Spoonbill chicks looked like they were competing for attention from their parent.

Violet-green Swallow Returns Home

Violet-green swallows have been nesting in my yard for 15 years. Occasionally, a fledgling will return to the nest box for a few minutes to be fed. This year, however, two of them returned to the nest box and stayed overnight and most of the following day before leaving a second time. This is one of the young that returned.
I have never seen this behavior before in violet-green swallows.

Just Fledged Cooper’s Hawk

A Cooper’s hawk has been nested in my neighborhood for 2 years. One day, I was photographing in my backyard when I heard the immature hawk calling its parent. I grabbed my camera gear and found him around the corner perched in my neighbor’s pine tree.

What’s delaying my dinner?

A juvenile falcon that was flapping and screaming up a racket on its cliff-edge perch.

Let’s Eat!

Where’s Mom?

Duck’s Nest

Dark-Eyed Junco Nest

three robin chicks on fledge day

according to the internet, these remaining three chicks should fledge today (one chick disappeared during the night, and found found dead beneath the nest a week later)

it looked to me more like mum was laying more eggs.
She snuggled in with her chicks and preened and poked them for quite a while – a behaviour usually only seen as darkness set in.

at any rate, by dinner time, I realized she was saying good bye and the remaining three chicks fledged at dusk.
i could hear mum in the nearby bushes calling them into safety as they fell from the nest.

(update – 6 days after fleding – i have seen at least two survivors)

four chicks – ten days old

our four Robin chicks are getting quite feisty at ten days old. Now that their eyes are open (day 6), they shriek every time they see one of the doting parents approach the nest.

they are starting to look pretty cute with lovely new feathers and chick fluff still poking through

Nest watching

watching daily for the last four days, i notice the chicks did not make a sound while begging.
(the loud begging sounds were not heard until the chick opened their eyes at about 6 days old)

hatch day – first chick – first meal

after discovering a robin nest seven days earlier, I had been eagerly checking every few hours and, the “big day” finally came and the first starving chick got its first meal. Note: at least one sibling is still waiting to hatch

At Sunrise

I have been privileged to follow the development of this chick from the day it started to peck its way out of the egg. Here it is eight days old.
This photo was taken at sunrise from my kayak.

Territorial Display of the Common Loon

The loon family was having a peaceful morning in a quiet bay when another loon decided to land on the lake about fifty meters away. Goodbye peace and quiet. Both parents decided the visitor was too close to their chick. This is the female ‘walking’ on water, creating lots of splash and hopefully chasing the intruder off.

Momma’s Home!

This attentive mother osprey had been on the nest, watching over her two young chicks. She must have spotted a fish near the water’s surface not far away, because she flew perhaps 20 yards away and plopped down into the water. Unfortunately, the fish escaped her grasp. I was able to snap this shot as she returned to her nest to be welcomed by her chicks.

Juvenile Mockingbird

Mockingbird

Robin fledgling

House Wren parent

Eurasian Collared-Dove Family!

In April, I followed the progress of a Collared-Dove family that took up residence in my pine tree in the front yard. I watched them build a nest, incubate eggs, and feed their squabs.

The parent doves liked us so much that they moved their new nest even closer to us on our property to raise more babies!

Red neck grebe takes a ride!

The red-necked grebes have had a difficult summer along the shore of Lake Ontario at Toronto this year. This is the only baby that survived both human and animal interference. I think it looks like it has aviator goggles on. It was 5 days old here.

you looking for me

barn owl doesn’t miss much

blending in

snowy plover

highchair snag

baby barn swallows wait patiently on a snag (high chair area) to be fed.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology