Feeding the chicks

The chicks are finally getting big enough to be seen above the nest while being fed

Week old House Finch babies

Mama wasn’t around, so got a little video of the babies

Killdeer Nest #3

Killdeer Nest #1 Nest Check

The egg at Killdeer Nest #1 has been flipped and is due to hatch any day!

Killdeer Nest #1

This egg has been in the nest for at least 21 days and should hatch any day now!

Muscovy Duck Babies Fledged!

Drove by the Muscovy nest today and on the way home from church. The nests are empty. The mother duck was on the other side of the street with other mother ducks and their ducklings.

Muscovy Duck Nest

Nesting Carolina Chickadees

This super fluffy Carolina Chickadee is sitting on her six eggs!

First Nest of The Season–Killdeer Nest

I was walking near the trees at a park looking for early Northern Mockingbird nests when I saw a Killdeer not flying away and calling while making the broken wing display. I took a step closer and the Killdeer called very loudly and I saw a Killdeer nest with a single egg. I took a few quick photos and then left as to not disturb her.

2023 Nesting Season Overview Part Two

2023 Nesting Season Overview Part One

Inside Birdhouse (Unknown Species Nest)

Fallen Robin Nest

Pileated Woodpecker Family Takes Form

This Spring I was eager for breeding season to start. I began daily walks through the park less than a mile from my house. On April 2 I spotted a Pileated Woodpecker visiting a tree cavity and moments later the female emerged and the birds traded places on the nest. I discovered the birds did this routine about the same time each day. Their nest was near the top of a snag about 10 feet off a busy trail of dog-walkers and runners and older adults taking their daily stroll. Many people, seeing me with a fancy camera (and standing just a few feet from the nest), would ask if I had seen the “big bird” they had recently seen on the trail. I would answer, yes I think they have a nest in this park. It didn’t seem to occur to anyone to look up! I watched with anticipation over the next weeks as the adults started bringing food and carrying fecal sacs out of the nest. On April 29 I caught a glimpse of the first nestling at the hole. A few days later three heads emerged! I was surprised when I heard the first one calling from the nest, sounding just like the adults. A week later the first bird had fledged, and the next day the second. I found the family foraging together within earshot of the nest, where the last nestling took two days longer to fledge. I was there at that moment, heard the bird calling, saw the adult fly over to an adjacent tree, and seconds later the little one was gone. The nest was empty. Over the last five weeks I had developed an enormous sense of attachment to this new family, and I couldn’t have been happier to witness their success.

Watching a Common Raven fledge

In mid-April, I learned from eBird about the Common Raven nest with two nestlings next to the bike path in a neighborhood park. The nest was on a pillar under a major thoroughfare. A busy bike path runs through the highway viaduct. I decided to monitor the nest for Nestwatch. One bird was more developed than the second bird, and I was concerned because I never saw the adults near the nest when only the second nestling remained. One day in early May I arrived to discover the second bird had just fledged from the nest and was in the viaduct hopping around on the rocks. Occasionally it would fly a few feet. It explored some canvass and other stuff lying around. The adults watched attentively from a steel girder under the highway. They were so attentive, I needn’t have worried. I watched for an hour until the fledgling flew out of the viaduct. I was able to find the fledgling nearby and get a beautiful portrait of the bird. This became one of my most treasured birding experiences.

American Robin Nest #2

These photos are of the incomplete nest. The pictures of the complete nest will be posted later.
The nest fell down during a windstorm a couple of weeks after it was built and is on the ground (no evidence of eggs).

American Robin Nest – 2023 (Day #9 & 10)

eBird Checklists:

July 8th: https://ebird.org/checklist/S143925808
July 9th: https://ebird.org/checklist/S144120114

(Robins fledged on July 13th).

Still 3 eggs, I can’t wait for them to hatch

Growing Up

Unknown nest with damaged cowbird egg

Unknown nest with damaged cowbird egg. The nest is about 6 or 7 feet in an Oak tree.

Sleepy mockingbird babies

3 cute baby mockingbirds

The female mockingbird does a great job feeding the babies.

Northern Mockingbird nest still has 3 eggs

3 baby mockingbirds

Still 3 eggs

New baby mockingbirds

3 new baby mockingbirds at John Paul’s Landing Park. What’s weird is that there getting feathers but barely even have eyes!

3 new eggs!

Went to John Paul Landing today (the other nests were at Paul Rushing) and found a nest with 3 eggs and a nest with 3 babies! https://ebird.org/checklist/S144138424

The new nest

The male of nest #2 (with 2 eggs) is working on another nest in a tree next to it.

Infertile eggs?

Today is day 14 and the eggs have not hatched and do not appear to have been turned. The nest is damaged. Any ideas?

Only 2 nestlings now

Sadly there are only 2 nestlings left. The two weaker, smaller ones are gone from the nest. Any idea what happened? There used to be 4, then 3, and today 2.

3 baby mockingbirds

There are only 3 babies in the nest. I meant 3 yesterday. 1 baby hatched late and looked weak, he sadly probably died.

Still waiting…

It’s been 13 days and these eggs have not hatched. Could they be infertile?

Waiting…

Hopefully, these eggs hatch tomorrow, the nest was a bit damaged from a storm.

Such Sweet Mockingbirds!

Still 4 cute baby mockers.

Two Mockingbird Eggs

These eggs should hatch tomorrow or the day after!

They all hatched!

All 4 eggs hatched! Even the one that I thought was infertile.

Mockingbird Eggs

Only 4 or 5 more days until they hatch!!

Happy Birthday Mockingbird #3!

Baby Mockingbird #3 hatched today! I wonder if the 4th egg will hatch or if it’s infertile.

Waiting for baby mockers

These little eggs are due to hatch July 4th or 5th so they’re be 4th of July Mockingbirds!

Happy Birthday Baby Mockingbirds!!

Two have the four eggs hatched!! Still waiting for the other two. The other nest’s eggs are due to hatch between July 4th and 5th.

Mockingbird Nest with 4 eggs

I wonder when these eggs will hatch. The female has been doing a great job defending the territory from other mockingbirds.

Northern Mockingbird Nest

The male is always singing in a Pine Tree next to the nest. Can’t wait for the eggs to hatch!

Mockingbird Nest with 4 eggs.

Northern Mockingbird Eggs ~ still here!

Sorry for the bad pictures. Even though the nest is only 5 feet up it’s kind of sideways so it’s hard to know where the eggs are when I can’t see them! I have to use a camera above the nest.

Mockingbird nest with 4 eggs

Still 4 eggs!

Mockingbird Nest #4 of 2023!!

Hopefully, these two nests don’t get eaten!!

Mockingbird Nest

The nest still has two eggs so shes only going to have two. The nest is pretty big for only two eggs, but I guess the babies will need lots of room.

New Mockingbird Nest!

We saw this nest get built and today it had 2 eggs!! Hope the Blue Jays won’t get them. The female was fighting another female about 20 feet from the nest. After she chased off the intruder she flew to the nest. The male was singing.

Northern Mockingbird Nest Failure

We went to visit the nest after 4 days of not seeing it. I had that bad feeling that the eggs would have been eaten (as has happened with all my nests). It was past 8 pm and I walked up to the nest. The mother wasn’t on it and thought that was a bad sign. I stuck the Canon Powershot EPLH 180 (the smallest of our 3 cameras and easy to hold above a nest) and there were the remands of yolk and shells, there was a shell on the ground under the nest. Why do my nests always get eaten? We heard Blue Jays in the trees nearby so I suspect a Bue Jay.

Northern Mockingbird Nest Part 3

Northern Mockingbird Nest Part 2

Mockingbird Nest Part 1

The nest has 4 eggs and both the parents were around the nest

The Mockingbird Nest now has four eggs!

The Mockingbird Nest now has four eggs! Sorry for the poor quality, it was almost 8 pm, and we had to go late due to it being 180 real feel today.

Northern Mockingbird Nest Part 3

Even more photos

Northern Mockingbird Nest Part 2

More photos of the nest

Northern Mockingbird Nest Part 1

Found a new nest on the 9th of June. Today the 11th, the nest had 2 eggs! Excited to watch the nest! It had to make multiple parts due to me getting tons of photos. It’s really hot (in the 100s) so I’m curious if the mother will sit on the eggs, or would they get too hot?

Five eggs in the Bluebird nest!

This is our Bluebird’s second brood in this nest box this year. We had at least four nestlings successfully fledge last brood and I hope we have the same luck this time!

Checkling out the nestbox

A pair of starlings was looking at the nestbox. Hoping someone claims it soon!

Fallen Nest ID needed!

Found this fallen nest under a Pine tree. We had some bad storms so it probably blew down then. It’s made out of pine needles and too small to be a mockingbird nest. Any ideas?

Poor, poor Gunners!

Poor, poor Gunners! Why do all my nests get eaten?

Mourning Dove Nest at Chase Bank

Mourning Dove nest at Chase Bank

More photos of the mockingbird nest

Northern Mockingbird Nest

Mrs. Gunner has a well-built cozy nest. I can’t wait for the eggs to hatch!

Bluebird nestlings and a Titmice birthmarks

Photo #1 – April 18, 2023
This is a Tufted Titmouse on our umbrella pole; Its nest is in there. Last year, we had Titmice raise a successful brood of 6 in there, and looks like they’re going to nest again! The thing about this specific Titmouse is that, if you look closely, it has a black mark underneath its left eye. While this could just be something that smudged its feathers, I believe it is a permanent birthmark-like mark. The female from last year (photo #5) had a mark like this beside her right eye, so I think this is one of her offspring that inherited the birthmark. What do you think?

Cozy Mockingbird Eggs

Second visit from the same day as my other post. Mrs. Gunner does a great job at incubating and flipping her eggs. I wonder when her eggs will hatch.

Mrs. Gunner’s Nest

Mrs. Gunner. isn’t very protective. She sits on a perch or sign when I check her eggs and flies back after I have left her nest. She seems to like being famous on eBird and NestWatch!

Mourning Dove Babies

Mourning Doves built a nest on our front porch pillar and successfully raised two.

House Finch and Cowbird

House finches built a nest. Looks like a cowbird found it.

Robin’s Nest

Photo of a Robin nest being built on a nesting platform my husband built and mounted for them.

Another visit to the mockingbird nest

Mrs. Gunner does a great job at sitting on her eggs, but she isn’t protective like mockingbirds are supposed to be. She flies away if we are anywhere near the nest.

Northern Mockingbird Nest

We were looking for nests, I didn’t think that we should check this nest because it was an old nest from last year, it turned out that Mrs. Gunner built a new nest on top of an old nest! We have seen the pair around those trees. I wonder when the eggs will hatch.

Finch Eggs on my Wreath!

I am just a kid in 6th grade who is very interested in birds. But seeing these eggs, and nature on my front steps, is amazingly beautiful.

New Bluebird nest!

I went to check all of my nest boxes and when I got to my first one, a female Bluebird flew out of the box! I checked on the inside and found this nest, I’m hoping we’ll have some Bluebird babies this season!
The nest is made of twigs and dried grass, and is inside a nest box roughly 6 by 6 1/2 inches wide and long. The box is about 10 1/2 inches tall with an entrance hole about 1 1/2 inches. The box is facing Southwest.

Carolina Chickadee with Babies

In this entertaining GIF, Mama arrives and feeds her 3-day old babies.
Recorded with a Blink Mini camera.

Destoryed Killdeer Eggs

We went to see Mrs. Deer. We saw her flying and yelling in distress. She landed in a field and yelled some more. After about 5 minutes. She flew away, also yelling. We saw 2 destroyed eggs. There were 4 eggs so I’m not sure what happened to the other two. What do you think would do this?

Killdeer Deer Nest Failure!

We visited the Killdeer nest. We found destroyed eggs. The mother was in a nearby field yelling. Poor Mrs. Deer! What do you think has eaten the babies? Please see my post showing the destroyed eggs.

Mourning Doves at Chase Bank

I saw a dove fly up to a light and I noticed that it was a nest! The male was sitting on the nest while the female looked at him and flew away.

Red-bellied Woodpecker nest building

The male went inside the hole and then came out, he then called the female over.

Banded Carolina Wren and Downy Woodpecker/nest ID needed!

Birding at Edith Moore in Houston, lots of birds including a banded Carolina Wren and a banded Downy Woodpecker. We also came across this nest.

Mrs. Sparrow collecting feathers

Mrs. Sparrow came 6 or 7 times to collect dove feathers. My doves always fight over seeds and pull each other’s feathers out.

2 Killdeer nests

Today Mr. Deer was on the nest. (and he did everything wrong!) We went to the nest and he ran away! No yelling, no broken wing display, or anything. We came back and he was on the eggs, he got up and ran away then he ran towards me (isn’t he supposed to run away with a broken wing?) saying “dee dee dee deee”. I left and he went back to the eggs. Maybe Mrs. Deer should just sit on them. She doesn’t run away. We also found another nest with another Mrs. Deer on them. She did not get up so the number of eggs in unknown.

White-winged Dove nest failure

We have been watching a White-winged Dove nest since March 9th. We last saw her at 3:32 and now at 4:27 the nest was damaged and we found a bloody egg on the ground. What predator do you think would do this? Maybe a squirrel?

Poor poor Mrs. Dove!

We just went outside to see Mrs. Dove and she was gone! The nest was damaged and there was a bloody egg on the ground. Poor Mrs. Dove!

Mrs. White-winged Dove

White-winged Dove nest

White-winged Dove nest in our front tree

Killdeer Nest

Killdeer nest with 4 eggs

Killdeer nest with 3 eggs

Finally found the Killdeer nest!

White-winged Dove building a nest

House Sparrow Nest

House Sparrow nest in the library

Crows making a nest

Two crows were making a nest

2022 Bird Nests part 2

2022 Bird Nests part 2.

Please correct me if I am wrong on any of these IDs.

2022 Bird Nests part 1

2022 Bird Nests part 1.

Please correct me if I am wrong on any of these IDs.

Bald Eagle nest from February

This is a Bald Eagle nest from February in 2022. These are a few of the photos I took. One of the adults was incubating eggs/babies while the other was perched in a tree not too far away. The adult in the tree then flew to the nest and I managed to catch a very tender moment where the adults touched their heads together.
We never followed back up on the nest after a couple of visits so I’m not sure what happened to the eggs or babies.
The owner of the land said that the bald eagles made the nest about 4 years ago, and since Bald Eagles can mate when they’re 4, I’m assuming this pair is about 8 years old. I can’t wait to monitor the nest this coming year!
I think the nest is about 5-6 feet tall and wide.

Birds Nest Needs ID

A very flat bird nest in a tree. It was about 4” from end to end.

I think this is a hummingbird nest that fell out of the tree.

There might be such thing as a rock pigeon I think!/ID please!

Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove nest in our neighbor’s backyard. The parents took turns feeding the young.

(He or she)screech owl.

Titmice/woodpecker nest that survived the first brood:the 2nd brood:chicks got eaten by a snake):sad.

Mockingbird Nest Fate! 😭

Tweet and Barney nest fate… SO sad! 😭😭