Birds at the beach(Part 2)

More cormorants!

Birds at the beach(Part 1)

Eastern screech-owl.

Got it!

Tufted Titmouse with tasty treat 10-14-23

Sparrow Spa

Almost time to dig out the heater for the spa. 10-14-23

Blue Jay

Blue Jay with peanut 10-4-23 The Blue Jays love their peanuts!

White-brested nuthatch.

10/4/2023

Red-tailed hawk nest with two nestlings

In southern Maryland while conducting a breeding bird atlas, I discovered a red-tailed hawk nest in a pine tree with two nestlings. It was like a storybook scene.

Poultry feeders provide nest platforms for Carolina Wrens

In southern Maryland there are a lot of poultry houses that are no longer in use. I obtained permission to conduct a survey of birds on a property with an empty poultry house. When I entered, I saw a Carolina Wren make a quick exit. I explored the area and found a nest in one of the poultry feeders. There were several feeders with similar nests.

Song Sparrow nest with Brown-headed Cowbird nestling

I followed a Song Sparrow adult to its nest and discovered four nestlings. One was twice the size of the other nestlings, so I figured it must be a Brown-headed Cowbird.

Common Raven

Common Raven taking it all in high on a wire. 10-2-23

Red-bellied Woodpecker

A Red-bellied Woodpecker has been visiting over the last couple of days. 9-29-23

Mlae downy Woodpecker

Male Downy in the yard the this morning along with a hummer flitting about in the garden. 9-25-23

Wild turkeys.

Male Mallard

Female Mallard

Please ID this bird.

American Goldfinch

Finally some sunshine and a visit from a female American Goldfinch. Happily my hummer is still around.
9=12-23.

Squirrel or Chipmunk “nest” in birdhouse

Birds on a branch

Some of today’s visitors. Still have a hummer in the yard but that won’t be for long. 9-9-23

Blue Jay, Cardinal, Sparrow

Friends sharing the bird bath on this very hot day 9-6-23

Woodpecker

Male Downy Woodpecker enjoying a spicy mix of seeds. 9-2-23

Hummingbird

Won’t be long before they head to Mexico.

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch on the thistle sock 8-31-23

Can anyone identify this nest?

Just appeared a couple of days ago in the corner outside my garage door. I haven’t seen any activity around it. Not sure if I should leave it there or try to remove it.

Yellow warbler

The little warbler is nesting in metal birdhouse.

Immature male Downy Woodpecker

I know you cant see the red that indicates that he is a male; but it’s very faint and on the top of his head.

Baby Bluebirds Sleeping

Baby bluebirds sleeping but waiting for the next food delivery.

T Titmouse ~ C Wren

Cute Carolina Wren and Tufted Titmouse 8-28-23

Grosbeak?

Not sure who this is ~ 8-28-23

Hummingbird

Hummingbird enjoying the firecracker vine ~ 8-28-23.

ID please!

8/24/2023

Bluebird chicks.

8/23/2023

Birds Carrying Nesting Material, Part 2

A few more of my favorite photos from this breeding season of birds carrying nesting material. I monitored the Mourning Dove nest for Nest Watch.

Birds Carrying Nesting Material

These are some of my favorite photos of birds carrying nesting material during this breeding season. I was only able to monitor the Fish Crow nest all the way to fledging. The nests of the other birds were either not used, not finished, or I wasn’t able to locate it.

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

8/24/2023. Long drinker.

Inside Birdhouse (Unknown Species Nest)

Fallen Robin Nest

Female Downy Woodpecker

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.

First Male hummer in august!

Most likely a migrating hummingbird.

Blue Jay Taking In The Morning Sun

Green heron, juvenile

Juvenile green heron fledged from a tree 100 yards from my property. It enjoyed using my dock as a hunting spot

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Excited to have a visit from my first Rose-breasted Grosbeak! 8-18-23

Young Blue Jay

Afternoon visitors. 8-19-23

Tiny ~ Big

I know who the hummer is but who is this big guy? Some kind of Blackbird? Never seen it at the feeder before. 8-19-23

Feather ID!!?

I looked out my window today, and I saw this feather. I can’t figure out what bird it came from. Please ID!

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).

Unknown Species Nest in Birdhouse

American Gold Finches

Lucky day to spot the male & female American Goldfinches together. Hoping they are a mated pair. 8-14-23

Male House Finch

My House Finches had a tougher time this year with nesting and raising their young. Hope next year is better for them. I love their noisy cheerful chatter. 8-14-23

Red-Eyed Vireo

Wreath nest

Wren nest.

Laughing gulls? Ocean City, NJ.

Bluebird babies.

I am posting them today because I thought I wouldn’t have time.

Popular hangout

Sparrows hanging out in the bird bath 8-12-23

Immature Blue Jay

Juvenile Downy Woodpecker at the nestbox

When we put up this nestbox last winter, we thought that either a House Sparrow or starling would take it. (which would be nice, first come first serve) Since we put it up several birds have considered it, chickadees, starlings, and now a woodpecker. He would bang on the birdhouse, widen the opening, then go and collect wood chips from the fence, then he would return and put them in the birdhouse. I read that some birds have their oldest brood to help make the nest and take care of the new babies. This is the second time that a Downy has been in our backyard and now we might have a nest! We aren’t going to go near the box until they (hopefully) have a nest since birds can abandon their unfinished nests but are very unlikely to abandon eggs or young.

Barn Swallow

Red-Tailed Hawk

Great Egret

Hummingbirds.

Cute Cardinal

Yard full of Cardinals this morning. 8-10-23

Taking a dip

The Cardinals really enjoy the bird bath. 8-1-23

Hummingbird time.

8/8/2023

Titmice bathing

From the treetop

Male Cardinal chirpping loudly from the very top of my Lilac tree 8-9-23

Hanging in the rain

This Male Ruby-throaed hummert hung out long enough for me to get a dozen shots on this gloomy morning.
8-8-23

Breakfast

House sparrow feeding young ~ 8-8-23

Big splash

Big Blue Jay took a dive 8-6-23 Had to re-fill the birdbath!

Buffet of birds

Usual cast of characters that visit daily. 8-5-23

Red Head

Tthis Red-bellied Woodpecker looks like someone combed his cap feathers! The hummers remain quite active darting about. 8-3-23

Northern Cardinal Nest

I was outside gardening when I heard the northern cardinal chipping and I heard a high-pitched chipping to so I went over to a shrub where I heard the sound coming from. A female cardinal flew out. I looked up into the bush, and I saw a nest with three little baby Cardinals.

Berry birds(Part 6)

Titmouse/Chickadee

8/2/2023

Berry birds(Part 5)

Family of Robins.

Berry birds(Part 4)

Eastern Great Egret Busy Fishing On a Hot Summer Day

The beautifuil Eastern Great Egret is considered a subspecies of the great egret. In New Zealand it is known as the white heron or by its Māori name kōtuku.
The elegant Great Egret is a dazzling sight in many a North American wetland. Slightly smaller and more svelte than a Great Blue Heron, these are still large birds with impressive wingspans. They hunt in classic heron fashion, standing immobile or wading through wetlands to capture fish with a deadly jab of their yellow bill.

Berry birds(Part 3)

Berry birds(Part 2)

Eye to the sky

The hummingbird activity has picked up quite a bit. Multiple daily visits to the feeder from dusk to dawn. It was a very slow start though. 8-2-23

Great White Egret

The great egret, also known as the common egret, large egret, or great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Recently it is also spreading to more northern areas of Europe.

Chickadees and Titmouse.

Ruby-throated hummer

Lots of activity this morning. Hummers, Carolina Wren, Cardinals, WB Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Chipping Sparrow, Blue Jays! 8-1-23

Berry birds(Part 1)

Adult Mockingbird Removing A Fecal Sac!

Adult Mockingbird Waiting For A Fecal Sac!

Most nesting birds expel a fecal sac which is a mucous membrane that surrounds the feces that helps keep the nest clean!

Swainson’s Thrush

Spotted once this year in May. Has speckled breast. Identified by fellow birder on project feeder watch.

Backyard Barred Owls

I built a barred owl house based on the NestWatch specs and put it in my backyard. First watched a raccoon size up the box. Then a few rounds of squirrels. Pretty exciting to then see barred owls investigate the box periodically in early morning hours. Then one day I saw “Beatrice” the barred owl looking out of the nest in the middle of day. She stayed continuously in the nest for over a months with regular food deliveries from “Barry”. Soon after that we noticed Beatrice leave the nest for brief moments maybe for a bit of reprieve or to help with hunting for the growing babies. I happened to be there to take video of the first fledge and of that fledgling climbing a nearby tree to safety. Once they both fledged it became difficult to find them but once a day I would seek them out and typically could find and photograph at least one fledgling and a parent. One highlight for me was a couple weeks after fledge when I found the two babies together one a single branch. Before my eyes I witnessed for the first time one successfully fly to another treetop and the sibling immediately follow. Another highlight was watching a parent deliver a short tailed shrew to a fledgling. I sent that picture to a local biologist for confirmation of the schrew identification. Fascinating stuff.

Feather ID

This feather was found on the ground on July 28 (2023).

Possible Identifications:
– Dark-eyed Junco (slate-coloured)
– Common Redpoll
– ……

Ruby throated- hummer

You can’t see his ruby throat in this pic but this little guy was just hanging out this morning~ 7-31-23

Male American Goldfinch

Handsome male AGF stopped by this morning ~ 7-3-23. The female AGF visited yesterday.

Barn Owl

Male Downy Woodpecker

Male Downy Woodpecker

Female American Kestrel

Female American Goldfinch

The female AGF has been a bit more elusive than the male ~ 7-29-23. This is the time of year they breed in VT.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker stopped by this morning. 7-28-23