Searching for eagle near nest.

I was hoping to spot the eagles. Last week there was no sight of them, but the mudslides had made the drive treacherous and the rain was thundering, so I couldn’t get out of the car that week. This week I was heading out of skid row in downtown Los Angeles where I do charity dental care. I was heading out there early at 4pm and with the sun setting, I thought I might have a chance to check the nest before dusk. Besides I could see Mount Baldy’s snow cap and thought it would look great if the eagles were there. No luck, but enough light at dusk and no rain for the first time in days, so I got out for a search. SUCCESS!

Bluebird family

Nestling Eagle

This is a picture from 11/21 which is the first time we saw the eagle in the nest. I may estimate this to be the date that the egg was laid. We shall see, because there’s no safe way to view the contents of the nest. I do not think it would be wise, or legal to bring a drone to the site. It’s not necessary, the activity of feeding the hatchlings is pretty obvious. We have been observing these same for a couple of years of successful rearing, but never with ebird or nestwatch. Very grateful for these programs and instructions.

The guarding their finished new nest.

There’s been a history of 5 or 10 years where a nest was in the adjacent tree. This nest grew and grew til last March, 2018 it just collapsed in high winds falling apart over the month, despite their efforts to repair. They had hatched a few eggs and the juveniles matured and departed. With the nest gone, one had to wonder if this pair would return. in September we noticed sticks at this tree in the picture about 20 yards from the former nest. This picture represents the first time 11/14 we saw the eagle at the nest. and then last week 11/21 we saw the eagle inside the nest. It’s a much poorer picture, since I didn’t want to disturb. Today, I went by during a storm and saw no activity, but I trust they are close.

Mixed species nest example

A nest box had been occupied first by a Western Bluebird pair and actually had the first confirmed eggs of the 2018 season. The first clutch had 5 eggs but only 3 WEBL chicks successfully fledged from the box as of June 3. When the box was checked one week later (June 10), a new nest was observed with one bluebird egg, one swallow egg and one additional swallow egg was on the ground along with an adult Tree Swallow seen in the area. Another bluebird egg was laid the next day but adult bluebirds were not seen near the box again. The nest remained as a Tree Swallow nest that fledged 3 chicks but the bluebird eggs never hatched.

two chicks

Hours of life

Female Pileated Woodpecker

Female Pileated Woodpecker, taken through a spotting scope

Prothonotary Warbler Nesting from 2012

This nesting took place in May of 2012. It took place in a Gilbertson PVC box. The photos start with the female gathering nesting material, the male visiting the box, egg laying, hatching of eggs, after several days of growth of the nestlings and finishes off with a nestling peeking out of the box just before it fledges.

A few photos from the Prothonotary Warbler nesting.

House finches brood # 2 of 2018

2nd brood of finches in our flower pot this summer, a success!

Mourning Dove babies

First time we seen the adult off the nest. Nesting in hanging planter on front porch.

What type of flycatcher is this?

I am thinking that this is a west-slope flycatcher.

Is this a harry or downy wood pecker?

Do you know if this is a harry wood pecker or a downy wood pecker

Black-capped Chickadees

Mountain Chickadee that landed an my camera

This Chickadee got 2 inches away from my camera three times and the time is landed of the camera. It saw the reflection.

Leucistic Common Grackle

visiting our feeder

Robins

California Quail

A robin army training camp

This training camp trains these robins to be brave solders to fight worms.

A curious fellow citizen.

Mourning Dove

Usually use the garage entrance when one day came out to water the hanging plant on the front porch and saw the Mourning Dove. Can’t water the plant for fear of chilling the egg. She never left the nest and I was probably 4 ft. away when I noticed her. Delivery people have come and gone and she never moves. That’s dedication!!

A curious fellow citizen.

Unknown Bird

House wren fledglings

When we didn’t hear the young house wrens begging for food on Aug. 4, we hoped they had fledged. However, we found 4 dead fledglings when we opened the box. We had seen very few visits by adult wrens in the preceding days, and they may have abandoned the nest.

Literate house wren

The survivor

Little baby

Sadly…It comes down to this…

In the end…I think this is what happened…1 egg,3 hatchlings…I believe,since the last egg was laid much later than the first three,after hatching,the other three chicks buried it and it was forgotten…3 hatchlings,one perished…after hatching,the bigger of the three,trying to stay warm in the absence of the parents,wound up on top of the weakest,thus accidentally suffocating it. And lastly…2 chicks,both perished…last night,and the day before,we had 2 and 3/4 inches of rain in about 8 to 10 hours,in which totally filled the nest,thus drowning them both.I personally want to thank Ms Robyn,Ms Holly from Nestwatch,and also thank Ms Micah (if you’re male…then Mr Micah),my great follower through all of this. Now,I will relocate my focus back to my hummers…again…thank you all….and until next time…keep watching!

Got some problems…:(

This check didn’t go so well…one babe has expired,so we’re down to two. Lately mommys been active and feeding,but as of yesterday,I haven’t seen her on the nest(even at night) and haven’t seen her feed yet today. If there’s no changes by tomorrow,I’m going to see if DNR,or anyone else that can step in and care for these two babes…. Wish me (and them) luck…until next time…keep watching!

Gray Kingbird Rarely Seen Red Feather Crown!

Eyes are now open,really looking like Goldfinches now!

All three babes look good and healthy. I’m afraid to say…the last egg is a loss,for even if it did hatch…it wouldn’t survive? But anywho…three are good,and I’ll be keepin at it! Until next time…keep watching!

Goldfinches still kickin!

Still three healthy babes,however,I really can’t tell if the egg has tried to hatch,or it’s not going to make it…God forbid the latter…I will be checking a bit more often from here on out…they grow very quickly…lol…until next time…keep watching!

Baby robin

One of the baby robins that hatched

Limpkin Chick I’m Hungry!

Limpkin chick up close!

Wrens

Limpkin Chicks

Limpkin chicks waiting to be fed!

FINALLY have hatchlings!!!

Waiting was quite worth it! Now have three hatchlings and one egg. I’d say it will hatch soon…Will keep you all posted…only about twelve or so days left with them???

Loggerhead Shrikes

This Loggerhead Shrike fledgling being fed a caterpillar!

Nest #2

Mom is feeding her babies.

Limpkin Chicks

This Limpkin chick is chasing it’s sibling away so it could have the food that the adult brought back!

Big Foot Has An Itch! (Limpkin Chick!

This Limpkin chick thinks it may miss dinner!

Mourning Dove chicks

My first Gold Finch nest encounter

Pics of two visits over 10 to 12 days.
Will try to keep pics updated

Limpkin Chicks

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Couple

Photos taken 5/14/2018, but as long as there was safflower, they have been around.

Eastern Phoebe

Taken 5/29/2018. There was a nest under our neighbors wood side stairs for the 2nd year in a row

Baltimore Oriole

Taken 5/14/2018

Juvenile Green Heron in Sumac

Limpkin Chicks

Dark-eyed Junco nest

This little Dark-eyed Junco nest was so well hidden. It was tucked under a little mossy rock ledge on the ground. I was walking by and a junco suddenly took flight, so I looked closely and found it. Inside was a nestling and two eggs. Sadly, over the course of a few days they all disappeared. First the nestling, than one of the eggs, and then the final egg. The parents were on the nest most of the the time, so I don’t know what could have gotten it. Perhaps mice or chipmunks.

Birding Workout

After bathing captured this beauty resting on the edge of the bath

Limpkin chicks

Eastern KingBirds

young canada geese

young Canada geese, Branta Canadensis, Spring of 2018 in my backyard at hunters pond. 4 of them grew to adulthood

Eastern King Birds

EBB hatchlings

Eastern Blue Bird chicks in nest box

Is this a Bewick’s wren?

Limpkins chicks being fed!

Tree Swallow Chicks

5 Tree Swallow Chicks fully fledged.
At 9,000 ft elevation in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.
Wyoming High Country Lodge.

Limpkin chick!

Bathing Beauties, Eastern Bluebird and Summer Tanager

First time to see together these beauties. The young EBB is from the April fledging

Carolina Chickadee feeding young

Carolina Chickadee feeding her young. She nest in this tiny nest box hanging from my Cedar Tree. Past 3 years has returned to this box to nest and each year has been successful. Such a delight to hear the sound of little ones coming from the box in the spring.

SUMMER TANAGERS

1st time I have ever seen Summer Tanagers at my house or anywhere for that matter. Such beautiful birds and a beautiful song as well Adults with young would love to have found the nest.

Limpkin’s

Packed in

BS 4 or more chicks packed in a nest

The Big Day!

I just happened to see the last nestling making the decision to leave the nest. (I have only been nest watching two.) At first I saw the nestling (now fledgling) perched on the edge of the nest. The youngster was making lots of noise! I went back into the house for the camera. When I returned, he/she was perched on the ladder. I stood and watched this exciting sequence.

I feel like an empty-nester now – wondering how my two nestlings are doing out there in the big scary world.

Fledgling Mourning Dove

A Mourning Dove pair built a nest in a old robin nest which successfully fledged 3 baby robins. The doves raised two babies. Both of them fledged successfully that night before or that morning. (photo taken before sunrise) Both doves were there but one was scared off. Shortly after taking the photo, the other dove flew off too.

Loggerhead Shrike fledging impailing a flower!

Wren chicks

Wren chicks in the nest box, about 18 days from hatching

“Mom likes you better!”- said one robin baby to its nestling mate.

I started out this robin nest watch – with three beautiful eggs. Unfortunately, one of the hatchlings died on day two.

I noticed that of the two remaining nestlings…one was clearly the little one – the runt, so to speak.

On close observation and with these photos, I was able to determine that the larger nestling was clearly being favored by mom or dad.

The first photo was taken while I was hiding behind a blind in our shed. Soon the parent came and perched on a tree limb just outside the shed. The adult started chirping repeatedly for several minutes. The nestlings must have been alarmed and hid from me after that, so not more photos. I left the blind and the parent returned to the nest! Interesting! I did not think the adult would notice anything. Although, I was hidden, the adult could tell the area was changed and did not like this change one bit.

For the other three photos, I hid behind a tree outside the shed, and was able to get the mom or dad coming in to feed the two tykes.

Eastern bluebird pair

Pair of Bluebirds

Northern Mockingbirds

There was a Mockingbird nest in my yard and the four babies fledged a couple weeks ago – I wonder if this is one of the fledglings from that nest?

House finch nest #2

This is the second nest for the house finch couple near our home. The first one was in May and 3 chicks were successfully hatched and remain in our yard and at the feeders. After cleaning out that 1st nest and re hanging the flower pot, immediately they started to build a nest. Within 4 days, she laid 4 eggs! Such a busy couple!

MOM!!!!!

I lucky shot of these new born robin nestlings.

Newborns

2 little Eastern Bluebirds less than 24 hrs old.

Baby Mourning Doves

Feathering

Second brood eggs by House Wren

House Wren – second brood at this nest box.

Young bluebirds

6 day old eastern bluebirds. Doing well. =)

Loggerhead Shrikes Mating

The male Loggerhead Shrike presented the female with a Gecko, and then!

least tern nest flagged for protection

found a tern nest while patrolling the beach for endangered plants, rangers have now roped off area where nest was found.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow chicks in nest Box.
At 9,000 feet elevation in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.

Gray Kingbird

Eastern Bluebird Baby

After 100% hatch rates for the 1st and 2nd broods for this nest, only 1 of the 5 eggs hatched for the 3rd brood. This big bluebird baby is getting a lot of food and developing fast!

Northern Cardinal babies

2 of the 3 Cardinal eggs hatched! It also appears there is another dark egg or a very large seed in the nest. I will try to inspect during my next visit.

Eastern Bluebird

Second brood of the season. Seems one egg did not hatch.

Gray Kingbird

Gray Kingbird Rarely Seen Red Feather Crown!

Gray Kingbird

Patio bird nest

Noticed a momma bird spending lots of time on our patio and in this pot . Looks like she made a home not sure what type bird

Gray Kingbird

This Gray Kingbird is flying back to it’s neat to feed it’s hatchlings an insect!

Gray Kingbird

This Gray Kingbird was feeding it’s nestlings!

Third Time is a Charm!

One day in late June, I discovered a robin’s nest in our shed, at the end of our hanging ladder. (Not a good location as we need that ladder from time to time.) My husband mounted a shallow wood bowl just a few inches above the ladder nest-site. I moved the nest to the bowl. The Robin decided to rebuild on the ladder again – not taking the new “penthouse” site. This time (wiser now) we removed the ladder and placed the new nest in the bowl. Our girl must have been sooo happy with this change that she laid two eggs the next day in the bowl nest site. And then a third on the next day!

Note: I thought that many birds lay just one egg each day before starting to brood.