Singing Song
This can be the quietest time of the season for some Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) as they keep their incessant and resonant voices down after having established territory, found a mate, and successfully built a nest. You do not want to advertise quite as much when there are eggs and young to protect, but sometimes you do have to keep an eye on your property and belt out a tune or two.
Read MoreAmerican Robin Nest
Here is a sweet way to start your Monday – adorable American Robin (Turdus migratorius) fledglings sitting in their nest! It is getting cramped in there…good thing they all popped out and flew to the ground when mom came back with a meal. Stretch those wings!
Read MoreAmerican Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
The cutest and most cooperative friend that I made today during an afternoon bird survey was this American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). It was chowing down and allowing me to shoot from a comfortable distance for a minute as Gray Squirrels and Eastern Chipmunks excitedly ran around us. I saw an increase in both butterflies and moths on the wing in the woodlands. Most of our birds are staying busy with nesting season upon us, feeding and quieting down to care for eggs or young with territories already well established. The goal now is to minimize disturbances and not attract...
Read MoreEastern Bluebird Feeding
May is the time for the next generation of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) to join our world as nest boxes across the land are filled with the growing and begging beaks of nestlings. These young birds, like so many others, require a lot of constant room service, and mom and dad are busy feeding them nonstop. I took only a moment to photograph this Bluebird as I did not want to interrupt it as it headed home with a delivery. Their unbelievably beautiful plumage looks unreal against the increasingly green backgrounds of forest adjacent to this orchard. The line between art and life is very...
Read MoreBaltimore Oriole Nest Building
This first-spring male Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) was a busy fella, methodically sorting through all sorts of nest building material as I watched him last week. He would gather some grass, straw and other vegetation, carefully crafting it and arranging it just right, then flying back off to his mate and his tree. You may have seen a Baltimore Oriole nest, hanging from several points of a tree branch, without evening knowing what it was. The female bird constructs a sack or sock-like container that is carefully woven together with such craftsmanship that they often stay attached to...
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