I have returned, and for you readers who long ago sent me photos of the Galapagos and other wild places, don’t worry: I still have the photos and will put them up in time. Today, however, as the trees have leafed out in my absence, we’re going to celebrate spring and rebirth with a few photos sent when I was in South Carolina.
Apparently, Desi and Lucy, Stephen Barnard’s bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), have produced chicks at last:
I got my first glimpse of the Aubrey Spring Ranch eagle chicks today as an adult was feeding them. Didn’t get a photo where they’re recognizable.
Here are some chicks from reader Robert:
Seeing that you’re on the road and asked for photos, I thought I’d pass this one on: of the nest built in the top corner of our balcony in Pasadena, California. Looks like a pretty snug fit.
When I asked for an ID, he added, “House finch [Haemorhous mexicanus] (according to my wife, who knows more about such things than me).” Readers can verify this.
Reader Randy from Iowa also sent a photo of a nest, and of two woodpeckers:
The first photo of a nest is most likely a swallow’s nest but until I can see the builder, it is just a guess. There are several items used including a lot of moss — still green as this nest is new. A very odd location I thought, because it is under a door entrance and less than 7 feet high. I hope it gets used but have doubts that it will.
Woodpeckers are always plentiful around here and this photo includes the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) and the Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus). I sometimes wonder if the name Red-bellied was used because Red Headed was already taken. Some people around here identify the Hairy Woodpecker as the Ladder-backed or the Nuttall’s Woodpecker but I think not. Those do not live in this part of the country.
This is a Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) feeding on a bud.
Whoops–gotta go feed the squirrels. One is banging on my office window for nuts!
I suspect that the Hairy Woodpecker is really a Downy. Note relatively small size compared to the Red-bellied as well as the short beak.
I believe you are correct. When the smaller Downy Woodpeckers are there at the same time as the larger Hairy, then I am sure. So many woodpeckers and I am no expert.
Such is the life of a squirrel god!
The eagle on the left is bringing fresh nest material. He (or she) was fussy about arranging it just so and throwing out old nest material. I’d see little heads pop up by the adults’ feet. One time I saw a chick flapping its wings. The adults traded places and the one perched in this photo took off.
I always enjoy your eagle pictures. We keep track of a mated pair of Sandhill cranes in the same way, for about three years now. This year we are watching them raise their 2nd pair of chicks that hatched about 2 months ago.
We knew of a bald eagle nest not too far from us that we liked to check on whenever we were in the area. We’ve been doing so for at least 5 years. Unfortunately when my daughter and I were hiking in that area just a couple of weeks ago, the large tree that this nest was in was gone! The tree had been dead for quite some time, so I’ve no reason to suspect foul play. We didn’t see any sign of bald eagles during that hike.
I bet a drone photograph would capture the chicks. Though that might disturb the eagles, or worse, become an expensive eagle victim.
I bet a drone camera could get a good photo of the chicks. Though it might disturb the birds, or even worse, become an expensive eagle victim.
I don’t know why my info doesn’t pop-up automatically like it used to. Perhaps its a cache issue.
Funny how they can be fastidious in one sense, yet let a big rotting fish sit in the nest for days… 😀
(Speaking of some of the online eagle nests I’ve seen.)
Looking forward to shots of the new little heads poking up!
That is a well guano-ed finch nest!
Yeah…now I know why we call them “dirty birds”.
Yeah…now I know why we call them “dirty birds”.
Great pictures. I look forward to seeing the fledgling eagles. Since there are likely more than 1, I hope that they all make it — but I know with such birds that that is sometimes (often?) not true.
In the three years I’ve been here this pair have fledged 3, 2, and 2. Sometimes the juveniles return, but they don’t stick around.
The mossy nest is described as “most likely a swallow’s nest” but it does not look like what I (from a European perspective) would recognise as a typical swallow nest. Most hirundines nest either in mud nests or in cavities (depending on the species either self excavated in sand-banks or in holes previously excavated in trees by woodpeckers). I am not aware of any swallow species making a nest of grasses, mosses and other loose, dry material but I am not very familiar with north American species so maybe there are such species. I’d be interested if N American readers could comment on this.
A couple of us have suggested it’s the nest of an Eastern Phoebe. They’re also frequent door-frame, rafter, etc. nesters;
Great pictures.
Fledgling House Sparrows always seem to have those retained down feathers sticking up on both sides of their heads, giving them a charmingly demented look…