He’s Only Just Begun
This is one of the two Western Bluebird fledglings that hatched in my backyard this spring. He’s fluttering his wings while waiting for dad to arrive with a tasty morsel.
Western Bluebirds are small thrushes that usually perch upright. They are stocky with thin, straight bills and fairly short tails.
Male Western Bluebirds are shiny blue above with rust-orange extending from a vest on the breast onto the upper back. Females are gray-buff with a pale orange wash on the breast and blue tints to the wings and tail. The throat is blue in males and gray-buff in females, and the lower belly is whitish.
These birds are highly social, and usually feed in flocks during the non-breeding season. They hunt for terrestrial insects by dropping to the ground from a low perch. Western Bluebirds also frequently feed on berries in trees. Western Bluebirds rely on trees both for nesting cavities and hunting perches, and also perch on fences and utility lines.
(Nikon, 500 mm+TC 1.4, 1/800 @ f/5.6, ISO 3200)
He’s Only Just Begun
This is one of the two Western Bluebird fledglings that hatched in my backyard this spring. He’s fluttering his wings while waiting for dad to arrive with a tasty morsel.
Western Bluebirds are small thrushes that usually perch upright. They are stocky with thin, straight bills and fairly short tails.
Male Western Bluebirds are shiny blue above with rust-orange extending from a vest on the breast onto the upper back. Females are gray-buff with a pale orange wash on the breast and blue tints to the wings and tail. The throat is blue in males and gray-buff in females, and the lower belly is whitish.
These birds are highly social, and usually feed in flocks during the non-breeding season. They hunt for terrestrial insects by dropping to the ground from a low perch. Western Bluebirds also frequently feed on berries in trees. Western Bluebirds rely on trees both for nesting cavities and hunting perches, and also perch on fences and utility lines.
(Nikon, 500 mm+TC 1.4, 1/800 @ f/5.6, ISO 3200)