Lacunas
View allAll Photos Tagged Cavities
This bee is best known for the habit of cutting semi circles from leaf's with the large jaws to make sausage-shaped cells in their cavities from the leaf segments. Can be seen and found in habitats such as gardens, parks etc from May-August.
The central black 'anchor' mark on the face would help show that this species is a common wasp. This is the wasp that will readily enter houses and can be found in various habitats such as gardens and parks. Just goes to show that even insects like to have a clean to help stay in shape as seen here. A typical cavity nester that will nest in aerial situations and in the ground. Seen from mid March to mid November.
Small, stocky owl with large head and no neck. Pointed ear tufts are often raised. Varies in color from gray to bright rufous (reddish-brown). Intricate pattern is perfect for camouflage against tree bark. Yellow eyes. Active at night when they prey on small birds and mammals. More often heard than seen; listen for its descending whinny and longer trill. Roosts and nests in cavities, including nest boxes. Found in a variety of habitats with trees, particularly near water. (eBird)
A slightly quieter roosting spot from his original roost right next to the road where everyone parks. Of course, he was found and everyone goes to take his photo.
Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. May 2022.
Tel un Petit duc maculé, cette Chouette rayée a choisi cette cavité pour se reposer pendant la journée et faire un brin de toilette.
Just like an Eastern Screech Owl this Barred Owl chose this cavity for the day to rest and preen itself.
Merci Sylvain...
Chouette rayée
Barred Owl
Strix Varia
Grand merci pour votre visite, vos commentaires et vos favoris. Je les apprécie sincèrement.
Many thanks for your visit, your comments and favorites, I appreciate them deeply!
Hou hou hou-hou
Hou hou hou-houââa
J'ai eu le privilège, avec mon ami Sylvain, d'entendre la délicieuse mélodie de cette Chouette rayée. Vous la voyez ici en plein chant la gorge gonflée. Elle s'est avancée un peu plus sur les abords de la cavité pour nous offrir son air harmonieux et puissant. Doux bonheur !
What a privilege to hear this Barred Owl singing powerfully its aria with my friend Sylvain. You can see here that its neck is all puffed up from the singing. It moved forward of the cavity to offer its most beautiful and harmonious song.
Chouette rayée
Barred Owl
Stix varia
Grand merci pour votre visite, vos commentaires et vos favoris. Je les apprécie sincèrement.
Many thanks for your visit, your comments and favorites I appreciate them deeply!
Mother Nature creates perfect teeth with these icicle-covered branches at the shore of Lake Ontario.
Bien cachée au fond de sa cavité pendant la journée le deuxième bébé Chouette rayée se montra aux abords de la cavité alors que nous nous apprêtions à quitter.
Well hidden in the cavity during the day (we thought it had already left) this second owlet appeared around the cavity as we were leaving.
Chouette rayée - Juvénile
Barred Owl - Juvenile
Stix varia
Grand merci pour votre visite, vos commentaires et vos favoris. Je les apprécie sincèrement.
Many thanks for your visit, your comments and favorites I appreciate them deeply!
Two adorable raccoon kits peeking out of a tree cavity. Baby raccoons are up there on the top of the list for the cutest babies in my opinion!
I posted this shot to show the whole nest cavity of the cute little Gray Morph Eastern Screech Owl. Pennypack Trail, Huntingdon Valley Bryn Athyn PA.
* Le Gardeur, Québec, Canada *
• Formerly the rural parish of Saint-Paul-l'Ermite established in 1856 and former town located 35 km east of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Le Gardeur is now a district of the city of Repentigny.
• Anciennement la paroisse rurale de Saint-Paul-l'Ermite fondée en 1856 et ancienne ville située à 35 km à l'est de Montréal, Québec, Canada. Le Gardeur est maintenant un quartier de la ville de Repentigny.
• Anteriormente la parroquia rural de St. Paul el Ermitaño fundada en 1856 y antigua ciudad situada a 35 km al este de Montreal, Quebec, Canadá. Le Gardeur es ahora un distrito de la ciudad de Repentigny.
Je laisse la nichée des Petits ducs à laquelle je reviendrai plus tard. J'ai eu l'incommensurable bonheur de suivre une autre nichée de strigidés, celle de Chouettes rayée. Je vous présente la première sortie du deuxième jeune. Il a passé la journée à escalader sa longue cavité mais se butait constamment au plafond de celle-ci. Ce n'est qu'en début de la soirée qu'il fit le grand saut osant remonter les parois externes de la cavité pour se retrouver complètement à l'extérieur. Il tomba d'une trentaine de pieds sous mes yeux. Papa et maman l'encourageant de "hou-hou" incessants , il commença son ascension sur un autre arbre du secteur ce qui me permit de faire ce portrait.
What a joy it was to follow this Barred Owl nest. Here is the first going out of the youngest owlet. He spent the day exercising on the cavity, climbing, flipping his wings but never going further than the top of his nest. Around 6:45 PM he went a little higher, completely out of his secure nest. He made a fall of 30 feet in front of my eyes. Mom and dad were encouraging him with incessant "hoo, hoo" so he began to climb another tree which allowed me to take this portrait of a juvenile freshly out of his cavity.
Chouette rayée - juvénile
Barred Owl - juvenile
Merci pour votre visite, vos favoris et vos commentaires. Je les apprécie grandement!
Thanks for stopping by, for your faves and comments everyone. I appreciate them deeply!
Eastern Screech-Owls nest in holes and cavities, but never dig a cavity themselves. Thus, they depend on tree holes opened or enlarged by woodpeckers, fungus, rot, or squirrels. They often occupy abandoned woodpecker nest holes. Eastern Screech-Owls readily accept nest boxes, including those built for Wood Ducks or Purple Martins, and sometimes nest in wood piles, mailboxes, or crates left on the ground.
This nesting tree is about 10 feet in front of a friends house with the hole facing the house.
Red-bellied Woodpecker creating a nesting cavity high in Shagbark Hickory tree. The woods rattle from the activity.
Common and abundant permanent resident.
Herring gull diving for a crab near the shore of Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Somes Sound is a large, deep body of water located in the lower mid-section of Mount Desert Island, Maine, whose cavity was formed from past glacier activity.
Sparrows inspecting a branch cavity.
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Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the Far East have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.
The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs hold permanent territories, and nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests, but sometimes natural cavities. If the entrance to the hole is too large, the female plasters it with mud to reduce its size, and often coats the inside of the cavity too. The 6–9 red-speckled white eggs are laid on a deep base of pine or other wood chips.
The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, although in autumn and winter its diet is supplemented with nuts and seeds. The young are fed mainly on insects, with some seeds, food items mainly being found on tree trunks and large branches. The nuthatch can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables, eating fatty man-made food items as well as seeds. It is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrowhawk.
It breeds throughout England and Wales and has recently began to breed in southern Scotland. It is a resident, with birds seldom travelling far from the woods where they hatch.
Population:
UK breeding:
220,000 territories
This little guy was sunning himself in the same exact spot I saw him last year! It was so cute to see him in the heart shaped cavity.
A surprise encounter on a recent trip up to the Sierra’s. I was busy shooting some landscapes when I saw this guy leave this cavity. Grabbed my big lens and got some great shots of both the male and female. This guy completed my California woodpecker list.
Small owl of fairly open country, such as farmland with hedges and scattered trees, orchards, open woodland, and quarries. Distinctive, with white-spotted upperparts. Staring yellow eyes and white brows, together with frequently upright stance, often create alert appearance. Nests in cavities in trees and rocks. Sometimes active by day, perching quietly on posts or rocks, but mainly active dusk to dawn. Flight low and undulating. Vocalizations are comprised of a range of endearing squeaks and high-pitched hoots. (eBird)
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We searched the country roads around Waikuku twice before we finally found this Little Owl. He had found the ideal spot for some well-camouflaged sunning. Once found, we used the car as a blind to be able to get photos without spooking him.
Waikuku, Canterbury, New Zealand. March 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the Far East have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.
The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs hold permanent territories, and nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests, but sometimes natural cavities. If the entrance to the hole is too large, the female plasters it with mud to reduce its size, and often coats the inside of the cavity too. The 6–9 red-speckled white eggs are laid on a deep base of pine or other wood chips.
The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, although in autumn and winter its diet is supplemented with nuts and seeds. The young are fed mainly on insects, with some seeds, food items mainly being found on tree trunks and large branches. The nuthatch can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables, eating fatty man-made food items as well as seeds. It is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrowhawk.
It breeds throughout England and Wales and has recently began to breed in southern Scotland. It is a resident, with birds seldom travelling far from the woods where they hatch.
Population:
UK breeding:
220,000 territories
Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the Far East have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.
The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs hold permanent territories, and nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests, but sometimes natural cavities. If the entrance to the hole is too large, the female plasters it with mud to reduce its size, and often coats the inside of the cavity too. The 6–9 red-speckled white eggs are laid on a deep base of pine or other wood chips.
The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, although in autumn and winter its diet is supplemented with nuts and seeds. The young are fed mainly on insects, with some seeds, food items mainly being found on tree trunks and large branches. The nuthatch can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables, eating fatty man-made food items as well as seeds. It is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrowhawk.
It breeds throughout England and Wales and has recently began to breed in southern Scotland. It is a resident, with birds seldom travelling far from the woods where they hatch.
Population:
UK breeding:
220,000 territories
I had the recent pleasure to spend some time on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca , Mexico....a daily walk in a park near to my hotel yielded a load of new and wonderful bird species. Including this VERY TINY Pygmy Owl...even better , it was nesting in a cavity of a palm tree , and it showed itself quite willingly. My first time seeing and photographing this tiny tropical version of its cousin the Northern Pygmy Owl. I spent a few minutes with it, observed it moving about the park , barely able to see it when it landed on various perches! This little owl measures maybe 6 inches in length and weighs very little!!! Amazing little one isnt it!!!
Habitat : Open Woodlands
Food : Insects
Nesting : Cavity
Behavior : Ground Forager
Conservation : Low Concern
"Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. It’s not where you’d expect to find a woodpecker, but flickers eat mainly ants and beetles, digging for them with their unusual, slightly curved bill. When they fly you’ll see a flash of color in the wings – yellow if you’re in the East, red if you’re in the West – and a bright white flash on the rump."
- Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
"Skałki PIEKŁO pod Niekłaniem" reserve - the Stąporków Forest District. My wife and I went on this trip spontaneously, it's only 50 km. We arrived at the parking lot in the late afternoon. You still had to walk with a backpack and a tripod about 3 km to the place of the reserve, which for me (after the collapse) was quite a challenge. In the slowly falling dusk, in the middle of the forest, majestic rocks, approx. 150 m long and 7 m high, have emerged. Established in the early Jurassic period about 200 million years ago, it was then a coastal zone of the shallow sea covering the present Świętokrzyskie Mountains. We were on our way back when it was getting dark and rain was falling - but it was worth it.
Hitech ND 0.9 ( x8 ) GRAD SOFT (85x110) .
The original of this image is available as a stock photograph with Grandmaison Photo Agency www.grandmaisonphotography.com/gallery-image/NORTHERN/G00...
This Northern Flicker is looking out from a cavity that it had been busy excavating as a nest site (see this photo of it at work www.flickr.com/photos/luminouscompositions/51498454866/in... and another view of it at the cavity entrance www.flickr.com/photos/luminouscompositions/51499171034/in... ). This is a male intergrade (between the red-shafted and yellow-shafted forms), recognized by its red malar stripe and red nape patch. This individual was seen near the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Little Owl - Athena noctua (M)
The little owl (Athene noctua) is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It was introduced into Britain at the end of the nineteenth century and into the South Island of New Zealand in the early twentieth century.
This owl is a cavity nester and a clutch of about four eggs is laid in spring. The female does the incubation and the male brings food to the nest, first for the female and later for the newly hatched young. As the chicks grow, both parents hunt and bring them food, and the chicks leave the nest at about seven weeks of age.
The distribution is widespread across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its range in Eurasia extends from the Iberian Peninsula and Denmark eastwards to China and southwards to the Himalayas. In Africa it is present from Mauritania to Egypt, the Red Sea and Arabia. The bird has been introduced to New Zealand, and to the United Kingdom, where it has spread across much of England and the whole of Wales.
This is a sedentary species which is found in open countryside in a great range of habitats. These include agricultural land with hedgerows and trees, orchards, woodland verges, parks and gardens, as well as steppes and stony semi-deserts. It is also present in treeless areas such as dunes, and in the vicinity of ruins, quarries and rocky outcrops. It sometimes ventures into villages and suburbs. In the United Kingdom it is chiefly a bird of the lowlands, and usually occurs below 500 m (1,600 ft).
In continental Europe and Asia it may be found at much higher elevations; one individual was recorded from 3,600 m (12,000 ft) in Tibet.
The little owl is territorial, the male normally remaining in one territory for life. However the boundaries may expand and contract, being largest in the courtship season in spring. The home range, in which the bird actually hunts for food, varies with the type of habitat and time of year. Little owls with home-ranges that incorporate a high diversity of habitats are much smaller (< 2 ha) than those which breed in monotonous farmland (with home-ranges over 12 ha).
The little owl is partly diurnal and often perches boldly and prominently during the day. If living in an area with a large amount of human activity, little owls may grow used to humans and will remain on their perch, often in full view, while people are around. The little owl has a life expectancy of about sixteen years. However, many birds do not reach maturity; severe winters can take their toll and some birds are killed by road vehicles at night, so the average lifespan may be on the order of three years.
Breeding Bird Survey data suggest that little owl numbers are declining, with the UK population estimated to be down by 24 per cent between 1995 and 2008.
UK breeding:
5,700 pairs
Chestnut Teals look beautiful floating on the water and that's where I'm used to photograph them. I came upon this male when he was inspecting a cavity in a dead tree some 3 meters above the ground. That's what the Wood Ducks usually do when looking for a suitable nesting site. I wonder what he had in mind.
This little guy was sunning himself in the same exact spot I saw him last year! It was so cute to see him in the heart shaped cavity.
"Barn Owls nest and roost in cavities, abandoned barns and other buildings, and dense trees. At night, Barn Owls hunt by flying low, back and forth over open habitats, searching for small rodents primarily by sound. Up to 46 different races of the Barn Owl have been described worldwide. The North American form is the largest, weighing more than twice as much as the smallest race from the Galapagos Islands. Barn Owl females are somewhat showier than males. She has a more reddish and more heavily spotted chest. The spots may indicate the quality of the female. Heavily spotted females get fewer parasitic flies and may be more resistant to parasites and diseases. The spots may also stimulate the male to help more at the nest. In an experiment where some females’ spots were removed, their mates fed their nestlings less often than for females whose spots were left alone. The Barn Owl has excellent low-light vision, and can easily find prey at night by sight. But its ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested." Information from the All About Birds website, www.allaboutbirds.org, © Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor - Hirundinidae) at their nest in a cavity in a branch of a poplar tree (Populus deltoides, - Salicaceae).
Uihlein Waterfowl Production Area,
Leopold Wetland Management District
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Waukau, Winnebago County, Wisconsin
AP210339m
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a petite falcon roughly the same size as Mourning Dove, but with a larger head and wider tail. In flight, note long, narrow wings and square-tipped tail.
Often seen perched on telephone wires, along roadsides, in open country with short vegetation and few trees.
From a perch or hovering, they usually drop to the ground to snatch small mammals and insects. Nests in cavities. Widespread across the Americas.
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolour) adult at the entrance to its nest cavity in an old stump in the camping area of Lake Newell Provincial Park south of Brooks, Alberta, Canada.
26 May, 2016.
Slide # GWB_20160526_3557.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck nesting in tree cavity - I learned that Black-bellied Whistling ducks are cavity nesters. I also watched a changing of the guard as the pair switched spots on the nest.
Australian Capital Territory
From eBird: Large white cockatoo with a spectacular plumed yellow crest and dark bill. Often erects its crest immediately upon landing. Occurs in a wide variety of woodland habitats, including urban parks and gardens. Calls include extremely loud harsh screeches lacking any musical quality whatsoever. Commonest call, both in flight and when perched, is a very harsh grating note. When perched, vocabulary more diverse, with most notes having similar tonal quality to flight call, combined with nasal squeals and squawks.
We were on the hunt for Gang Gang and Glossy-Black Cockatoos when we came upon this Sulphur-crested Cockatoo at her nest hole. Although the bird flew in and out several times with food, we didn't get to see her feed the chicks as they stayed hidden in the nest cavity.
Even though the Northern Flicker as a species is not particularly heavy, weighing some 130 grams (less than 5 oz) on average, it is nevertheless a substantial bird {as I have appreciated while holding them during banding}. An indication of that heft comes from the size of the nest cavity, which is about 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. The compact sturdiness of a Northern Flicker stands it well in winter, when the primary diet of insects (especially ants and ant larvae) is mainly replaced by berries and seeds. This image shows both the red malar stripes of a male — in this case of the intergrade form (although the red nape is not visible, this is the same individual as here: www.flickr.com/photos/luminouscompositions/51498454866/in... ).
This Northern Flicker was removing dried grasses from a cavity, apparently in preparation for nesting. This intriguing behaviour was witnessed in Carburn Park, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The bird doing some ‘housework’ here is a male of the red-shafted form.
The red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada.
The red-bellied earns its name from the pale reddish blush of its lower underside. A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices. Males have longer, wider-tipped tongues than females, possibly allowing a breeding pair to forage in slightly different places on their territory and maximize their use of available food.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers pair off in late winter and early spring. They are seasonally monogamous, meaning that pairs remain together for one nesting season. The male initiates courtship by drumming to attract the female's attention. If she joins him, they engage in a mutual tapping display before settling down to excavate a nest cavity,
The female lays three to eight white eggs in the nest cavity, which both parents incubate in turns, with the female on the day shift and the male taking over at night. Both parents also feed the young once they hatch. In northern parts of their range, Red-bellied Woodpeckers usually raise a single clutch per season, but in the South, they may raise two or even three clutches per year.
Predators of adult red-bellied woodpeckers include birds of prey such as sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper's hawks, black rat snake and house cats. Known predators of nestlings and eggs include red-headed woodpeckers, owls, pileated woodpeckers, eastern gray squirrels, fox squirrels, gray rat snakes and black rat snakes. When approached by a predator, red-bellied woodpeckers either hide from the predator, or harass it with alarm calls. They defend their nests and young aggressively, and may directly attack predators that come near the nest.
(Wicki, All about birds, American Bird Conservancy)
Nikon D7100
Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR
98mm - f4.5 - 1/500 - ISO 125