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I saw several pairs on Sumas Prairie this morning, some are in the nests or nearby. Fog had just lifted and there was still some mist in the air and with the sun out haze was inevitable also
Mallards start to pair up with potential mates in October and November, and begin nesting in march. The female will generally make her nest in a place that’s hidden by vegetation or in a natural hole in a tree. Most importantly though, they’ll look for somewhere near open water where the food is plentiful. This can sometimes however, result in a less than perfect choice of nest site, particularly in towns.
In the past, nests have been found in boathouses, wood piles, old crow’s nests, hay stacks, roof gardens, enclosed courtyards and even in large flowerpots in balconies several floors up!
Town ponds are a very popular nesting place for mallards and can often attract more ducks than are able to fit close by to the water. In these situations, many female mallards will nest well away from the pond to avoid competition and clashes from the others
Roseate Spoonbill nesting in the rookery at Smith Oaks. High Island, TX. Spoonbills are large members of the ibis family with a large specialized bill used to strain water for small tidbits of food.
Kudos to Houston Audubon for conserving this important coastal rookery.
Our beautiful world, pass it on.
Willie Wagtail
Scientific Name: Rhipidura leucophrys
Description: The Willie Wagtail is the largest, and most well-known, of the Australian fantails. The plumage is black above with a white belly. The Willie Wagtail can be distinguished from other similar-sized black and white birds by its black throat and white eyebrows and whisker marks. The name wagtail stems from the constant sideways wagging of the tail. Young birds resemble the adults, but have paler, slightly rusty edges to the feathers of the wings.
Distribution: The Willie Wagtail is found throughout mainland Australia but is absent from Tasmania. It is also found in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Moluccas.
Habitat: Willie Wagtails are found in most open habitats, especially open forests and woodlands, tending to be absent from wet sclerophyll forests and rainforests. They are often associated with water-courses and wetlands and are common around human habitation.
Seasonal movements: Although usually seen singly or in pairs, it may form winter flocks, often mixed with other species.
Feeding: Willie Wagtails are active feeders. Birds can be seen darting around lawns as they hunt for insects on the ground. As they do so, the tail is wagged from side to side. Insects are also captured in the air, in active chases.
Breeding: The Willie Wagtail's nest is a neatly woven cup of grasses, covered with spider's web on the outside and lined internally with soft grasses, hair or fur. The soft lining of the nest, if not readily available, is often taken directly from an animal. The nest of the Willie Wagtail may be re-used in successive years, or an old nest is often destroyed and the materials used in the construction of a new nest. Nests are normally placed on a horizontal branch of a tree, or other similar structure. The cream-coloured eggs, speckled with grey and brown are incubated by both sexes. The young birds stay with the parents until the eggs from the next clutch start to hatch. At this point they are driven away. If conditions are favourable, the couple may raise up to four successive clutches in a single season.
The Willie Wagtail is often found in the company of cattle and sheep. They either run behind the moving animal snatching insects as they are disturbed, or sit on the animal's back, darting off to capture a flying insect and then returning to its mobile perch.
Calls: The Willie Wagtail's call is well-known, often being uttered constantly throughout the night, and is interpreted as "sweet-pretty-creature", though other calls involve more scolding and chattering notes.
Minimum Size: 18cm
Maximum Size: 22cm
Average size: 20cm
Average weight: 20g
Breeding season: mainly August to February; can nest all year round.
Clutch Size: Three.
Incubation: 14 days
Nestling Period: 14 days
(Sources: www.birdsinbackyards.net; "The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds - Second Edition")
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© Chris Burns 2019
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Male Bluebird with food for its young.
A series of shots of this bluebird nest with the parents actively feeding its three young.
Since we lost our breeding pair of swans a couple of years ago, we've been without new cygnets each spring, which is something I have missed. The young swan who has taken the territory along this stretch of the Union Canal now has a mate, and a friend alerted me to the fact they had made a nest and it looks like there are eggs in it, so perhaps this spring we will have cygnets again!
Sadly being young and inexperienced, they have chosen a less than ideal location - in a busy area, right against the canal wall by some apartments, meaning locals cats, foxes and others can see down into the nest. Hopefully the large swans will be a deterrent to any would be predators and we get some hatchlings...
Delighted to see them building up the nest this evening as I walked home from work.
20240912_5378_R62-600 Nesting material
A Little Pied Shag arrives back with some just obtained nest building material.
#15991
Common Murres. Also known as "turrs" in Newfoundland. On Bird Island, Witless Bay. There is a much more uncommon "razor bill" among the murres. See large.
A pair of cormorants nesting in a tree above the Silver River in Silver Springs State Park near Ocala Florida.
adirondack park
last year saw no babies on the lake, and this season wasn't looking so good either... until today..
I'm not positive if this is mom or dad but from what I've read it's more common for the male mourning dove to tend to the nest during the day.
These parents set up their nest on a shelf in our back yard that is right along the walkway to the back gate which means when you walk by they are within arms reach. I stop and speak softly to them whenever I pass by and they don't seem to get alarmed by our presence. Hopefully their 2 eggs will hatch successfully and I will be able to get some baby photos.
Both male and female have been feeding all day today
I am wondering how many as the last count was 11 eggs.
We watched one of them having another quick bath.
Around the end of the 19th Century, hunters killed large numbers of these magnificent birds so that their plumes, known as "aigrettes", could be used to decorate ladies' hats. Because of conservation measures, they are now commonly found in our wetlands. Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, South Carolina
Carmine Bee-eaters nesting on the banks of the Luangwa River, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.
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The male storks arrived a few months back and looks like the chirping of tiny beaks may be in prospect.
The female of this pair of nesting osprey is noticeably larger. Both parents are sitting near the nest to protect it. Couldn't see any young. I believe she is still incubating. Taken at Fort Pickens , Florida.
Our beautiful world, pass it on.
Motherly instincts. I have been seeing this coot at this exact spot, sitting calmly for more than a week now. It is a lot of dedication and love.
I usually don’t go out on cloudy days but out of frustration I did. We’re scheduled for another WEEK of rain and clouds.
I decided to visit an eagles nest about 35 minutes from me. When I arrived I was happy to see at least one eagle sitting low in the nest. A moment later it flew out and down low around the nest. I can only assume it was trying to grab a quick bite. It failed and returned to the nest. About 5 minutes later the second eagle returned. They switched positions and the original eagle took off for a break. It’s safe to assume they have at least one egg at this point,
I was surprised the pictures came out decent (I feel) considering I was approx. 75yards away. The reach on the lens with the 1.4x extender is approx. 1792mm. It was completely overcast. I feel that what little light there was must have been reflecting off the lake ( nest is right off it) helping to keep the iso at a manageable level.