View allAll Photos Tagged nesting
On a walk bout at Barr Lake where they have several nesting box's and I wasn't sure if a bird was in this one so I zoomed in - nope nothing but leaven.
Turku, Finland.
Spotmatic SP II, SMC Takumar 35/2, Kodak T-MAX 100 black and white negative film. 17/3/2018.
The bald eagle is an opportunistic feeder that subsists mainly on fish, upon which it swoops down and snatches from the water with its talons.
Cookie is our first female rabbit and as such we've never experience nesting before. We did notice quite a bit of fur in her hutch last week but it wasn't until this weekend that we saw her collecting grass from the garden.
Poor Dylan (who no longer has the baby making facilities) just watched from a distance as Cookie went back and forth to her hutch. Occasionally he'd jump in too to have a look, but a few growls from Cookie soon put him in his place.
Of course, now we're all wondering if the operation was actually a success...
Well partner, you said that you would like some storage, so I was thinking about making you a nesting bowl or two. I haven't made that pattern before, so I made the 4 inch version to try it out. I would be making yours in your color picks and in a larger size, so no worries if this one isn't to your taste. It will probably become my thread catcher unless you really love it.
A couple of questions for you: Do you like the scrappy patchwork look, or would you prefer some mini blocks for the decorative panel on yours? Would you prefer a solid or maybe a linen for the main fabric, or would you like something like the black crosshatch I used here? Would you like me to add a handle or two? And most importantly, what sizes would be most useful for you?
If you really dislike it, or would prefer I make you something else, please say so. You won't hurt my feelings. I want to make something you will enjoy and actually use. :)
DESCRIPTION
The Little Bittern is a small heron with a dark back and cap and buff white neck and wing patches.
ADULT: The male has a green black crown with elongated feathers forming a modest crest. The bill is yellow or yellow green with dark brown upper edge. Irises are yellow, and the lores are yellow or green. The side of the face is grey washed with a vinaceous tinge. The chin and throat are white with buff center. The back and tail is green black. The flight feathers are green black, which contrast on the upper wing with buff white wing patches. Sides of the upper breast have small tufts of elongated black feathers. The under sides are buff white with minimal brown streaking that is variable among individuals with the under wings white. Legs vary from green, green grey, yellow, green in front and yellow behind. The toes are long.
In breeding the plumage is brighter and upper breast feathers are longer and looser. In courtship the lower bill (of both sexes) flashes red briefly during copulation, nest relief, and other excitement. The lores and orbital skin flush dull red.
VARIATION: The female is smaller and a duller color. Its crest is black and less glossy than the male. It has a brown or rufous tinge to the dark colors, which also show some streaking. Wing patches are pale brown buff and slightly streaked. The under parts are striped in brown. There are no known differences between sexes in soft part color.
Geographic variation has been recognized in five subspecies. Payesii is smaller with shorter wings than minutus; the neck and wing patches are more red brown to chestnut rather than buff of minutus; the irises become red brown in courtship; legs in breeding are olive green in front and yellow behind.
Podiceps is smaller than minutus or payesii; the adult male has the deep rufous on the neck extending over the whole underparts and under wing and becoming chestnut on the upper parts; the immature bird is darker than minutus.
Dubious has a shorter, thicker bill; the neck and wing are chestnut to rufous; the flight feathers are dull black or dark grey brown contrasting with buff wing patch; the immature has pale primaries with fulvous tips; the female is not well marked.
Novaezelandiae was larger and darker, back and scapulars were dark red brown with rufous lining to the feathers; the hind neck was chestnut; the wing patch are spotted chestnut; the female was more heavily streaked below
JUVENILE: The juvenile bird is more boldly streaked below and above with a red brown tinge. The crown is streaked brown. The wing patches are heavily mottled with brown and buff.
CHICK: The downy chick is pink buff above (minutus), reddish buff (payesii), pink buff to brown (dubious) and white below. Irises are black brown. The bill is dull pink turning to grey. The facial skin is blue grey becoming olive yellow. Legs and feet are olive grey with pink toes.
VOICE:” “Kohr” call is the distinctive and characteristic grunting or barking advertising call used during breeding. It is variously rendered as “kohr, kohr, kohr, kohr,” “hork, hork, hork,” “Cor, orr, orr, orr,” or “gogh, gogh, gogh, gogh” and also “hogh”, “rru” and “woof.” The “Kwer” call is a flight call. It is rendered as “kuk-kuk, kuk-kak,” cuck, cuck,cuck cuck,” Cra, a, a, a, k,” “quer” or “ker-ack.” It is low pitched and abrupt, and sometimes proceeded by a higher pitched “quee.” The “Koh” call is the disturbance call. The “Gek” call is a repeated call given frequently at the nest site, rendered as “gek, gek, gek, gek” or “ek, ek, ek, ek.” A similar “Gak” call is the alarm and threat call. It can be rendered as “kuk,” “gat,” “gack” or “yick.” The “Aark” call is an anxiety call. “Goo” call, rendered “goo, goo,” is used with the Greeting Ceremony. Young beg with “tu, tu, tu, tu, tu.”
WEIGHTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Length: 25 – 35 cm. Weight: 140-150 g.
FIELD CHARACTERS
The Little Bittern is identified by its small size, dark cap and back, and buff grey wing patches offsetting dark flight feathers. Its flight is rapid for a heron, flying with rapid, shallow, clipped wing beats, legs dangling, often dropping into cover. It is distinguished from the Yellow Bittern by being slightly larger, having a shorter bill, its black (not brown) back, and white to grey buff (not yellow buff) wing patch. It is distinguished from the Cinnamon Bittern by it dark (not cinnamon) back and cap.
SYSTEMATICS
The Little Bittern is one of the small bitterns, Ixobrychus, that share similar plumage, white eggs, scutellate tarsi, and ten tail feathers. It is closely related to the Least and Yellow bitterns, with which it shares a slender bill, uniform dorsal coloration, and moderate plumage sexual dimorphism. The Little Bittern covers a large discontinuous range, with other small bitterns filling in the range gaps. Novaezelandia is often considered a different species, due to its larger size. Payesii and podiceps are also sometimes considered to be separate species.
RANGE AND STATUS
The Little Bittern occurs in Europe, west Asia, Africa, Madagascar, north India, Australia and New Guinea.
BREEDING RANGE: The north boundary of the breeding range of minutus includes England (Allport and Carroll 1989), Netherlands (Bekhuis 1990), Belgium, north Germany, to Estonia, Russia (west Siberia), Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan (Lopatin et al. 1992), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan, west China (Sinkiang). It breeds in North Africa (Morocco to Tunisia, north Egypt – El Din 1992), Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain (possibly breeding), Iraq (possibly breeding), Iran, Pakistan (Sind), India (Kasmir – Holmes and Hatchwell 1991, Uttar Pradesh, Assam), and Nepal.
Payesii occurs in Africa south of the Sahara in Mauritania, Senegal (Morel and Morel 1989), Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gabon, Principe, Nigeria, south Sudan, south Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania (baker and Baker in prep.), south east Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, east and south South Africa (Transvaal, Natal, Cape Province). Podiceps is confined to Madagascar. Novaezelandiae occurred only on South Island New Zealand. Dubius breeds in Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, south Western Australia, north Western Australia – Jaensch 1988).
NONBREEDING RANGE: Minutus from Europe and west Asia move south in winter. A few birds remain in west and south Europe (Mediterranean, Ireland, Britain, Germany, Netherlands, and north Africa) (Cramp and Simmons 1977, Nankinov and Kantarzhiev 1988). Most birds winter in Africa south of the Sahara, mostly in east Africa but also west to Senegal and south to as far as South Africa. Minutus from north India appear to remain there during nonbreeding. Podiceps is probably sedentary; there is some evidence of its moving to Africa in the dry season (Brown et al. 1982) but this is refuted (Baker and Baker in prep.). Dubius also appears to be mostly sedentary but it also occurs in New Guinea, mostly in the southern lowlands (Jaensch 1995, 1996). As far as is known these are wintering birds from Australia, although there remains a possibility of its breeding in New Guinea (Beehler et al. 1986).
MIGRATION: Minutus is migratory across most of its breeding range and has a significant post breeding dispersal. Birds in Europe move south in August-October. They fly singly and in small groups at night. Western birds move through Italy, Spain and France and along the Atlantic coast (Nankinov 1999). They cross the Mediterranean and Sahara in a broad wave. Birds from the east cross Israel, Iraq, Arabia, and Egypt, also in a broad front. Movement in Africa is less clear. Return migration is in March – April. Birds regularly overshoot and land north of the breeding range.
Minutus in the Middle East are partially sedentary. Minutus from north India, payesii and podiceps, are at least partially sedentary, with local movements that are not clearly understood. Payesii shifts in response to rainfall and drought. Podiceps is now understood not to migrate occasionally to Zanzibar as suggested by Brown et al. (1982). Dubius is probably migratory, shifting after wetlands dry out (March- April) from south to north and inland to coast, and also to south Papua-New Guinea. Return migration to the southern breeding areas in Australia is in August-September.
The Little Bittern ranges widely in post breeding dispersal, moving in all directions. Dispersal records include Iceland, Faeroes, Azores, Madeira, and Canary islands and Scandinavia. Dispersal records in the east include Lord Howell Island and New Zealand (O’Donnell and Dilks 1988).
STATUS: The species is widespread and common in many areas within that range. It has been decreasing in Europe, especially from 1970’s to 1990’s, due to habitat loss (Nankinov 1999). Its nesting distribution is now fragmented, and the species appears to be in a rapid decline in west Europe (Marion et al. 2000). Its overall population is 37,000 – 107,000 pairs, the range reflecting uncertainties in eastern Europe - Romania, Ukraine, and Russia - which together support the greater portion of the European population (Marion et al. 2000).
The Little Bittern is common in north Africa, is increasing in Egypt (El Din 1992) and is more common in Arabia than previously appreciated. It has been under-represented on surveys in Tanzania; a guess at its population there puts it under 10,000 adults (Baker and Baker in prep.). It is rare in South Africa, under 100 pairs. It is uncommon in Madagascar and known from only a few places. It is abundant in parts of India (1000-2000 pairs in Kashmir). The population in New Zealand went extinct for unknown reasons – it is one of a few contemporary herons that has suffered extinction (Hilton-Taylor 2000) . The Little Bittern is rare and very localized in Australia. It has declined in and west Australia due to habitat loss but may be more common in other areas than is presently appreciated (Jaensch 1989)
HABITATS
The habitat used by the species is varied across its huge range. Most typically it uses freshwater wetlands having thick herbaceous vegetation with trees or bushes interspersed nearby. These habitats include peat bogs, reed swamps, edges of lakes, pools, reservoirs, oases, swamps, wooded and marshy edges of streams and rivers, wet grasslands, mangroves, salt marshes, lagoons. In east Africa it prefers smaller, well-vegetated swamps, marshes and drainage ditches (Baker and Baker in prep.) It also can be found in forests. It occurs in lowlands and up to 1500 m in Madagascar and 1800 m in the Himalayas.
Typical herbaceous plants used in these habitats include Scirpus, Typha, Phragmites, Baumea, Juncus. Shrubs and trees used include Muehlenbeckia, Melaleuca. It uses human habitats including rice fields, ponds, crop fields, vegetable gardens, and sugar cane fields. Little Bitterns can be very tolerant of humans and nest in places regularly visited by people (Cempulik 1994).
FORAGING
The Little Bittern feeds by Walking slowly at the water edge stalking prey from the ground or more characteristically from a perch. It also Walks Quickly using Crouched posture, with head forward, in rapid steps. It Stands at the edge of cover on a perch. It feeds with its head and neck withdrawn. As it sees a prey item, it slowly extends its neck and then stabs. It sometimes it feeds by pecking, jabbing the bill in the water, and using an insect for bait (Baumann 2000).
It is a solitary feeder generally within territories held long term. Its activity periods appear to vary. It is primarily crepuscular over much of its range, but feeds at night and also at times during the day. African birds are primarily diurnal (Langley 1983). When alarmed it assumes the Bittern Posture.
The diet is varied, fish (Perca, Esox, Alburnus, Blicca, Cyprinus, Gambusia, Gobio, Eupomotis, Leuciscus), frogs and tadpoles (Rana), reptiles, eggs and young birds (Olioso 1991), shrimp, crayfish, worms, insects such as crickets (Gryllotalpa), grasshoppers, caterpillars, water bugs, beetles (Notonecta, Naucoris), beetle larvae, dragonflies (Libellula, Aeshna), spiders. Diet differs in various places. In some places it has primarily a fish diet (Langley 1983, Holmes and Hatchwell 1991) and in other places such as Italy insects predominate.
BREEDING
The nesting biology of the Little Bittern has been well studied (Langley 1983, Darakchiev et al. 1984, Gerard 1986, Hoyer 1991, Holmes and Hatchwell 1991, Boozic 1992, Lopatin et al. 1992, Cempulik 1994, Martinez Abrain 1994, Gaballero 1997). As expected over such a large range, its nesting season is variable. Nesting occurs in the spring in the north of the range, May-July in Europe and India. It is in the rainy seasons or just after the rainy season in the tropics. Nesting is May –July in north Africa; July – October in west Africa; June – September in Nigeria; May –September in Congo; July, November –December in Uganda; March – April; June in Zambia; April-May in Malawi; February, September, November – December in Zimbabwe; March in Namibia; June-February in South Africa, October - January in Australia.
The species nests in thick herbaceous vegetation, especially near open water pools. But it also in trees or bushes usually over water, and has also been found nesting in trees over dry land. The Little Bittern nests solitarily, but also and perhaps more typically in loose colonies with nests as close as 5 m but usually 30 – 100 m apart. It likely is extremely residential, in that nests may be reused in consecutive years (Barbier and Boileau 2000).
The nest is a platform with a conical base, 15 –20 cm across, and 10 cm thick. In South Africa more substantial nests were 20-35 cm across. The nest is made of stems of herbaceous vegetation, lined with finer material. The nest is typically inserted in reeds, rushes, grass, or papyrus. However in some areas and situations, they nest in trees and bushes and make stick nests. It is built by the male, who starts during the display period.
Early in the breeding season, males establish breeding territories and give the Kohr call, staking out the territory and advertising. When calling, the lower bill flushes red. Territories are defended by an Upright display, Ground and Aerial Supplanting Attacks and a threat display in which the bird places its side to the opponent, spreading wings, lifting one and lowering the other. Males choose a nest site and begin building while continuing to advertise with the Kohr call. The males also use Circle Flights as part of the display. A flight also has been described in which the neck is extended and head held below the body.
Upon formation of the pair bond, birds participate in Contact and Non-contact Bill Clappering, during which the pair cross their necks. The Greeting Ceremony includes the arriving bird approaching the nest, with Bill Clappering, feathers raised, Crest Raising, and gives the Goo call. The bills flush red during the Greeting Ceremony. Upon completion, birds will Bill Clapper. Paired birds will remain together through the nesting season.
Eggs are chalky white. They are laid at intervals of 1 to 3 days. Size averages 36 X 26 mm in Europe, 34.6 X 26.6 mm in South Africa. Clutch size varies geographically, 5-6 in Europe and 3-4 in the tropics and South Africa (Langley 1983). The overall range is 2–7 eggs. Replacement clutches occur if eggs are destroyed but also after young fledge. In some case three broods are raised per year (such as in South Africa). Clutch size decreases later in season (Cempulik 1994).
Incubation, by both parents, begins with the first egg and lasts 16 –20 days (Langley 1983, Homes and Hatchwell 1991). Hatching is asynchronous and chicks have their eyes open and legs are fairly developed after hatching. Young are fed in the first 2 days by food deposited on the nest floor. The parents guide the bills of the nestlings to the food. Thereafter, young grasp the parents’ bill and is fed directly. Chicks are brooded through 8 –10 days. Chicks grow relatively fast. By three days they beg by grasping the parent’s bill. Chicks assume the Bittern Posture when disturbed. Pinfeathers develop at 4 days. Sibling rivalry is low, despite asynchronous hatching. And there was not found to be a difference in growth rates relative to hatch order or brood size (Holmes and Hatchwell 1991). Chicks grow quickly and climb out of the nest in one week and can leave the nest entirely by 14-16 days. Maximum growth takes place at 15 days (Langley 1983). The birds fledge flying strongly in 27 days. Success was 56.6% of eggs hatching to nest departure in South Africa and 70-71 in India (Langley 1983, Holmes and Hatchwell 1991).
POPULATION DYNAMICS
Females can nest before their second birthday (Langley 1983). Nothing is known about the demography of this species.
SPECIES ACCOUNT UPDATES
Please update, add, or correct information in this species account by posting it as a comment, below. Provide a title starting with the Species’ English name followed by the most pertinent account section title, capitalized. For example: ”Agami Heron Reproduction”. Then make your update using language as close as possible to the original text so as to allow for later insertion directly into the account. Images that show the biological information being presented are welcome, especially maps that change the range information. Because these images cannot be inserted directly as a comment, the update with the images should be emailed to HeronSpecialistGroup@Earthlink.net so that they can be inserted directly by the Web Site administrators. Provide complete literature references (authors, year, title, journal, book or online reference data) following the style of the Heron Bibliography. At the end of the comment, provide the author’s full name, preferred contact information, and date of contribution in day-month-year format (For example: 21 May 2011).
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Submitted to Flickr Monthly Scavenger Hunt for January 2015 under Something new
Source: archive
There were a few chicks when I visited Penguin Beach but they were all in the nesting holes. Hurrah for zoom!
Living Coasts, Torquay
A pair of peregrine falcons is nesting under the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle.
The couple, affectionately nicknamed Ariel and Maverick, hatched two chicks around June 11, 2017.
Three weeks after they hatched, WSDOT accompanied a licensed falcon bander to the bridge to placed identification bands around the chicks' legs.
Tagging the chicks is no small task - it requires descending 60 feet down a ladder, crossing a beam 95 feet in the air and possibly getting dive-bombed by Mom and Dad as they protect their babies.
In this photo, Ariel squawks and screeches loudly from the moment she sees us until we're gone. Fortunately, she doesn't attack this year.
Banding the chicks allows wildlife agencies and conservation groups to track the population and spread of peregrine falcons, which nearly went extinct due to pesticides.
I added this photo a couple of days ago and after some negative comments that made me feel bad i decided to remove it, after explaining that i hadnt climb the tree or frighten the bird as i can see her and the nest clearly from my upstairs windows. Though i appreciate and understand there are people that would disturb the nest and scare away the birds, i have if anything kept an eye out for her. She has nested right near a pavement and can be seen clearly from the street, after many sleepness night chasing away neighbourhood cats , many a times climbing to the nest, the babies have now hatched, i will continue to look out for her and not made to feel bad, hence why im putting the photo back up.
This old windmill made a great nesting place for a bird of prey. Although there was no visible wildlife while photographing the Carrizo Plain area near dusk.
Birds nesting on a remote rock. This was the first time I used my newls aquired 2x converter. It did a pretty neat job in combination with the 70-200.
Wandering around Black River Marsh yesterday morning, my peace and quiet was disturbed by some non-stop honking. I discovered the source-a nesting pair of Canada geese who were strongly objecting to another pair attempting to invade their turf. Perhaps the newcomers had not seen the nesters hidden in the tall marsh grass. Conflict resolution was accomplished and all became peaceful once more. Sigh!
Some extra gifts for you Partner, two sizes nesting bowls made of some crazy/funny snowman fabric. I hope you like them, because it’s about time to wrap up the gifts and ship them.
If you don’t like them, that’s OK because I would not have a problem to keep them!
Went out with a friend and she spotted this bird building a nest. Can't wait to see how things go!
Northern Parula
It is like another world: limestone tufa towers rise like strange stalagmites out of the still, salty lake waters in California’s Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve.
The lake is a mecca for birds and bird watchers. Since the mid-1980s, osprey pairs have been nesting on tufa towers in Mono Lake. Although the raptors are fish-eaters – and therefore have to hunt for food further afield – the tufa-islands provide nesting sites that ground-based predators can’t access.
For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/evening-over-the-tufa...
We found a female nesting near the Demonstration Garden at Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Ariz.
I think it might be either a broad-tailed or an Anna's; anyone know for sure?
Ravens, red-tails, barn owls, great horned owls, prairie falcons, peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and large numbers of passerine songbirds such as cliff swallows all use cliffs throughout the high desert for nesting.
Two years in a row now, we have spotted this loon, nesting right along the channel in a large marshy area. It's surprisingly brave of her, since this is a well-used waterway, not all that wide. But it won't be very busy until the end of June, and hopefully the chick will have hatched by then.
The Charadrius vociferus, also known as "Killdeer" is nesting within the grass. She never got up when I crawled up toward her, but kept a watchful eye. A bit late for nesting, but better late than never!
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These were nesting, and feeding young, in the hat next to the toilet door in the al fresco cafe environment. It seemed that nothing would deter them.
Roasted shrimp halves seasoned with black tea, on a bed of julienned and deep-fried carrots, beets, zucchini, and potatoes.
Lighting: An SB-800 camera left and behind the subject, an SB-600 pointed at the back wall, and a silver reflector camera right.
A special "Thank You" to a Flickr friend Matt for putting us on this nest. When we arrived one of them was sitting and sitting and sitting. Fun but pretty much the same pose time and time again. I played with shutter speeds etc. RA got bored so headed down the lake a couple hundred yards and found some Mallards and Geese. I hung around waiting for something to happen. 30 minutes or so I couldnt see RA so headed her direction to make sure all was well. I got about 50 yards from her and the ducks and geese all took off raising cane. I looked up and sure enough a Bald Eagle was coming down the lake. The other Loon was well out on the lake and he started sounding off as the eagle came. The eagle took a dip at the loon but poof and it was under water. Then the bird at the nest started sounding off. I was 150 yards or so from where I could see the nest. Tripod over the shoulder and running as fast as I could go back to where I could see fearing that the eagle was in the nest eating the eggs. Yes they do that. I got there fairly quickly for an old guy. The loon was off the nest but the eagle wasnt. Of course I started shooting fast. The nest bird had come about a third closer. As I was shooting I realized RA was shooting a bit more down the lake. Ah Ha the other loon was coming. I shot a few more and (get ready for this) I pulled my 7D off the lens and put RA's camera on and lowered the pod so she could see. She shot a bunch in just a couple minutes.
The two loons traded jobs and a fresh belly went on the eggs and the sitter went fishing. Great Fun we had.
Thanks Again Matt
D
The nesting Black Redstarts starting fledging today, which seems to make things oh so difficult for the parents in the heat. This little fella positioned himself on the fence and continuously cheeped to the preoccupied parents...
Tree bumble bees have taken over the nest above this one so I gently opened the lid to check on our blue tits - how lovely is this? I hope the bees leave her alone ....
Hope everyone is having a lovely Easter :)
Here is a little Easter themed photo I created this weekend.
Nest and eggs made by me, and modelling is my beautiful best friend Tina :D
Thanks for looking!
Texture used by Brooke Shaden
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