tree swallows find nest box

The pond is home to Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor who hunt insects 'on the wing'.  They catch flying insects while flying low over water or over grasses that the insects forage among. 

We have boxes that Tree Swallows use to nest in.  This bird was checking the box for suitability. 

The box has a 'Sparrow Spooker' (nylon line attached securely with hook-eyes on top and around the entrance) that protects eggs and babies of Tree Swallows from House Sparrows who cannot negotiate the lines.  House Sparrows destroy eggs and baby birds in other species' nests.

hatched Tree Swallows

Yesterday, the three eggs in the Tree Swallow nest were arranged carefully on a bed of white fine feathers (above).  The long feathers upright around the cup are placed carefully by the female adult to hide the eggs from predators. This morning, the eggs were hatched (below).  The 3 baby birds look like pink wriggling gummy worms. They have no feathers and cannot control their movements, so they flop around until one of the parents will bring a food item.  Then the babies will ‘gape’ their beak open to receive food.

eagle nest

The eagle nest near the pond is surrounded by more leaves each day.  The tree is healthy and shelters the Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus family well.  The strong forked branches are big enough to support the huge nest that has been here several years.  Surrounding their tree, the eagles have fields and several wetlands to hunt for food. 

Mallard ducklings

The female Mallard appeared on the pond today with 11 ducklings in tow.  It is hard to tell exactly how many hours old they are since we did not track the nest or hatch time.  They stayed by Mom at first, but all swam vigorously as they got used to the water.

nestwatch update

Peek inside some of the nestboxes in the wild wild woods . . .

This box (above) holds a Tree Swallow nest -- a cozy cup formed of grasses with feathers for additional warmth. As she laid the eggs, one each day, she hid them under the feathers until she was ready to incubate them. 
Now they are clustered together; she sits with her body pressed close to them until they hatch.
The nylon lines suspended on this nestbox deter other species from claiming all the boxes; Tree Swallows and Bluebirds are aerial feeders and can maneuver between the lines to access this box.

Five Eastern Bluebird eggs are cozy in their nest cup of woven grasses.  This nestbox was lined with a deep soft cushion of moss by Chickadees before the Bluebirds took possession.









That pair of Black-capped Chickadees moved to another nestbox where they laid a clutch of 7 eggs.  Six babies hatched and five survived a wet cold week of weather.  They all gape hungrily when a parent brings food. The little one on the left is closing his beak after gulping an insect.  The others are still calling for a meal as the adult departs to hunt another.


In another nestbox, House Wrens have woven a grass shelter within a twig structure (below).  Two eggs so far; they usually lay 5 or 6, sometimes as many as 10.

Downy Woodpeckers feeding young

The pair of Downy Woodpeckers, seen on May 15 excavating a nest cavity in the wild wild woods, have successfully hatched their clutch of 6 eggs.  For the last several days, they spent many hours hunting for small insects and worms to feed their young.  Sometimes hunting is good; they have to line up and take turns delivering the meals.  For protection from intruders, these small birds purposely create a cozy cavity with an opening just big enough for them to squeeze through.

new hatchlings

 

Seven little Black-capped Chickadee eggs hatched in the last few days.  The nestbox cam caught a snapshot when they were all gaping for food.

Eastern Bluebird babies

Eastern Bluebirds hatched five babies in a nestbox near the wild wild woods.  Both parents feed them worms, flies, damselflies, and other insects of all sizes.  Here, one little bird tries to swallow the big bug he got for breakfast.

first hatched

The post on 4/23/2014 was about a nest containing two eggs.  If you guessed it was a Northern Cardinal nest, you were correct.  Today the first egg hatched, after at least 14 days of incubation.  (Usually the eggs hatch after being kept warm and turned frequently by the female for 12 or 13 days, but we've had cool wet weather this Spring.)

In the photo at left, we see the hatchling's back side with sparse tufts of grayish down where more feathers will grow.  Other than these tufts, the baby bird is naked.

In the photo below, we see the front belly-side of this same baby bird. It already has the distinctive thick bill typical of Northern Cardinals. Note the amazing detail of its feet and claws!  Belly is transparent enough to show internal organs.  Eyes are not yet open, and it will be very clumsy for a few days but will flail around trying to reach food as a parent approaches.