empty nest

 

Cornell University has a program called NestWatch  https://nestwatch.org/ where citizen scientists report on birds' nests they see.  I missed this one until now; it was hidden very well in the reeds near the pond.

fledgling robin

The nest is nearby. When the young American Robins fledged, this one flew only a little distance.  

It sat a long time waiting for someone to bring food. 

hidden nest found in autumn

We trimmed back some undesirable willow plants around the pond.  That action revealed a hidden nest.  Earlier this summer, I found one Red-winged Blackbird nest near the pond in some reeds.  All summer long, the male RWBB was bothered when anyone walked near the willows. He even dived at my head when I walked near that shore. I assumed he and his mate had a nest among the reeds closer to the pond.  No wonder I could not find it in the reeds!  It was revealed -- low in the willow sprouts -- when we trimmed around that area.
 

young blackbird showing epaulets

This young male Red-winged Blackbird was begging his mom to give him food from the seed feeder. I can tell he is a male because he's already starting to get his bright colored 'epaulets' on his shoulders.  She has been putting food in his mouth whenever he gapes since he hatched out of his egg.  But now that she is hoping he will find his own food!

On 5/20/2022 we peeked into the nest box, and found several eggs. Not countable, because of the feathers in the box meant to hide the eggs from predators. Since then I have peeked several times more.

The female adult was incubating the eggs.  I noticed the adults going in and out of the box on June 3 since  the eggs had hatched and they were bringing food to the hatchlings.  After two weeks in the box the nestlings had grown enough so they were full size and had gained some flight feathers.  On June 21 most young fledged out of the box, ready to learn how to fly and hunt for their own food: flying insects.

On June 22 the adults coaxed the last young bird to fly.  A few days later, we saw 3 of them perching on a branch looking over the pond.

blackbird nest

The Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus gave away the secret location of their nest by screeching at us as we walked around the pond.  As I came near the spot, he warned me vocally and hit my hat with his feet as he flew by.

 

sora chicks

 

Described as "secretive" birds and rarely seen, we have a pair of Sora Porzana carolina living in the wetland around the pond.  I saw a lone egg a few days ago, and thought it was the start of a clutch. Today, this little black cotton-ball with orange/red tufts under his big beak appeared!  Soras start incubating eggs when they have only a few in the nest, and go on laying eggs (one a day) until they have around a dozen eggs. Consequently, each chick hatches on different day. One parent tends to the hatchlings and the other continues incubating the remaining eggs until each hatches.

nest box peek

Peeking into the nest box . . . 

Tree Swallows lay eggs and 
disguise them by sticking feathers 
barb-down so the fluffy vanes curl over the contents of the nest.

In this photo, we can see a few white eggs among the soft grasses in the bottom of the nest box.
 

barn swallows

 

Barn Swallows hunt over the pond, where they catch flying insects mid-air. To do this efficiently, they fly with their wide beaks open.  

This pair found a good amount of food here, and decided to make their nest nearby. They gathered mud from the shore to paste pieces of grasses to a vertical surface in a barn, outbuilding, or nearby structure.

When their eggs hatch, the pond area will be a resource for mosquitoes and other flying insects to feed to their chicks.

nesting mallard

Mallards have 1 or 2 broods each year.  One is hiding her 2nd clutch near the pond among grasses.

There are six eggs in her nest, nestled among short pieces of grass and small downy feathers.

 

robin

Robins nesting by the pond have 4 eggs in their nest.  The female gathered food items on the shore while taking a break from incubating her clutch.  It looks like she caught an insect larva, but Robins also eat grubs, snails, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, termites, crickets, and other insects.

hooded merganser ducklings

Today the Hooded Merganser female showed up on the pond with 15 ducklings.  This species nests in a cavity, probably in a tree or stump nearby. Once the eggs hatch, the ducklings follow the mother to water.   They fed for a while, then she signaled them to rest.  They followed her to shore and gathered under her wings. Well, sort of . . .  there were many of them!

They dive under water to find small fish, amphibians, clams, mud crabs, crayfish, tadpoles, frogs, and aquatic insects and other crustaceans. They also consume some aquatic plants.

phoebes

Phoebes, in the flycatcher family, arrived on the pond this week.  They went to their favorite 'jumping off place' to watch for and catch flying prey just above the water.  We watched them last summer -- every day sitting on the concrete outflow weir.  Each would fly down to the water, gobble the airborne insect, and take it to their nest where hatchlings waited for food.  I hope they nest here again this season!
 

tree swallow, first of 2021

Migration brings something new each day!  We saw several Tree Swallows, actively aerial hunting over the pond for any flying insects they could eat.  One checked out the nestbox where a pair raised a clutch of eggs successfully last year.  They moved on, but the box is ready in nesting season for Bluebirds or Tree Swallows making their way here.

out of the nest box

When young songbirds are grown enough to leave the nest, it may be an hours-long process for the parents and the young.

We've been watching the Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor for four days, thinking it would happen soon.

This afternoon the parents started flying at the nest box without any food items, teasing the young birds to come out of the nest.  Finally, they did.  It is amazing to see a creature take its first flight.

This little Tree Swallow is leaping out into air for the first time, nose down and spreading his wings with new strong feathers to fly with the big guys.  But he flopped to the ground, flapped his wings a few times, then took off again successfully.

Now, the parents will teach the young birds to hunt for insects on their own. We may see them flying together over the pond.

ready to fledge

The 3 nestling Tree Swallows are peeking out to get some air on this hot day.  They have inborn abilities to fly, which develop gradually as the young bodies grow.  By the time the parents coax the nestlings out, the young will have been exercising their wings within the boxes for days.  When they are physically ready for flight, the parents know and reduce their feeding trips into the box.  Instead, the parents may perch on the door and hold out a morsel for one nestling, teasing it to come out and try its wings.

nestlings

In one of the nestboxes today, these three baby Tree Swallows wait for another meal. Two of them are 'gaping' -- opening their beaks to receive food items from the parents.  The babies hatched out of their eggshells just seven days ago, weak and bare except for a bit of fuzz. In the week, they grew a layer of down feathers and some of the 'contour feathers' that will cover their body. In another week each will look fully feathered. But they also need to develop their strong wing feathers before they can fly.  Tree Swallow young are usually ready to fledge out of the nest by the time they are three weeks old.  (see 6/27 and 7/3)

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.

The huge nest near the pond is still home to the Bald Eagle family.  The young are learning to fly, initially from branch to branch, until they can fly beyond the tree. Then their intensive hunting lessons start.  For now, they may return to the tree overnight.

Young Bald Eagles Haliaeetus leucocephalus do not display white feathers until they are a few years old. Meanwhile, they are mottled brown like this young one hatched this Spring.

The Tree Swallow pair return to the branch over the pond every day.  When she is in the nestbox, he sits on the branch to keep watch on her and their eggs.  Sometimes she joins him there. They can survey their territory, chase away intruders, and spy food items flying by.  Or, just sit close together.  On occasion, he sings to her.  She has been incubating eggs for 11 days.  They will hatch any day.