Drove by the Heron Rookery yesterday afternoon.
The nests are so full now with large babies, that you wonder how they all can stand in the nest and the nest not collapse!
A pair at the top waiting for food.....and easy to see.
One of them was testing his wings...."I want to FLY"
Mom with a nest of smaller ones waiting for dad to bring dinner home.
Hmmm....I wonder if dad will take his time to get a little peace and quiet. Mike says that the noise at the nests is pretty loud, but with my hearing, I can't really tell :-)
At home the suet is still the most popular food. This Grackle has been hanging around alot.
Here we have the Carolina Wren, the House Sparrow and the Downy on the back side all trying to get a bit of the suet.
I wondered if this was a young downy. The "fuzzy" top sort of looks that way. I didn't see the parents bring any little ones to the feeder this year....usually around Mother's Day. We have one little Downy that keeps flying into the garage and flying back and forth at the top between the louvered windows (which have screens over them) like it can't find the way back out. We have several "downy-size" holes in the siding that I think they use to come in when the door is down.
The Chipping Sparrow has been very busy and visiting alot.
Posing on the drive last night while I watched it. I don't have any of it's favorite seeds at the moment so I threw some crackers and a crumbled up scone out there.
Here is why it wants food....a baby in the bushes!
Peeking over the grass.
This is at my sister-in-law's house.....Robin built on the porch light and the nest is occupied.
This House Wren has it's volume turned up all day! I think that it has chosen the Bluebird house to nest in and is singing for a female. It stays in that area. I hope he finds a mate soon! (Or is it the female singing....whichever, I hope it finds a housemate soon.)
He sat in the tree over my head just singing away. The video below is of his song.
The nests are so full now with large babies, that you wonder how they all can stand in the nest and the nest not collapse!
A pair at the top waiting for food.....and easy to see.
One of them was testing his wings...."I want to FLY"
Mom with a nest of smaller ones waiting for dad to bring dinner home.
Hmmm....I wonder if dad will take his time to get a little peace and quiet. Mike says that the noise at the nests is pretty loud, but with my hearing, I can't really tell :-)
At home the suet is still the most popular food. This Grackle has been hanging around alot.
Here we have the Carolina Wren, the House Sparrow and the Downy on the back side all trying to get a bit of the suet.
I wondered if this was a young downy. The "fuzzy" top sort of looks that way. I didn't see the parents bring any little ones to the feeder this year....usually around Mother's Day. We have one little Downy that keeps flying into the garage and flying back and forth at the top between the louvered windows (which have screens over them) like it can't find the way back out. We have several "downy-size" holes in the siding that I think they use to come in when the door is down.
The Chipping Sparrow has been very busy and visiting alot.
Posing on the drive last night while I watched it. I don't have any of it's favorite seeds at the moment so I threw some crackers and a crumbled up scone out there.
Here is why it wants food....a baby in the bushes!
Peeking over the grass.
This is at my sister-in-law's house.....Robin built on the porch light and the nest is occupied.
This House Wren has it's volume turned up all day! I think that it has chosen the Bluebird house to nest in and is singing for a female. It stays in that area. I hope he finds a mate soon! (Or is it the female singing....whichever, I hope it finds a housemate soon.)
He sat in the tree over my head just singing away. The video below is of his song.
10 comments:
Our wren has built his nest in a hole (that shouldn't be there) on the outside of our sunroom. I've been trying to capture his song but haven't had the success you have. Wonderful!
And I'd give anything to see that rookery in person!
Another great set of photos Mary. The Wren is really good and it was intersting to hear the song.
Question: Why is it that Stateside you call a bunch of Herons nests a "Rookery". We call it a "Heronry", but then we have Rooks that live in a "Rookery".
I 'll shut up now" {:)
Those Heron nests are almost comical.I would love to see a rookery in person some day.Thanks for sharing these images.
Blessings,Ruth
How wonderful the heron bsaby photos are! Such a photo opportunity. The presence of baby birds makes such a statement to me about our differences in climate and seasons! I can only envy your your environment st times. Hope you're hsving a great weekend. Ann
I looked up oxalis and sour grass, so interesting. I am all the more richer today having new knowledge. I love to learn new stuff. thank you.
Annie: I think Wrens will build anywhere! I'm suprised they don't use the holes in the side of our garage...which shouldn't be there, but the woodpeckers made them years ago.
Roy: Well....either is correct! I know that it is really a Heronry...which I can neither spell nor say without tripping over my tongue...but I looked it up in Webster's dictionary and a "rookery" can be used for any colony of birds or seals or penquins. It is just us American's being independent and cantankerous :-)
Ruth: Come on down here and I'll take you! I just wish it was closer and that I had a digiscope.
Ann: I was glad to see what the normal name for that was...Wood Sorrel, since the only thing we ever called it was "sour grass" which isn't a very pretty name! So you taught me something. I learned the Oxalis name in a plant taxomomy class years ago and it stuck with me... so little else ever did.
Lovely post Mary and some great shots of 'your' birds. I love your Heronry/Rookery updates. How are the Eagles? Like Roy, I love your House Wren photos, I bet he's as loud as our winter wren. It's late here and my husband is trying to sleep next door at the moment, so I'll listen to the video tomorrow!
Now thats what you call a nest full..!! Robins do like to make there nest in odd places don't they!!! All nice ones!!!
Those Heron nests are different aren't they. I'm going back in a couple weeks to re-photograph the ones here to see how they have grown.
Love all your birds as usual. The little Wren is so cute. No takers in any of my bird houses yet.
B.
Great pictures, Mary. I love the Chipping Sparrow. Something weird happened last night at our feeders (right before dark). A tiny bird (maybe a sparrow of some kind) was feeding a big dark colored bird (much larger than the sparrow).. The bigger bird was shaking all over and making a constant chip sound (kinda a rattle)... I couldn't get pictures since it was so late---but I wondered if that was an example of a Sparrow raising a Cowbird --whose egg was planted in its nest.... Thoughts????
Hugs,
Betsy
Another great set of photos Mary.
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