Ornithology (Bird) Thread

[jmh58]

WOW.. The Eaglets are getting big.. We had some HARD rain pass thru early am today.. Mom/Dad are trying to keep the Eaglets dry.. Clearing now so hopefully they all can dry out and warm up.. Tomorrow night we are supposed to get rain then low 20s for temps..
John

[jmh58]

Back to hard rain and wind...
John

[Steve Warden]

Yup. Growing up fast.
What amazes me is the size of their beaks! Look almost to big for their body!

[Quick Steel]

I'm interested in seeing when the adults stop mouth feeding the young who look big enough to me to rip into a fish without assistance. But obviously nature knows better than I.

[bighomer]

The redhead is back this, so are the turkeys.

[doglegg]

Saw a couple a thousand gulls go over this morning while taking the dog for a walk. They just kept coming! Amazing.

[TPK]

Red breasted fussed at the boss and me all afternoon as we worked in her building. 20200420_184524.jpg

Redheaded came by for a snack. The rarely come by. an extremely beautiful bird.
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20200420_184549.jpg

These things ain't rare at all .
20200420_184206.jpg20200420_184247.jpg

Awesome Birds! Beautiful!

[TripleF]

Soooooooooooo rare and hard to photograph with a cheap phone but this is a Swallowtail Kite

[Quick Steel]

I saw kites in AZ closeup. They are a spectacular bird.

[Steve Warden]

Soooooooooooo rare and hard to photograph with a cheap phone but this is a Swallowtail Kite

The redhead is back this, so are the turkeys.

Man! You guys get all the COOL birds!!

[doglegg]

Wood peckers and Kites, really cool.

[Quick Steel]

A House Finch showed up for lunch. The first I've seen in over a year.

[Old Folder]

As I was recently applying some spring/summer lawn fertilizer on the grass, two Hummingbirds were continuously performing flybys within inches of my head. Not that I am afraid of the worlds smallest bird, however they do have protruding peckers and a miscalculated flight path could cause severe eye damage.
First let me clarify "Worlds smallest bird" which would be correctly called "The Bee Hummingbird", which is found only in Cuba, is an absolute miniature, even among hummingbirds. It measures a mere two and a quarter inches long. Bee Hummingbirds are often mistaken for bees. They weigh less than two grams — less than a dime. That’s half the weight of our backyard hummers, like the Ruby-throated or Rufous. The female builds a nest barely an inch across. Her eggs are about the size of a coffee bean.
Our California Hummingbirds are not the "Bee" variation but they are still very tiny with brains the size of a grain of rice.

I later advised my wife of my life threatening experience from these Flying Pterodactyl Dinosaurs that I had just recently encountered. Her love of nature and animals immediately sent her outside to my prior battle grounds. A few minutes later she returned and told me to put my cell phone away that a 911 call would not be necessary, and to accompany her outside and not to worry, that she would protect me. As she pointed inside her "San Diego Red Bougainvillea" flowering vine, Anna showed me a very tiny bird nest. I estimated it to be about 1 1/2" wide with two baby birds inside.

Anna said that the nest was too tiny and not sufficient enough to accommodate the both of them as the baby birds grew larger as time progresses. Mama bird must have missed a couple days of 101 nest building class? Anna immediately went to work and made a larger nest from a "Dannon Yogurt Container", she than transmitted the current undersized miniature nest with its two occupants into their new roomy, custom made comfy mansion.

Mama bird was not seen for many hours to feed her babies. I have read in the past that if one tampers with bird nests, at times the parents will desert them?
Once again, Anna went to work with her Motherly instincts, she asked me for a couple of my "Syringes" that I use to oil my knives and that I use to apply glue to my "Marquetry" inlay wood projects.

She did some scientific research on Hummingbird food, mixed up her potion #9 and fed our new adopted family members.
It was a very fascinating and rememberable experience to witness this. I wish I had taken videos of it.
Two days had gone by, no Mama bird. Than... on the third day, (after many feedings from Mama Anna) two Hummingbirds began to visit often and began feeding their babies. The babies got bigger, and stronger. They started standing on the edge of their nest, perhaps in great thought of their first flight?

And fly they did! They would return to their nest on occasion. Now, the nest is empty, the babies are independent and enjoying a beautiful California spring bird paradise.


We now have two Hummingbird feeders that are frequented daily. Perhaps from the original family?

Below is a very interesting article on Hummingbirds.
https://www.hummingbirdcentral.com/humm ... 20-map.htm

[Paladin]

Excellent post, Dan. I enjoyed every bit of it.

Ray

[Waukonda]

Thanks Dan, great post. You answered a question that I had directed your way, in the "what do y'all look like" thread. I mistook the white fluffy substance in the Dannon nest, for soap suds. I thought you were cleaning oil or some foreign substance from the birds. Now, I know.

[Old Folder]

Excellent post, Dan. I enjoyed every bit of it.

Ray

Thank you Ray .

[Old Folder]

Thanks Dan, great post. You answered a question that I had directed your way, in the "what do y'all look like" thread. I mistook the white fluffy substance in the Dannon nest, for soap suds. I thought you were cleaning oil or some foreign substance from the birds. Now, I know.

Thanks Ike.
Yes...I can see that now also. However, it would not surprise me if she did not give them a bird bath Perhaps to include a little Bird Beak Manicure?

[FRJ]

I just sneaked in a walk today in between rain showers.
I interrupted this birds hunt for food.

[Quick Steel]

Wonderful story and post. A great effort and save by your talented wife.

[Steve Warden]

Dan, that is just SO cool.
Thanks for sharing a wonderful story.

[Waukonda]

I just sneaked in a walk today in between rain showers.
I interrupted this birds hunt for food.

Good one, Joe!

[FRJ]

Thank you, Ike.

Dan, great post about the little "bees".

[WillyCamaro]

Great pics/stories fellers, and the kids are growing up fast. Momma and poppa are doing a great job .
Willy

[treefarmer]

Old Folder,
That is a very interesting account along with great pictures! Thanks for sharing it with us.
How often did your wife feed the young birds with the syringe?
Treefarmer

[Old Folder]

Thanks for all your compliments guys.