White-breasted Nuthatch Peeking Out Of Nest photos by Larry Jordan
Do you remember the post I wrote a few weeks ago when I found a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches building a nest? Well, this male is getting ready to leave the nest after feeding the female who is probably still incubating eggs. But not for long. White-breasted Nuthatches usually lay 5 – 9 eggs that are incubated for two weeks. By my calculations, these eggs will be hatching out this week! But that’s not the most interesting thing about this entire ordeal. Take a good look at this photo. Do you see anything interesting about this tree? Yes, there are two entrance holes!
I discovered that the upper entrance hole in this oak tree is being used by a pair of Tree Swallows! The photo above is the male who appeared to be checking out the digs yesterday to see if they were acceptable. Then today, when I went by Lema Ranch to check in on the White-breasted Nuthatches, I observed the female (below) and the male going in and out of the upper entrance hole. Apparently, they will be setting up house in the same tree.
I have three other Tree Swallow pairs building nests in homemade birdhouses at this site, one pair has 6 eggs in the nest already but the other two so far only have the nest built. So this pair seems to be right on time with the decision to build their nest in this tree.
It looks as if I will be able to follow two nestings at the same time, the White-breasted Nuthatch and the Tree Swallow. The nuthatches being about three weeks ahead of the tree swallows, their young should fledge before the swallows since both species have a two week incubation period followed by three to four weeks in the nest before the young fledge. I am very curious whether the adults will be using the entrance holes at the same time during the nesting period. I think it will be unavoidable during the next 3 – 4 weeks. I will try to get a photo of both species at their respective entrance holes at the same time.
The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal on earth, or should I say, above the earth.
This beautiful raptor was almost driven to extinction from the use of DDT, a popular pesticide used in the early 20th century. The DDT interfered with eggshell production causing the shells be so thin that they broke during incubation or failed to hatch. Beginning in the 1930’s Peregrine Falcon numbers were reduced until in 1970 there were a mere 39 breeding pairs left in the United States.
In 1970 the Peregrine Falcon was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 and by 1972, DDT was banned for most uses in the United States. The US Fish and Wildlife Service established peregrine recovery teams made up of federal and state biologists, as well as independent biologists, to recommend actions needed to restore the Peregrine Falcon in the U.S. Luckily for me, a good friend of mine was a wildlife biologist here in California in the 1980s when we met. He took me to see a Peregrine Falcon nest on Shasta Lake and being in awe of this powerful raptor, my love of birds took flight.
I was fortunate to capture these Peregrine Falcon images at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge where this bird seems to be a permanent resident. I don’t know if there is a breeding pair at the refuge but I am going to see what I can find out about that possibility. This last image was one of my last shots of this falcon as the sun was setting over the refuge. You can begin to see the color changes from the setting sun turning the grays to an amber brown.
The Peregrine Falcon is a success story brought about by the restrictions placed on the use of DDT, the protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act, and the reintroduction of captive-bred chicks. A cleaner environment and the success of cooperative recovery efforts provide great promise of a bright future for the Peregrine Falcon in North America.
Here is a link to a Peregrine Falcon cam in Rochester New York with lots of good information and another interesting video showing a pair of peregrines raising their young in Peregrine Falcon Fantasia.
I stoppped by to see the Great Horned Owl chicks this morning and there were three in the nest! Mom was not around so I waited, hoping to get a shot of her bringing back a tasty morsel for the chicks. I waited, and waited but no mom. The sun was climbing high enough in the sky to shed some light on the giant oak tree when she flew up in total silence and alighted on a sunlit branch. She was gorgeous in all her glory.
She must have already fed the little ones. She brought no food this morning. All she brought was her silent beauty, and that was enough for me.
To see more great bird photos, get on over to Bird Photography Weekly brought to you by Birdfreak!
I guess you may be wondering what Ostriches have to do with Easter. Ostriches are the largest living birds and produce the largest eggs of any bird species. Native to Africa, these huge flightless birds are 6 to 9 feet tall when mature, and weigh nearly 300 pounds. I have seen many Ostriches and Emus because of the farming craze that seemed to peak in the USA during the 1990’s, but I had never witness this behavior.
Male Ostrich Doing A Mating Dance
As I approached this huge bird, he ran to the fence and began this crazy dance. Kneeling down he began moving his head from side to side and making a beautiful display with his wings. I later learned that this is their mating dance and, after all, it is springtime. Here is a video of this unusual dance.
Oh yeah, the eggs!
Ostrich eggs have been used for centuries by people from the Ukraine for decoration to celebrate the rebirth of Spring. To read more about this tradition called Pysanky and see more photos of my wife, Brigitte’s, ostrich eggs, see my previous Easter post, Birds, Eggs, Pysanky and Easter. Here is a photo of one of her ostrich eggs.
This egg has four different images representing the four seasons stretching around the egg. This image is of Spring with a bird singing atop the tree which has fresh fruit blossoms on it and flowers coming up under the deer.
However you celebrate Easter or Passover, we want to wish you a very happy holiday and a very enjoyable Spring season!
White-breasted Nuthatch Peeking Out Of Nest photos by Larry Jordan
Peregrine Falcon photos by Larry Jordan
Ostrich all photos by Larry Jordan
Male Ostrich Doing A Mating Dance
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