The Birders Report

Tree Swallows Returning For Skywatch Friday

by Larry Jordan on March 12, 2009

Tree Swallows At Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge photo by Larry Jordan

The Tree Swallows are returning to northern California! Spring is approaching and Tree Swallows and Western Bluebirds are beginning to look for available nesting sites. If you have birdhouses (nestboxes) in your yard, make sure they have been cleaned out and are ready for your next inhabitants.

These two male Tree Swallows were eying this tiny cavity in this snag and taking turns showing it to the ladies. I don’t believe they would be able to use anything this size to create a nesting cavity but they are looking (click on photo for a larger picture).

Tree Swallows are beginning to pair up and will look for large cavities in which to build their nests. In northern California we have several large oak trees that will house large numbers of Tree Swallow pairs. They also take readily to man made birdhouses with the same configuration that Western Bluebirds occupy. If you live in an area where both of these species live, you can place two birdhouses, 25 feet apart and they will coexist happily, keeping other nesting birds away from their territory.

For more great sky photos, go to Skywatch Friday! If you have some sky photos, participate in the fun!

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Immature Bald Eagle For Bird Photography Weekly

by Larry Jordan on March 8, 2009

Immature Bald Eagle photo by Larry Jordan

I was fortunate to have this immature Bald Eagle land on the snag in front of the blind I reserved at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge yesterday. I took many shots of this guy while he was preening, and then he took flight.

This is a two or three year old Bald Eagle. They don’t get their distinctive adult plumage, with the all white head and tail, until their fifth year but I think the mottled brown and white plumage of the immature bird is beautiful.

I was able to take some great photographs from the blind (or hide as the British call them) at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. I will be posting my exploits in upcoming posts. Until then, take a gander at the other great bird photos at Bird Photography Weekly!

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Anna’s Hummingbird For Skywatch Friday

by Larry Jordan on March 4, 2009

Female Anna’s Hummingbird Welcoming Spring photo by Larry Jordan

I discovered this beautiful little female hummer in a green belt on my lunch break last week. She was visiting all the new growth along a small creek and I caught her resting on a tree branch against the blue spring sky.

Go see all the other great sky shots at Skywatch Friday!

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Black Phoebe Hawking Insects For Bird Photography Weekly

by Larry Jordan on March 1, 2009

I took this series of photos yesterday while on an Audubon outing at Rancho Esquon, a private reserve in Durham, California. This Black Phoebe was hawking insects as is their normal behavior. You can see bugs flying all around in the photos.

For more great bird photos get on over to Bird Photography Weekly!

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