Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) photos by Larry Jordan
I stopped by Battle Creek Wildlife Area a couple of weeks ago and when I drove into the parking lot I saw this…
An adult Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) sitting in the middle of the gravel parking lot. Well, I knew right away that she had to be sitting on eggs.
I shot some video from the car, but when my phone rang, she took off, allowing me to see the “nest” and eggs shown above (click on photos for full sized images).
Even knowing exactly where she took off from, it was difficult to see the nest as you can tell from the video. The video also includes footage taken a week later at Lema Ranch where a pair of Killdeer were foraging with their young.
I ducked down behind a tree to snap these photos but the parents were having none of it.
The Killdeer is aptly named “Charadrius vociferus.” As you undoubtedly noticed from the video, they are extremely vocal and when the adult birds gave a certain call to their fawns ;-), they rushed into the bulrush where they disappeared.
Which left me taking photos of the young one’s parents.
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This Oak Titmouse (Baeololphus inornatus) pair is trying to coax their nestlings into becoming fledglings. They begin by bringing only token bits of food to the nest box entrance, then fly to a nearby branch and call to them. Make sure to see the entire article as this weeks West Coast Beat Writer post at 10000 Birds. And please stop by my YouTube channel to see more of my over 100 bird videos!
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Juvenile photos by Larry Jordan
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is one of the most widespread and commonly observed birds of prey in North America (click on photos for full sized images).
The buff yellow iris in this bird, photographed at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, identifies it as a juvenile.
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Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) photos by Larry Jordan
Ash-throated Flycatchers (Myiarchus cinerascens) migrate to Northern California from Mexico and Central America every Spring to nest. They are cavity nesting birds and I one of the species that nest in my birdhouses every year. Every May I look forward to waking up in the morning hearing that sweet gurgling call.
The gathering of nest material and actual nest construction is done probably entirely or mostly by the female Ash-throated Flycatcher seen here (click on photos for full sized images).
How do I know that the bird pictured above is the female? Because I watched her for quite some time as she flew back and forth to a nearby farm and brought back nesting material while the male gave his encouragement from a nearby perch. Here she is at the cavity entrance.
Nearly every time she brought in nesting material (as you will see in the video below) she would hesitate on coming out of the cavity and look around for a bit before taking off for more material.
In one instance a juvenile female Acorn Woodpecker inadvertently perched briefly on the same snag while the female Ash-throated Flycatcher was inside the cavity and the male was perched above in the same snag.
The Ash-throated Flycatcher pair immediately and aggressively attacked the woodpecker, chasing her off in quick order.
They then went back to the business of building their nest. The male Ash-throated Flycatcher following the female around during this nest building activity, apparently guarding his mate and singing to her.
In this short video you will hear the male singing to his mate around the 53 second mark as she flies by him on the way to gathering more nesting material. And she brings back a huge load on the next trip, looking as if she is exhausted.
If you love birds and you want to experience more great bird photos, you have to check out World Bird Wednesday!
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) photos by Larry Jordan
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