The Birders Report

Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) photos by Larry Jordan

If you have nest boxes that accommodate Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), you are undoubtedly familiar with the photo above.  Tree Swallows are commonly found on and around their nest site and often perch atop the birdhouse or on a nearby branch when nesting in a natural tree cavity.

They breed regularly throughout central and northern North America but their range is expanding southward as they take advantage of bluebird trails¹.  This is their range map courtesy of Birds of North America Online.

This male Tree Swallow was very cooperative, posing as I approached the nest box.  Click on photos for full sized images.

He was stretching and spreading his wings for me.

Glancing down at his mate and showing off that iridescent steel blue…

as she was calmly peeking out the nest box entrance in her muted blue tones.

Tree Swallows are fierce defenders of their nest sites and will even dive bomb humans that approach too close.  This, of course, is expected by trail monitors.  The occupying pair of swallows will call in support from Tree Swallow neighbors and, all of a sudden, you may be surrounded on all sides by circling, diving birds like this one.

They chirp as they come in, strafing the would be intruder, which can be a bit intimidating.

Once you open the nest box, you will see what all the fuss is about.  A beautiful feathered nest with smooth, white, unmarked eggs.

Incubated by the female for about two weeks brings the happy couple a treasure trove of little ones. These nestlings are about three days old.

A couple of weeks later, the nestlings have blossomed into fully feathered chicks, nearly ready to fledge when 16 to 24 days old.

Bird behavior is the most interesting aspect of bird watching for me. Being able to watch these aerial acrobats build their nests and raise their young occupies a very special place in my heart and in my life.  I hope it does for you too.

A short distance from this nest box, I filmed another pair of Tree Swallows as the female checks out a natural tree cavity.  If you listen carefully, at around the 42 second mark you can hear the male’s high pitched chirps as he guards the site from a limb a few feet away.

To see more great bird photography, check out World Bird Wednesday!

References: ¹ Birds of North America Online

Black Skimmer photo courtesy of  Bob Johns and American Bird Conservancy

The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is asking beach goers  to give beach-nesting birds a break this fourth of July weekend.  There are many beach-nesting birds on our coasts and many are listed as threatened or species of conservation concern.

Here in northern California, the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society, as part of its continuing partnership with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, is working to monitor and protect shorebirds through the Save Our Shorebirds (SOS) project.  They are fighting hard to save the federally listed Western Snowy Plover (photo by Ron LeValley, courtesy of Mendocino Coast Audubon).

Here’s how Mike Parr, Vice President of ABC stated it, “It can sometimes be hard for the casual vacationer to see the difference between a bird that is simply sitting on the sand and one that is tending eggs or a nest, so the best thing for beachgoers to do is to avoid getting close to areas where larger congregations of birds are gathered, and to always respect areas that are roped off or marked with signs designating an area that is used by nesting birds.”

” The habitat for these birds is diminishing every year by beach development, erosion, and ever-increasing recreational use, so the birds can really use any break we can give them.  They have no other place to go.  Most beach-nesting birds lay eggs that are cryptically colored to blend in with sand and gravel, and can be hard to see until it is too late.”

You can watch a cool video created by the Morro Coast Audubon Society showing how you can help the Western Snowy Plover at WesternSnowyPlover.org.

So please, steer clear of birds you may see on the beaches, especially if you are using a recreational vehicle.

If you want constant updates on bird conservation issues you can subscribe to the American Bird Conservancy‘s newsletter or go to my “Birds in the News” page that is continuously updated!

Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) Male photos by Larry Jordan

It is my favorite time of year, nesting season, with my favorite songbird, the Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana), the bird that carries the sky on its back and the earth on its breast.  They don’t call these the Bluebirds of Happiness for nothin’!  Just the sight of a bluebird perched on a tree top, fence post or wire brings a smile to any sane person’s face.  Click on photos for full sized images.

A few weeks ago I was checking the nest boxes on one of my three bluebird trails and slowly approached one of the birdhouses.  The male Bluebird was perched above in the tree but the female was sticking her head out the entrance hole, watching as I approached.

This is behavior usually encountered at Tree Swallow boxes.  Western Bluebirds usually leave the birdhouse before getting this close but maybe this pair knows my voice and face by now (I always announce myself when approaching a birdhouse so the inhabitants can escape if they choose, rather than being startled).

She was so steadfast that I thought she was protecting newly hatched young.  She finally left the nest and I opened the box to find six perfect sky blue eggs.

By my next visit, a week later, the chicks were looking about three or four days old.  Both adults were in the nearby trees watching every move I made to make sure their babies weren’t disturbed.

I closed up the nestbox and moved away to record my findings.

Here is a shot of the little darlings at about two weeks of age.  At this age they are fully feathered.

Western Bluebirds fledge at about three weeks of age.  I advise not opening the nest box after they are thirteen days old to prevent premature fledging.  Even at this stage, I will open the box very carefully and slowly so as not to disturb the chicks.  The last thing you want to do is cause the death of one of these cuties because they flew the coop to early.

Coming up next week, Tree Swallows!  Until then, check out World Bird Wednesday to see great photos of birds from all over the world.