Last week I came across a new area where Redheaded Woodpeckers were foraging and nesting. There were hundreds of debarked trees; old elms, sycamores, cottonwoods, hackberries, persimmons, and oaks. I noticed one redheaded woodpecker and then a dozen more sharing the same area. One pair was nesting only 4-5 feet above ground; the rest 20-35 feet up. That was the lowest RH Woodpecker nesting I have ever seen. It was dark and raining so I could not use a good setting to “stop” action, so a may photos are not clear or just OOF. Not happy with the photos. There are a lot of photos; no sun until late afternoon:
Posts Tagged ‘nesting’
I found a new Redheaded Woodpecker forage and nesting area
Posted in Wild Birds, wildbirds, tagged araknsas, area, Boston Mountains, creek bottomland, forage, nesting, red headed, Redheaded woodpecker, woodpecker on June 5, 2015| 1 Comment »
Eastern Kingbirds are back in force
Posted in wildbirds, tagged Biston Mountains, eastern kingbird, Low meadow, nesting on May 1, 2015| Leave a Comment »
There seems to be a great number of Eastern Kingbirds this year; some may be passing through. One active nest I saw was being built but already had 2 eggs in it. It was 5 feet off the ground in a small tree or bush against a barbed wire fence. The tree has yet to green up. The female was building while the male watched; the nest about 6″ by 5″ is lined with while feathers and there is 2 eggs of the 5-6 total to be laid
Yesterday 11/10/2014, 73F – Bluebirds ever hopeful for spring
Posted in Weather, Wild Birds, tagged Arkansas, bluebirds, eastern, ever, hopeful, nesting, practice. parthenon, warm day in November on November 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Male American Redstart
Posted in Wild Birds, tagged American Redstart, Arkansas, feeding, nesting, nestlings, strikingly colored bird on June 12, 2014| 1 Comment »
Photo (6/11/2014) taken yesterday while watching the breeding pair feed the nestlings. The American Redstart is one of America’s most strikingly colored wild birds. They are very hard to capture by camera, like most warblers, they are constantly on the move:
Another Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
Posted in Wild Birds, tagged Arkansas, blue, blue gray gnatcatcher, Boston Mountains, Gnatcatcher, Gray, nesting on April 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This pair of Blue Gray Gnatcatchers nesting about 40′ above the ground; taken with a Canon 50D with a Canon EF 400L f/5.6 at 5.6:
White Eyes Vireo’s nest finished and hen is laying eggs
Posted in Wild Birds, tagged Arkansas, nesting, parthenon, the nest building, vireo, whist-eyed, white eyed vireo on April 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I posted a few photos of the nest building about a week ago. I went back today and the female is laying and incubating this clutch of eggs. In the first photo, you can see them switch positions on the nest and the the following few you can see the hen on the nest; taken with a Canon 50D and the EF 400L f/5.6 Lens by Canon also:
Pair of White-eyed Vireos nest building – 4/22
Posted in Mountain Scenery, Wild Birds, tagged Arkansas, Bridge, Jasper, near Pruitt Bridge, nesting, pruitt, southern United States, white eyed vireo on April 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Found these two beauties building a nest near Pruitt, Arkansas this morning at 8:00n AM. I used a Canon 50D and a Canon EF400 f/5.6 L to take about 175 photos of their nesting activities.
The White eyed Vireo is a small and secretive bird of shrubby areas of the eastern and southern United States, the White-eyed Vireo is more noticeable for its explosive song than its looks.
Nest Description
Nest an open cup suspended by rim from fork of small branch in tree. Made of leaves, bark, plant fibers, rootlets, or bits of paper, held together with insect silk and spider webbing, and decorated on outside with lichens, moss, or leaves. Lined with rootlets, fine grass, or hair. Placed low to ground.
Sassy Carolina Wren watching me take out the trash
Posted in Weather, Wild Birds, tagged Arkansas, Boston Mountains, Carolina Wren, nesting, Paerthenopn, squawking on April 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This guy was really letting me have it — squawk, squawk, ……… squawk !!! We got 1.32 inches of rain last night and this morning and all the creeks, falls, and rivers are bank full. This on top of the 2.01 inches we received over the weekend. Photos taken with a a Canon 50D with a EF 400L:
Pair of Nuthatches nesting in a Screech Owl House
Posted in Wild Birds, tagged antics, Arkansas, male and female, nesting, parthenon, up side down, White Breasted Nuthatch on April 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I was doing yard work yesterday, when I noticed a White-breasted nuthatch entering and leaving the Screech Owl House I put up 3 years ago. It is 24 feet above the ground. It has been previously occupied by a Screech Owl (in the winter), and a Gray Squirrel. I stopped and sat down to watch; and soon it was apparent that there was more than one bird. I went to the house to get my camera and headed back out to watch and get a few photos. In the end, I got 250 photos using my Canon 50D and Canon 400 f/5.6 (which is quickly becoming my “GO TO” camera for moving and nesting birds.
After watching and shooting images for an hour, I realized how comical these birds are. I already knew the spent lots of time in an “up-side down” position; coming from top to bottom of trees. They continued to amaze me with the upside down antics yesterday. The female (alone) builds the nest, a multilayered cup, lays the eggs (of course), and incubates them with no help from the male. His job appears to be “Lookout or Guard” and he feeds the female while she is on the nest; neither of which he does with much enthusiasm.
After one 45 minute session without him showing up to feed her, she hung out at the doorway, looking for him, when he finally returned he was scolded badly. One time she finally left the nest and came back with him. (the last 2 photos are of the female leaving the nest box to find the male) – notice how dirty and rusty her tail section and breast are !
Here area few photos of my encounter with them yesterday 4/5/14:
The Eastern Bluebird Wing Wag or Wing Wave
Posted in Weather, tagged 2/24/14, Arkansas, bluebirds, coldest days, eastern, flicking, house hunting, loud singing, nesting, parthenon, wing wave on February 24, 2014| Leave a Comment »
One of the pairs of bluebirds in my yard, must be mated from last year; I believe they stayed all winter. They frequently spent in Cedar (juniper) trees pulling berries of and eating them during the coldest days. While the other Bluebirds are still house hunting, this pair has chosen the house they used last summer; I think !
The male enters the house, looks around, and wing waves to the female, she flies to the house or to a nearby perch and wing waves and then enters the house alone or with him. The waves plus loud singing, tells me they have selected that house again. I got a few photos of the female Bluebird’s wing waves; Taken with a CANON 7D with a 600mm EF600L f/4.0 Lens.