Since my last post, I have had several comments about my statement that Steller's Jay are "secretive nesters"! Many people have had Steller's Jays nest on their front porch, or in very visible sites next to their home. I've experienced this not so secretive behavior myself!
Baby birds and bird eggs are readily eaten by a lot of different predators. In wild areas, the ability to be a "secretive nester" would definitely be an advantage!
Perhaps, living in plain view around human habitation offers some kind of "protection" from wild predators. Living near humans may keep wary predators at bay!
This is just a guess on my part!
What do you think about the Steller's Jays nesting habits?
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| Oriole nest unidentified nest Steller's Jay nest Hairy Woodpecker nest The sun finally came out for a while this week, so I spent a day cruising around my neighborhood looking for birds and bird nests. Apparently, Steller's Jays aren't the only secretive nesters, because all I could find were old, empty, abandoned nests! Hopefully next week I'll be more successful! |
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| Evening Grosbeak - male (left) and female (right) Coccothraustes vespertinus I was so excited yesterday morning when almost FORTY Evening Grosbeaks returned to our neighborhood! They were chattering loudly and flitting from one tree top to another in a seemingly joyous reunion!! They are one of my all time favorite birds, with their beautiful coloration and enormous beaks! Most of them will move to a higher elevation to nest, but hopefully a dozen or so pairs will stay and nest in our neighborhood! The females will do all of the nest building, way up high in the tops of trees. They usually lay 2-5 eggs, in a saucer shaped nest made of twigs and rootlets, lined with grasses and pine needles. The female incubates the eggs for 12-14 days. The altricial young fledge in 13-14 days. Both parents feed the nestlings insects, caterpillars, and spiders! If conditions are right, the female may lay a second brood! As adults, Evening Grosbeaks mainly eat seeds and insects, as well as fruit and berries in season. I just learned that they don't eat cherries for the pulp, but rather for the seed inside the pit, which they easily crack with their large beaks! In winter these birds migrate to Mexico, where they live in the higher elevations of the mountains. Unfortunately, due to logging, pesticides, and climate change, these beautiful birds are declining in population. You can report their presence in your neighborhood, by joining Project FeederWatch.org. Your input on this website, will greatly help ornithologists and the birds they study! Check it out! |
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House Wren - Troglodytes aedon & White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
This tiny male House Wren (above left) showed up at my neighbor's house this week and started building a nest, and calling for a mate right away! I've seen him every morning loudly announcing his availability to the neighborhood! Despite their diminutive size (approximately 4.5" in length), House Wrens are very competitive for nest sites, and can even take over the nests of much larger birds! The males build their small cup shaped nest out of grasses and feathers. The nest is housed in a natural or man-made cavity, which can range from an old tin can to a tree hole! The females lay from 3-10 eggs, and have 1-2 broods per season. The female incubates the eggs for 9-16 days. The altricial baby wrens (Can you imagine how tiny they are?!!) fledge in approximately 15-17 days. Both parents feed the nestlings a variety of insects. Nest parasites, such as mites, can attack baby birds, so House Wrens include spider eggs in their nesting material. When the spiders hatch, they eat the harmful mites! As adults, House Wrens eat spiders, caterpillars, earwigs, flies, leaf hoppers, and snail shells (probably for the calcium!) A flock of White-crowned Sparrows also arrived in our neighborhood this week! Unfortunately, I only got a photo of one of them (above right). They stopped by on the way to their breeding grounds in Alaska. They will probably pass through again this Fall, on the way back to their wintering ground in So. California. Their annual round trip flight is 5,600 miles! |
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Morels genus Morchella
While I was cruising around our neighborhood, I happened across these Morels! They are a type of sac fungi that aren't that common! Sac fungi get their names from the fact that they produce their spores, called ascospores, in special pods or sac-like structures called asci. Technically this group of fungi is known as the Ascomycetes or Ascomycota. I don't know which species of morel these are, but aren't they cool looking?!!
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