North Yuba Naturalist: Nesting Time!

Violet-green Swallows (female-male) - Tachycineta thalassina

It's nesting time in my neighborhood! The Violet-green Swallows have returned recently from their winter residence in Mexico or Central America, to breed and raise their young here! There is a small colony of less than 20 pairs of swallows, that nest in the same cutbank on the highway every year. This week I was lucky enough to get a photo of a pair at their nest site!

Both the male and the female will build a nest out of grass stems, small twigs, and rootlets, topped with a layer of straw and then feathers (usually chicken feathers!), but the female does most of the work. Only the female will incubate the 4 to 6 eggs for 2 weeks. The female also does most of the feeding of the hatchlings for 23-24 days until they fledge. Both parents feed the fledglings for their first week or two. Their primary food is insects, which they catch high in the air. They can fly fast, up to 28 miles per hour! They will fiercely defend their nest against intruders, such as other Swallows, Starlings, Bluebirds and Chickadees. I'll keep watching these lovely Swallows, and post what I observe!

Red-winged Blackbird (female) - Brewer's Blackbird (female)

with nesting material

Aeglaius phoeniceus - Euphagus cyanocephalus

Other birds have been flying by with twigs and grasses in their beaks! I haven't gone looking for new nests yet, but will soon. Nest watching is fascinating but you need to be careful not to disturb the nesting birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recommends the following protocol.

"Do not check in the early morning. Most birds lay their eggs in the early morning so plan on visiting nests in the late morning or afternoon. Also, most adults will temporarily leave the nest when you are near, and eggs and young nestlings can become cold quickly if left alone in the early morning.

Avoid nests during the first few days of incubation. If necessary, observe nests from a distance and approach only when the female leaves the nest.

Do not approach nests when young are close to fledgling. When the young are disturbed during this stage, they may leave the nest prematurely. Young that fledge prematurely usually do not stay in the nest despite attempts to return them, and their survival rates away from or outside the nest are low.

When young birds are fully feathered and very alert, only observe the nest from a distance.

Avoid nests during bad weather. If it is cold, damp, or rainy, postpone checking nests until another day. Checking nests during this time can be very stressful for birds.

Do not check nests at or after dusk, when females may be returning to the nest for the night. The exception to this would be owls, which typically leave the nest at dusk."

Dipper nest 4/14 and 4/22

Dipper Nest Update

Well I've been checking the Dipper nest once a week since the outside moss "igloo" was completed on March 30th. By April 7th, a week later, the internal nest "cup" was visible at the nest entrance hole. When I went back on April 14th, there was an additional "hedge" of moss right next to the nest. I had no idea what was going on. A week later, I went back on the 21st and there was a brand new completed "igloo of moss" right next to the first nest and a Dipper was standing outside of it! I went back this week and there are still two igloos, and a Dipper was on the shoreline. I still have no idea what is going on. I don't usually stay long, only a minute or so, because I don't want to disturb the Dippers. However, I haven't seen them flying in and out of the nest, nor have I seen any young nestlings poking their heads out. I'll keep checking on them and let you know what develops!

Black-headed Grosbeak (female ) - Chipping Sparrow - Olive-sided Flycatcher

Pheucticus melancephalus - Spizella passerina - Contopus cooperi

Recent Arrivals!

If you live in an area where long-distance migratory birds nest, now is your chance to see tropical birds without having to travel! A lot of the birds in my neighborhood overwinter in Mexico, Central America, and South America and return to our area to raise their young in the spring.

The Black-headed Grosbeaks overwinter in Mexico. They have recently arrived in our neighborhood, and will stay and raise their young here.

Chipping Sparrows may overwinter in the non-snowy parts of California, or travel down to Baja Mexico. In the spring they pass through our area on their way to open piñon-juniper forests on arid mountain slopes, and in pure coniferous forest extending up to timberline where they will nest.

The Olive-sided Flycatcher has flown from as far south as Bolivia, a one-way distance of approximately 5,300 miles!!! It wins the prize for the bird that flies the farthest distance from its winter habitat to our neighborhood. It will stay and raise its young here. It is easily identified by its repeated "What PEEVES you?" call.

Black-throated Gray Warbler (adult) - Setophaga nigrescens

Just this week a small flock of Black-throated Gray Warblers arrived from Mexico! They are so strikingly feathered, just beautifull! These birds move around so quickly that I can't seem to get a good photo of them, but they are fun to watch! Right now they're passing through our area, on their way up to the higher elevations and the Pinon Pine forest to nest.

Pacific Wren (female ) - Anna's Hummingbird (male) - House Wren

Troglodytes pacificus - Calypte anna - Troglodytes aedon

The Pacific Wren probably spent the winter in California's coast range and/or central valley. It may breed up in my neighborhood if we're lucky!

Anna's Hummingbirds are found year round on the Pacific Coast and most of California, Oregon and Washington. They sometimes come up to our area and even higher to breed and raise their young.

House Wrens show up every year at this time in our neighborhood. There are usually a couple of them in the area. One of them has nested behind some wooden paneling on my neighbor's house for years! They may spend the winter in California or central Mexico.

Willows in Bloom (male - female) - Salix sp.

Neighborhood Blossoms!

Wildflowers and shrubs are starting to bloom in our neighborhood!

Here's what I've seen this week! Next week I'll talk about all the blooming trees!

Naked Broomrape - Applegate's Paintbrush - Kellogg's Monkeyflower

Aphyllum purpureum - Castilleja appelgatei - Diplacus kelloggii

The unusual name of Naked Broomrape is derived from; "broom" = European plants called brooms, "rape" = rapum or cluster of tuber like roots, and "naked" = leafless.