Showing posts with label fledgling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fledgling. Show all posts

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Lots of Baby Birds!

After a disappointing spring in terms of warbler sightings (something I look forward to every year), it became a remarkable time for baby bird sightings!

In my neighborhood there are three main places where I go to photograph wildlife.  They are all in a row:  an English college; a cemetery; and a French college.

In a tall conifer on the front lawn of the first college, a pair of Merlins raised a family of four chicks; in a large maple tree in the cemetery, a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks raised three chicks; and on the beautiful façade of the second college's main building, five Raven chicks were raised.

These created wonderful opportunities to photograph and watch the development of these beautiful (and vocal!) young birds.


MERLINS



Mother on the nest with her chicks


Three of the chicks still sporting some of their downy feathers


Out of the nest for a short foray to another branch


A young Merlin trying out his wings


RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS


Mother


Father


Two of the young hawks

RAVENS


The mother is in the middle


The five chicks waiting for food