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

Enraptured by Raptors

 

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Cooper's Hawks

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Merlin

Kestrel

All these birds were photographed within or passing over college campuses a few minutes walk from my home. I am amazed every day by the variety of birds in this small green space – one of very few that has so far escaped development.

 

 

Action shots

Every so often I am lucky enough to capture an "action shot".

Often these events are precipitated by crows and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to these birds. They have helped me find owls, hawks and foxes by their raucous calling and scolding.

Red-winged Blackbird attacking a Great Blue Heron with fish



Raven chasing a California Condor

Merlin chasing a Turkey Vulture



Crows chasing a Red-tailed Hawk