Barred Owlets

Young Barred owlets are learning to find their food, as their parents are making fewer trips in with already-caught goodies.  It doesn't ean they still won't make their tell-tale food begging sounds!  (Hint: that is one of the best ways to find them!)

American Goldfinches

 American Goldfinches are just getting going with their families.  They time it so that their young will have benefit of thistle when it goes to seed, for feeding. 

One of the ways the male courts the female is to offer food to her.  I caught a pair demonstrating this behavior - cool!

Red-bellied Woodpeckers

I forgot how well-camouflaged a young Red-bellied woodpecker is until I saw one this past weekend.  Dad actually flew by me, and I saw his tell-tale red.  The baby was actually fairly quiet.  You can see the parent is quite attentive, while the youngster does make some foraging attempts on its own. 

Merlin overload

I suppose it is not really possible to get merlin overload, as the blog topic title.  At least I can't.  Have been getting to work later each morning; I can hear them as I drive through the neighborhood and inevitably head back home to grab camera.  This morning one was sitting with breakfast (see the bird in the talons) and a sibling tried to knock her/him off tree and take the food.

Marauding Merlins

Well, merlins are fledged and the whole neighborhood is in lockdown.  Before - the blue jays and crows used to let everyone know they were around, but with just parents, that was fewer to worry about.  Three new, marauding, hungry merlins to worry about now, so only sound is the merlins screaming.  Kinda felt a little bad for one of them; apparently you don't get street cred just for being a merlin.  He got punked by a sibling AND a robin.  I hope he figures out how to demand respect soon.  Kinda gives all the other merlins a bad name.  Low self esteem is not usually something they suffer from.

Red-winged blackbirds

A few weeks ago, got these shots of baby red winged blackbird at the nest.  I was so concentrated on trying to get those shots, that it was not until I downloaded pics that I realized the adult female was banded!   I put some more shots of the chick, fledged, in this post.  The female brought in a chunk of suet; she set it down on the "perch", and then put small bites in the baby's mouth.

Black-capped Chickadee chick

Ungrateful kids - the young chickadee is the one on the right, who looks bigger and more imposing than the adult on the left.  He did get fed, though - making a fuss seems to get you your way!

Baby American Robins

Some birds adapt very well to human infrastructure - such as the drain pipe on a townhouse near my house.  This nest of American Robins was very near fledging when I photographed this.  The last two pics are of a baby robin who was not quite yet ready to fly (see his very short tail!) but he could hop and hide very well!