ReBirth

Last week end I participated in the Great Backyard Birdcount.  It's something  you do on your own or with a friend and in any place you happen to be....so even a crusty hermitress like Me can do it!  I wanted to try out the new ebird tool called Trip Report,..even tho I have been lumping all my sightings together before it became cool...anyways now its cool by their standards, so I found it very useful...

Northern Cardinals mate for life

Canada Geese probably have eggs already. 

The White Tailed deer mate in the fall so I expect some of these does will be giving birth  starting in April and up to June...so soon I will be seeing the little spotted fawns hiding in the grass. 

I had deer visits in the field this week...

The Red-headed Woodpecker  is ready to get on with the nesting season! This one is checking out an old nesting cavity...

These birds do have some bad habits, they will destroy other birds eggs and even destroy the eggs of cavity nesting Ducks...they are extremely territorial...the Male selects the nesting site, either an old one that they are returning to, or they will build a new nest.  They work on making the nest home together, and lay 3 - 10 pure white eggs and may have 1 to 2 broods.  They incubate for 12 - 14 days and the nesting period is 24 - 31 days! 


The call is a fast repeating chattering, and they have a high pitched shrill  one note call similar to a Northern Flicker.   This one does some chatter vocalizing in the video

The birds are very striking with Royal Red Heads, all the way down to the shoulders, a black back with  broad white wing patches and a white chest.  The large white wing patches makes it pretty easy to ID as it's flying and landing on tree trunks or branches...

So nest season is upon us Depending on where you are of course....take my sisters for example are  still getting SNOW...lol

 

Lil Sis,  had a remarkable sighting on her birdcount search and she graciously shared it with Me and US...she saw a little bump in a tree while driving and turned around and went back and this is what she found...

THE NORTHERN PYGMY OWL..

The N. Pygmy hunts by day and will take small birds even hummingbirds! When it's time for nesting they never create a nest cavity they find one already made, the Male will sit by the hole entrance and make some "Hoots" to attract a mate.  They stay together for that mating season.  They lay 2 - 7 glossy white eggs.  The are non migratory but move to lower elevations in Winter and back upslope in Spring.  

It's a small compact owl with NO ear tufts, a spotted head,  feathers come in  grey and red morph coloration...with yellow eyes and yellow beak. 

Lifer for her!!! Great find and awesome photos as well...good work Sis!  Thank you for sharing this great bird with all of us here and contributing to the blog content.

  Can't wait to see one myself!!

Spring season is a very important time of year for the continuance of  Species on Earth. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.