We are fortunate to have barred owls nest near our house every year. After many generations they are used to having us around giving me some wonderful owl watching experiences. I threw a snake near this owl and it showed keen interest. Snake seems to be a favourite, especially for the chicks – perhaps because they are easier to catch than rodents.
A favourite bird species of mine that lives year round in our forest. For years I knew it as a Rufous-sided Towhee but in 1995 it was discovered that it was slightly different to the eastern (North America) species and our version is now called the Spotted Towhee. It is also sometimes called an Oregon Towhee so a potential identity crisis for the bird. Fortunately it doesn’t come to any of those names so perhaps not a problem.
Final shots – yesterday the chicks were getting quite restless and the mother was hanging around more. When I checked in the late afternoon the nest was empty. As far as a timeline, the second egg was laid on May 2nd so it was about a month for the chicks to hatch, mature and fledge. I’m going to spend the weekend recovering from empty nest syndrome and then on to other things.
Still waiting – getting a little hot and crowded in the nest. I’ve seen the mother around a little more so she may be about to give some flying lessons or a push.
Getting very close to fledging!
Not a lot of change but definitely getting bigger. We’ll see what the weekend brings. They are definitely aware of their surroundings so I’m going to be cautious now when photographing them as I don’t want to spook them. It will be interesting to see how involved the mother is in the fledging process. I have a feeling the chicks will be the ones to decide when it is time to fly.
Wall to wall hummingbirds
It looks like the mother no longer sits on the nest, probably because there isn’t much room. I hadn’t seen her around so I set up a stool to see if I could catch her. Forty minutes went by and I was beginning to think the chicks had more patience than I did. Finally I heard the buzzing of wings and there she was. Visits are infrequent and I think the chicks will fledge fairly quickly.
Hard-To-Come-By Lifestyle 