Backyard Nesting Season 2021

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Who is actually nesting in your yard? Who is bringing the kids around to your feeders? Who is using your feeders to feed their babies....? Northern Cardinal-this photo was taken several days ago when she was still nest building and trying it out. She is now sitting on eggs in earnest. I can see her nest from my usual chair in the backyard. I generally only see her either thru binoculars or cameras. Year before last I believe this same couple nested in our yard and had a couple of broods. Last year their nest was in a neighbors yard but they came around to the feeders often. I have kind of notice a pattern with both the Cardinals and the Eastern Bluebirds that nest in our yard, we don't get to see the babies until the last brood. For example, the Eastern Bluebirds fledged at least 3 young ones last week and we have not seen a one and probably won't. We can tell the parents are still feeding them but in a neighbors yard. Plus they are already rebuilding the nest for the second brood. Baby photos below from previous years. Northern Cardinal and Eastern Bluebird

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I'm pretty sure a Carolina Chickadee couple nested in a neighbors backyard and then yesterday brought the fledged but still dependent young ones into our yard. The parents visited our feeders frequently yesterday. Begging could be heard multiple times nearby. Saw babies thru binoculars a few times and then I got a poser. I got 49 shots of this little one as it waited for it's turn to be fed.

[Aaron]

There's been a pair (or maybe several pairs) of Robins who nest in my neighbors yard on their ladder for the last five or so years. Just saw them refurbishing it the other day. Hoping the house wrens, when they come, nest in my nest box again! 

At my cabin I have house sparrows in some houses and Violet-green and tree swallows fighting over others. Hope I don't miss the baby phase. 

[Aidan B]

I have Oak Titmouse, House Finches, and California Scrub-Jays currently nesting in my yard. 

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Events in our backyard as of late. The Carolina Wrens have been busy but their 2nd brood they nested somewhere nearby but not in our yard. They still come to our yard for food. The E. Bluebirds fledged their first brood with the young ones coming around to eat or be fed. One of them flew into our window yesterday evening:( It was stunned for several minutes but did recover. (I do not know what else we can about the windows) In the mean time Mama E. Bluebird is sitting on a second brood in our nest box. Mama N. Cardinal eggs have hatched. Last night we noticed Papa Cardinal going nuts at our back fence which is near where there nest is. Then we saw the reason why. A Cat was on the fence partially obscured by a bush. My husband chased it off. Sadly, there are a ton of feral cats in the neighborhood. I believe a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers is also nesting nearby. They come for food year round but have brought young ones into the yard in previous nesting seasons. That is about it so far.  Red-bellied feeding yound from 2019 nesting season in our yard.

[Seanbirds]

No nesting in our backyard yet.

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4 hours ago, Seanbirds said:

No nesting in our backyard yet.

Hopefully soon.

[Seanbirds]

16 minutes ago, Clip said:

Hopefully soon.

They will be.

[Kevin]

I have found Chickadee, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and of course Eastern Phoebe nests, in my yard, so far.

[Connor Cochrane]

I've had House Finch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse in my yard, as well as a Cooper's hawk that's technically just out of the property.

[Aaron]

I forgot that the local pair of Cooper’s hawks were on their nest a few days ago. They bred there last year, but I stopped visiting the ravine in June so never saw how it turned out.  
Which I guess is not in my yard, but close to.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Aaron

[Avery]

Merlin pair is still around defending territory and calling frequently. I have not seen them each day for a while now. I have about a 80% chance of looking out the window at their usual perch and seeing one there. Mainly I see the male zipping around or perched while the female seems to be staying at the nest. 

[MichaelLong]

There's a house finch nest on top of a fire alarm at school and I can't decide weather the alarm or chicks will be louder

[Avery]

On 5/6/2021 at 8:37 PM, Avery said:

Merlin pair is still around defending territory and calling frequently. I have not seen them each day for a while now. I have about a 80% chance of looking out the window at their usual perch and seeing one there. Mainly I see the male zipping around or perched while the female seems to be staying at the nest. 

I should add that they aren’t actually IN my yard, just in my neighborhood ( which is small). Other found nesters have been House Wren, American Robin, Mourning Dove and Cedar Waxwing. Other known nesters (by way of seen youngsters) are Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, and Black-capped Chickadee. 

[MichaelLong]

Not in my backyard but I found ✨ c hi l d ✨

[IKLland]

I haven’t found their actual nesting spots yet because I don’t want to disturb them, but I know we have OCWA, HOFI, LEGO, SOSP, and maybe Allen’s hummingbird and Mourning dove. Possibly California towhee and bushtit. 

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We had a Momma Downy Woodpecker bring a youngster into our yard yesterday. We watched her feed it from our peanut cake feeder but she apparently wasn't fast enough as the youngster began helping herself. Our first batch of E. Bluebird babies are hunting on their own. We were gone for a few days and haven't really determined yet if the 2nd brood of E. Bluebirds has hatched yet. We have a Northern Cardinal pair nesting in our yard. Before we left for a few days Mom was standing on the side of the nest so we thought they had hatchleans. But, upon our return we are not seeing any young ones and very little activity around the nest. I hope the neighborhood feral cats didn't get to them. The young Eastern Bluebird pictured below hit our window. (we have tape across them and decals the curtins were closed don't know what else to do) Any way it was fine after a few minutes.

[Seanbirds]

Eastern and Western Kingbirds!!

[Connor Cochrane]

Juvenile Chickadees, Titmice, and Junco are starting to come out to the feeders. They still don’t realize that the can just take the seed, the just sit on the feeder and beg their parents to feed them. 

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On 5/13/2021 at 6:26 PM, Connor Cochrane said:

Juvenile Chickadees, Titmice, and Junco are starting to come out to the feeders. They still don’t realize that the can just take the seed, the just sit on the feeder and beg their parents to feed them. 

We see that a lot in our backyard. Though we did have a Downy chick get impatient recently and help herself.

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So our Carolina Wren pair 3 seasons running had their first brood all die before they fledged. We are not sure why but have two theories. One they nested too early and since it was a chilly spring there were not enough bugs to feed them (we left for a few days in this time frame so we weren't around to provide dry worms). Second, our pest control guy sprayed the nest area and the poison killed them (timing for this theory is good). The good news is they had a 2nd brood in a neighbors yard and that brood is doing great. The parents bring them around often and yesterday they brought them to the area where they had their 1st brood and were checking out the old nest. This nest is under the roof of our patio. Mean while I think the 2nd brood of Eastern Bluebirds has hatched making for busy Mom and Dad. Saw a young male Downy Woodpecker yesterday helping itself to the peanut cake thing they seem to favor saw a young female earlier this week. We also have a Brown Thrasher that maybe feeding young in a neighbors backyard coming to the tray feeder. Ma and Pa Cardinal are busy busy. They must have fledged their brood while we were gone again for a few days as I see no activity in the nest. Ma was sitting on the edge of the nest for just a couple of days before we left. Sadly, we also have a feral cat Mom and kitten trying to make our yard their home. Squirrels have two nests in what we call our tree but is actually a neighbors tree though most of it hangs over our yard. Busy busy yard!

[MichaelLong]

I found ✨c h i l d✨ at my house

[Candydez12]

We have European Starlings nesting at my house currently. There are three or four babies running around on the trees or on our yard. They are SO CUTE! We also have for sure Western Bluebirds in a old woodpecker nest I am pretty sure. I saw them bringing in grasses. While the male was sitting outside. I have seen Towhees and House Finches following each other around. We have two different Mourning Dove pairs currently here nesting. One is made its nest next to the window at our house! Another I saw do it's literal mating thing, which is just so cool. Recently, which I am pretty sure this is the same one, I found it nesting inside the ivy on one of our trees. We also have Osprey right next to our house but not in our property. I am just waiting to see some more baby animals, and would love to see baby Osprey or Mourning Doves. I want a nest box now! ? 

[Kevin]

Black-necked Stilt on a nest.

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On 5/22/2021 at 11:48 AM, Kevin said:

Black-necked Stilt on a nest.

Was this in your backyard? If yes I'm so jealous! My favorite bird! How do you you go wrong with hot pink legs right?